Report of Capt. Henry F. Hawkes, Commissary of Subsistence, U. S. Army,
Chief Commissary.
HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, TWENTY-FIFTH ARMY CORPS,
Camp near Petersburg, Va., April 28, 1865.
SIR: In accordance with Special Orders, No. 77, paragraph 3,
headquarters Department of Virginia, Army of the James, before
Richmond, Va., March 18, 1865, I reported for duty as commissary of
subsistence of this division on the 26th of March. By orders received
from Bvt. Col. M. P. Small, chief commissary of subsistence,
Army of the James, I was directed to have four days' marching rations
in the haversacks of the men and ought days' rations in the train, but
owing to the insufficiency of transportation, and after having, through
the personal exertions of Col. M. P. Small, procured fifteen
additional wagons for the supply train, I was unable to fully comply
with the order, and when we broke camp and commenced our march on
the 27th of March the troops had four days' in haversacks and seven
days' in the train. By anticipating contingencies that might arise and by
procuring supplies as opportunity offered, notwithstanding the deficiency
and poor quality of the transportation, which was constantly decreasing
by the death of animals and abandonment of wagons, I have been
enabled during the entire campaign to issue full marching rations to the
troops of this command. In addition to this I have issued 7,000 rations
of bread and 2,800 rations each of coffee, sugar, and salt, to
Confederate prisoners, and have in additional transferred to other
commands, to supply their deficiencies, 18,462 rations of coffee and
11,820 rations of sugar, besides the small stores forming a component
part of the ration. During the entire march from the James River to
Appomattox Court-House and return to this camp, the troops of this
division have had issued to them full marching rations, and have not
been a day without food except in individual cases when they have
wasted or squandered the rations issued to them.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
H. F. HAWKES,
Capt. and Commissary of Subsistence of Volunteers,
Chief Commissary of Subsistence, 2d Division, 25th Army Corps.
Capt. IRA H. EVANS,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-Gen.
Source: Official Records
PAGE 1234-95 N. AND SE. VA., N. C., W. VA., MD., AND PA. [CHAP. LVIII.
[Series I. Vol. 46. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 95.]
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