Major General Gillmore
Commanding Officer, U.S. Forces, Department of the South
orders embarkation of troops for the expedition to Florida
APPENDIX F.
HEADQUARTERS,
Hilton Head, February 4, 1864 — 8 p.m.
Brigadier-General Seymour,
Commanding, Hilton Head:
You will embark without delay the following regiments and batteries of your command, upon transports that the chief quartermaster has been directed to furnish you, viz: Colonel Barton's brigade, comprising Seventh Connecticut and Seventh New Hampshire Regiments Volunteer Infantry, and (temporarily) the Eighth Regiment U.S. Colored Troops; Montgomery's brigade, comprising Second South Carolina Volunteers (colored), Third U.S. Volunteers (colored), Fifty-fourth Massachusetts (colored) Volunteers; Henry's mounted brigade, comprising Fortieth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and the Independent Battalion Massachusetts Cavalry; Langdon's light battery (four pieces), Elder's horse battery (four pieces), one section of James' Rhode Island battery (two pieces). The men will carry six days' rations, three of which should be cooked. They will also carry knapsacks, haversacks, and blankets, and not less than 60 rounds of ammunition per man, leaving the rest to follow. The camp equipage will be left behind, packed up, in charge of 1 commissioned officer from each regiment and 2 enlisted men from each company. You will take two wagons for each foot regiment and one wagon for each mounted company, and six days' forage for animals, if possible. You will see that no females accompany your command, and will give strict orders that none shall follow except regularly appointed laundresses, who will be allowed to accompany the baggage of their respective commands. Only a small quantity of medical supplies need be taken. The medical director has been ordered to furnish ambulances, and the hospital steamer Cosmopolitan, with a full supply of medical stores, will, it is expected, follow the command in a few hours. Additional instructions will be given before your command has all embarked.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Q. A. GILLMORE,
Major-General, Commanding.
Copied from The Official Records of the War of Rebellion.
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