| Special Orders No. 17 |
| Hdqrs Arty. Corps, First Corps, Army of
Northern Virginia |
| Richmond |
| September 14, 1863 |
| |
| By direction of
Lieutenant-General Longstreet, the battalions of artillery of
Colonel Alexander, Major Dearing, and the Washington Artillery,
Major Eshleman, will proceed by rail to Chattanooga, Tenn., or such
other point as may be hereafter directed, to join the troops of the
First Corps, under General Longstreet. The guns and their equipment
complete, including harness and the ammunition in the chests, will
be sent forward. In shipping the armament and property the
arrangement should be to send sufficient detachments under
commissioned officers with them to transfer them at the several
points required. The men will be required to be kept upon the cars,
and when at depots or places where changes are to be made they will
be prohibited from straggling or leaving the places designated by
the commanding officer for them to remain until their departure. The
camp equipages of the several commands and all quartermasters'
stores necessary to their efficiency in the field, in view of
immediate operations, will be transported with the troops. When
ordered, the battery horses and other public horses, the wagons,
ambulances, and teams will be turned in to the quartermaster
authorized to receive and receipt for them at Petersburg. The
battalions will be dispatched in the following order: First, Colonel
Alexander's battalion; second, Major Dearing's battalion; third,
Washington Artillery, Major Eshleman. The commanding officers
respectively are charged with the duty of making, through the
quartermaster's and commissary departments, the necessary provisions
of forage for the animals and subsistence for the men on the march
from Petersburg to their destination. Upon application
transportation will be furnished for officers' horses on the trains
with the batteries. Until the arrangements are completed and the
shipment of the battalions is ordered to be begun, the several
commands will remain encamped near Petersburg in conformity to
Special Orders, No. 16, from these headquarters. The same care and
attention will be given to all the animals as if they were to be
retained by the several battalions. Officers of batteries are
enjoined to strictly supervise this duty. |
| J. B. Walton |
| Colonel and Chief of Artillery Commanding |
|