Let's go to the books or put it to a vote. I have always operated under the impression that a "bummer" was not part of the regular army. He was one of those as I described earlier. A "bummer" was not a regularly detailed man with an order to return with subsistence for his unit. I think we need some clarification on this. Also, how complicit was Sherman in the actions of the "bummers". Was he acutely aware of their actions and tacitly approved them or did he just ignore them and fail to properly police his own army with his provost marshal. Or was his mind on purely military mattters and felt indifferent to these atrocities.