(also posted this under What Did Civilians do after Sherman's March thinking it was this thread)
Confederate General Howard Cobb - Sherman says " I sent word back to General Davis to explain whose plantation it was, and instructed him to spare nothing." Fence rails, corn, and provisions were all put to use.
Foragers went 5-6 miles each side of the line of march. They were specially chosen and dispatched before daylight, with a knowledge of the route and the to-be-camp area. They were instructed to visit every plantation and farm within that range. All the goods they picked up were for their regiments, not for personal use.
Lt. Snelling obtained permission to visit his uncle, 6 miles off, and came back with a fresh horse saying Some of the "bummers" would have got the horse had he not. This was 11-22-64. The next day they entered the state capital, Milledgeville.
Sherman notes in his memoirs: "I have since heard of jewelry taken from women, and the plunder of articles that never reached the commissary; but these acts were exceptional and incidental. I never heard of any cases of murder or rape."
Just finished reading his memoirs. Enjoyed traveling with him.
Along the same lines - from the Civil War Diaries and Letters of Bliss Morse, [compiled by (grandson) Loren J. Morse] traveling through Kentucky:
10-27-62 Our boys jayhawk a good deal of food on the way such as turkeys, chickens, apples, and so forth. Sometimes we got some honey and sweet potatoes.
11-7-62 [The towns] are well drained for goods and provisions as well as the country about here [winter camp at Munfordsville] for a dozen miles. Our quartermasters for the teams have to go that far and some times further for forage. Old Ky. will pay dear for her position in this war. The best parts of the start are well stripped of fodder. The fences are destroyed which will cost her many thousand dollars besides what the rebels have taken in cattle, hogs, horses, and other provisions. Our own boys are no strangers to taking a sheep, hog, or other eatable without paying for it. You [his mother in Ohio] may be thankful that you are not pestered with troops for they are worse than the famine to a farmer.