The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-09-14
Strength of the Rebel Army.

nation of troops will hardly be made public be-
fore or Immediately after their departure.-St.
Louis Dem.
Strength Of the Rebel Army.
The New York Evening Pest, as a
proper comment on relations which come
from I" reliable gentlemen,," has the fol-
lowing Z, -. ,l.a j' i, go, ~ 81
We have to say, therefore, that instead
Of $4,000, the insurgent armies in Vir-
ginia number in all, probably over $50,
600 men. This calculation is founded on
the following details: We know from q
stakeholder in the Virginia and Tennes-
see Railroad, that this road, which is the
great trunk line connecting the south
western States with Richmond, had car
ried, up to the first of July, more than
80, 900 soldiers into Virginia. More have
probably been called in since the battle of
Stone Bridge. It, is stated on what we
believe to be good authority, that the
State of Virginia has added to this force
over sc, 900 men-a number not improba-
bic when we remember that the insurgent
leaders have ordered and executed levy
zen nsasse" in all parts of the State Of
which they have command, taking every
man between eighteen and sixty. This
would make total Of 100, 900 ; and North
Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina have,
without doubt, added more than 10000
this total. a@ ~ ssl a.a '..'..-',1
The statement that this vast army is
suffering from. lack of food and clothing
must be received with caution. It must
be remembered that Virginia is the strong
point of the rebels. Elsewhere they can
afford defeat; to be routed in Virginia
would be death-blow to their cause. 1t
is highly probable, therefore, that Mr..
Davis. who is prudent commander, will
sacrifice many things to keep his Virginia
army in good condition. Gen. Pillows
tro - may suffer, and Gen. McCulloch
may be forced to retire into Arkansas for
lack Of supplies; but the great army in
Virginia will be cared for to the last. 1t
is we'll known that the rebels used the
months before the bombardment of Fort
Sumter to lay in great stores of provisions;
and since then Kentucky has been un-
happily neutral ground, through which
they have drawn continually supplies of
every kind, except, perhaps, arms and am
munition. There is, therefore, no reason
to believe that the army in Virginia is
even reduced to corn cakes and bacon.
In the matter of clothing they are pro-
badly in greater need. The South does
not manufacture and if our mills have
been taxed to the uttermost to supply clo-
thing for our armies, it is scarce possible
that the enemy can replace the worn out
garments of her troops. But soldiers do
not absolutely need uniforms; they can
fight in buckskin and in homespun-in
patched garments as well as new.
The greatest need of Mr.. Davis is pro-
badly wagons for army transport. His
boast of going to Philadelphia is only a
boast, while he has not for his army Of
150, 600 men, train sufficient for an ar.
my of 10000. To Manassas everything
lis brought BY railroad. But beyond Man
asses his advance is clogged, if not made
impossible, by the lack of transportation
material, and this want it will be difficult
for the enemy to supply from his own re.
sources. 81! s.,.s ....s
| The blockade has doubtless produced
| in the South scarcity in many articles,
the want Of which occasioned inconveui.
snce aud even suffering. Some time ago
4. they had no matches in Charleston. Sal,
is selling at six dollars per bushel in Rich.
mond. Buttons cannot be, obtained al
any price in the Southern States. Shoes
they need already, and will need more
bitterly a. the cold weather comes on
and leather, in fact, is probably theil
greatest need, next to army wagons.
i But they have powder, lead, arms, shot
and shell, heavy guns in abundance,
though probably but small supply Of
light field artillery-thst most valuable
and important branch Of . modern army
and above all they have a. leaders men oil
desperate fortunes, who have embarked
| deliberately In a most wicked undertaking
and who will stop at no measures to Oh
tain that success which alone can save
them from halter. a,''Ha go
We state these facts, not from any dis
Ike to the ssreliabls gentlemen" who an
| such boons to anxious journalists, nor ys'
4 from desire to throw cold water on tht
national enthusiasm, but because We be
Ilisve it Is Wissst to bear constantly II
mind that if We want victory we mus
Il gain it for ourselves; that We cannot--al
i Ne ought, not il We could depend upon th,
| exhaustion of the rebels to achieve theil
defeat; and because We believe that tn,
q most fatal error an army or nation cal