Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-10-10
The Force of.the Rebels.

Among the many estimates of the forces
which the Rebel leaders have now under
arms and actually in the field, the most de-
tailed and at the same time the most pre-
poste:ous, is one which sets forth theil
grand total at $50, 900 men, and gives to
the separate States such quotas as 10000
to Virginia, 10000 10 South Carolina,
$4,000 to Alabama, 1000 to Florida, 35,'
900 to Tennessee, and 21, 900 respectively
TO Arkansas and Texas.
Let us look little closely at some Of
these prodigious conlingents. South Caro-
lima, which is reported to have sent 2O, 900
to the field, has, by the census Of 1869, a
white population of 29l, 1928. The State
of New York, by the same census, has 3,
s36,544 white inhabitants, and therefore if
1t furnished troops 10 the same proportion
as South Carolina would raise about 1885,
900. Does any man in his senses suppose
that New York, with all her wealth and
commercial resources, could put such an
army as that in the field? And ifnot how
can South Carolina have raised and equip
ped the force credited to her?
The contingent of 10000 men ascribed
to Virginia is still more incredible, if We
consider that at least one third of her white
population of l,O57,ooO is loyal to the
Union. Aud equally astounding is the
quota of 1000 men which the petty and
remote State of Florida, with only $1,000
white inhabitants, is said to have sent to
the war. But when we consider that, leav-
ing out the loyal population of Western
Virginia, the total white population of the
Seeded States is only 5000, 900, the force
of $4,000 men which they are said to
have in the field assumes proportion
which is really stupendous. France, on
the same scale, with her population of &c.,
100000, wealthy and compact as it is,
ought easily to raise an army of 2, ,50O,0 900;
England, with still greater ease, 1000, 900,
and Germany, with her 45,O0O,0O0 of
population, not less than 3,l50,00O SOL
diers.
We have no desire to underrate tue forces
or the exertions of tue Rebel States. Con-
sideriug the weakness of their number and
their comparative poverty, they have exhib-
tied wonderful spirit and energy-but
there are certain limits Of military supply
which no nation can exceed, and which the
South will have reached long before it has
sent O,0OO men to the battle fields of Vir-
ginia and Missouri.
The National Republican, Washington,
contradicting one of The Heralds bugaboo
stories about the vast Rebel force in Virgin
la, says:
"That the total force of tie enemy in
Virginia does not exceed 100000 men, is
as certain as it can he made 10y ANYTHING
short of an actual count.
If the Administration would yield 10 the
policy which the contractors seek To dictate
by their continual panics, we should have
our army here doubled, and then have it
kept in idleness until doolnsday. That is
what the contractors want, and it is the
real object of all the panies which they in
stigale through the press, keeping them
selves carefully conc ealed all the while
But they will find their game blocked by
the Administration, which is determined
To hrinU the war IN a sDeeIv c!oSen