Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-04-29
find her soldiers in this table ranking be-. !

Ha = -
Rlfpd her soldiers in this table ranking be
low those of all the other western States il
Il stature.
Physically, the American race is pufes
IN the South and West. Ingthe South th
E9qlk Of the whites are of English, Scotcl
and Irish descent, and the English, ;hayin,
never been. subject to such sweeping con
Escriptions as have all the continental coun
tries of Europe, retain their superiority q
physiqqe in the British Isles, Just as thei
l'descendants in the South and West did nj
ito the beginning of the present war. The
race in the New England States, though
not as pure English as that in the South
rs still very nearly so, the basis of original
English population there having proved
too strong for the foreign influx. We see
the result in States like Maine, Vermont
and New Hampshire, where the foreign i'm.
migration hssf been comparatively un-
\ known.
Perhaps no fact in this connection Is
more curious than the influence of occur.
Eences which now live only in history.-
South Carolina and Missouri had a strong
French Infusion in the early colonial days.
and accordingly we find their soldiers
ranking in stature below those of Southern
and Western States in their immediate
nelghborhood Virginia, Notwithstanding
the preponderating influence of the early
English colonists, shows in like manner the
effect of the large German emigration into
her valley and Western districts. Ohio.
despite the numbers OF emigrauts of pure
American stock absorbed in her popula-
ton, ranks below Indiana and Illinois, on
account of the immense number Iof Ger.
mans who have settled there,
The Southern and Western soldiers have
shown in this war, upon many hard
topght battle field, the the value of the
stock from which they have sprung, and
though the verdict is against us of the
Middle States, we should not hesitate to
acknowledge the truth, since they are ALI
paigns the soldiers who fought on our side
were from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, KEN
lucky, Missouri, aud some States which do
not figure in the above table. We have
also bad some loyal regiments from Ten
nessee, Against these were arrayed troops
from Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Ten.
nessee, Louisiana, and some other States,
but the physical average was on our side.
In the East, on the other hand, we have
had to pit men of the lowest physique
against those of the highest, as will be
seen by the following; -.
States (rebel) height. States (Union) M. height.
Georgia.......... $50 New York, k,.....5.G5
North Carolina, 1913 Pennsylvania, ...5 67
South Carolina, 5.76 Mass & Conn, Is SO
Virginia. .;.......5,T4 Nj. 4 Del.,....5.65
We do not argue from these facts that
we cannot beat the rebels in Virginia, al.
though we draw from them the reason why
we have not hitherto done SO. Our first
armies were all volunteers, while those of
the rebels were all drafted. They got the
flower OF the Southern fighting stock
while we got just any sort of material
offered. It,has been remarked that the
drafted men from thefnorth are nearly all
far superior in physique to the volunteers.
The conscriptiOn will produce similar re-
suits. We do not anticipate that we shall
have taller men, but men of more muscu-
lar power, which is the main point in. war.
Meantime the South has no reserves to
draw upon, and the war has made sad
havoc with her giants. efI3