The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-26
NO. 268.

10 " aaAAAs toA NoEae9 oA4cAA u tAo
Cincinnati Commercial, writing On ths
I7th inst, makes the following eneour-
ssing statement on oficisl authority
According to the official report Of the
Provost Marshal General 70 Congress,
sixty-eight thousand two hundFed and
forty-three volunteers enlisted in tie
army from the 1st Of January to the Let
Of November, 1868. The draft, during
the same period, realised thirty-six
thousand men. A total Of about one
hundred and five thousand new men
were thus added to she army in the ten
months mentioned. Our losses, IN the
same time, by battle, disease, capture
ana discharge, did not exceed that NUM-
Der, 30 that on the 1st Of November last
The strength of the Federal army was
substantislly the Same as on the pEeced-
ing lat Of January.
since the 1st Of November up to lass
Monday, between one hundred and ten
and one hundred and twelve thousand
volunteers, under the Presidents last
cal, have been formally mastered into
the listed States serVics. About ten
thousand more are enlisted, but as they
are not yet formally mustered in, do net
include them 10 my calculations. Thus,
our army is 1t tais moment 112 600
stronger than it was on ths 1st Of Janu-
~, 1868, nearly fourteen months ago.
Nor is this al. UP 70 the end Of last
week, no less chan sixty thousand color
ed troops have been reported as regular
ly organised to the department. About
fifteen thousand more are enlisted, but
nOtyet formed into regiments. OF the
former number, at least One-third are
already 50 efficient in sll military duties,
that they can safely be employed in Of
fensive operations. The remaining forty
thousand are proficient enough to be used
for gaFTisoning towns and Qualifications,
guarding depots, protecting lines of com
muDication, SO. AS they al the places
Of an equal number Of white troops, that
would be required for the same services,
they can well be regarded as 3 CORES
bonding accession 10 our effective
strength.
Next comes tbs Invalid Corps. It
numbers st this time nearly twenty-five
thousand men. Here and elsewhere its
services have proved invaluable, and, ~
It has relieved an equal number OF troops,
fit for field duty, it may likewiss be put
down as 3 clear gain TO the army. lis
usefulness is great not only in garrison
ing, guarding &c, but alsO in doing
away With the principal caase Of the de-
pletion Of our armies in the fret aud
second year Of the war, viz: absence
without leave, by the system Of provost
guards now extended to every county
throughout the loyal States. Since its
creation some seventy thousand GeseFters
and absentees have been returned 90
their regiments, Of whose services the
Government was deprived the beginning
Of the year, and whose return is tanta-
mount to = reinfOrcemento Of the army to
the same number.
Tnus Il appears, that the Federal army
must have ct the present time-the losses
in 1863 being balanced, as shown above,
By voluntary enlistments and the draft,
in the same periOd-strsDgth greater By
at least two hundred and ffty thousand
men than Is had On the first OF January,
1868. This may seem = large fsure,
but know it is rather below than above
. he fOotings-up Of the War Department.
That we have gained one hundred and
fifty thousand men-one hundred and
twelve thousand whites, the balanced
the last two months, is abso-
lu,ely proved By the official returns.
There are still other reasons for 3
hopeful contemplation Of the future. A
prevails among the public
at large in the North as to tbe number
Of OLD soldiers tna. will be lost 10 .hs
service in the course Of the year, By TIE
expiration Of their terms Of enlistment.
The total number Of men whose three
years service will end previous to the
first Of January Rsxt, ir not over two
hundred thousand. Only about one
sixth Of these are entitled to 3 oiscbaree
before the FIRST Of August next, so hat
she great mass Of the veteran soldiers
Eould remain available under al cir
st least for another sprirg
and summer campaign. But there is 81
ready certainty that the services Of
more than half Of their number will 10
retained by the country during the war.
0a Monday last the veteran enlislmenig
footed up ever eighty thousand. and il
Is confidently expected by the War D.
pAFtment that, before the 1Oah of Marer.
Ihe number will reach one hundred and
Ten 10 twenty thousand. The re-eni st.
Bg movement has only jast now con-
neBced in the disis3t epsrtmsnfs lhst
,ould not be 80 readily communicated
With since Congress extended the tinas
or She payment Of extra bOuntiss.
I trust ths foregoing fgures-mo
,loqnent and convincing than any ofhtr
/ could sddu e-Hili brace uD
hose loyal hearts that have, without g, cd
eason, gown fsi4t while reading tho
uture, and satisfy them that ths only
ianger we really have 70 face Is lhe mis-
application OF our power and the waste Of
,ur resources By those who have tie
nanagement Of the war. Bat before ws
lave positive evidences tiat this dasg
8 actually threstening-a eyideHcs Of
his kind can only be furnished By future
,vsnts-let as no. distoaFsge ourselves
md those around By caaseless diflaencs
nd gloomy forscnstings.