The Placer herald., 1865-01-21
What becomes Of the Soldiers?

'"0 lVi'o"lUS summary OF lne losses OF the
Army of tho Shenandoah since the COM
mencement Of Gen. Grants campagp:-
he supplies fer Sherdan's army are again
sent, at great expense, from Baltimore to the
genera! depot at Halper's Ferry; and Sheri-
dan's army is now doing nothing more, and
will DO nothing more all winter, than merely
to guard the line OF the Potomac. This is
the lame and impotent conclusion of the
campaigns of 1864 in the valley; campaigns
which, under SigeI, Hunter, and Sheridan,
have been conducted with $4,000 men, Of
whom only 2l,OO0 now survive. Here is
the whole matter in brief: On the 5th of
May Sigel had 5000 troops. lie lost in
that month 5000. General Hunter added
$4,000 fresh troops in June, and took CON,
maud also, Of the 5000 that were left under
Sigel. But he left Sigel there with 5000
troops at Winchester, while he made his
campaign agans. Lynchbur5 with bis own
II, 900 men, who were all welltrained SOL
diers. He lost 5000 Of his own troops, and
Slgel lost 1900 when he was driven from
Winchester by Early. About the 18th Of
July, Gen. Wright took into the Valley the
9th and 10th corps, 1000 strong, and ad.
ded to them the 6,0OO left under Hunter and
toe 1000 left under Sigel. Among these
was Crooks division. Gen. Wright only
lost 5000 men in bis brief campaign, when
he was superseded, on the Jth Of August, by
Gen. Sheridan. Gen. Sheridan brought with
him from the james river, u, 900 cavalry.
and from Washington division of infantry,
1000 strong. Another division Of infantrv,
OF 1900 men, was assigned to him from the
8th corps, and he also took command Of the
$4,000 men just named, under Gen. Wright.
This gave him 1000 men to start with. He
was reinforced between the Goth Of August
and the 9th Of October, by $4,000 new
recruits, OF whom 5000 were substitutes and
personal representatives, and 1000 were
drafted clen. Your readers will no doubt
have noticed the official statement made a
few days ago, by MIR. Whiting, solicitor OF
The NaF Department, to the effect that since
the Goth Of last August, there have been
10000 voluntary enlistmenis into the army.
This statement, have ascertained, is true.
But the "voIun,arv enlistments" include and
indeed are composed Of substitutes aud per-
sonal representatives, put in by individuals
and towns in order to avoid draft And J
have asceTtaaed also, that the last draft itself
has actually produced between 10000 and
and l3O, goo men.
Here then are 100000 men, who have
been raised since the Goth Of August. What
has become Of them? $4,000, know, have
been sent 10 Gen. Grants army, al! Of them
having reached lin before the oOth ult.;
$1,000 Of them, know, have been sent to
Gen. Sheridsu's S army, the last detachments
having bean sent up last week. But this
only makes 05 900 men. What has become
OF the ether 10000 men? Gen. Sherman
needs 10000, but have not heard of any
having been sent to him. Gen. Sheridan,
then, has had in all $1,000 men, wherewith
to conduct his campaigns. lie lost in his
first pursuit of Early to Strasburg, Aug. 9th
to 18th, 1000 men; partly III battle, partly
through the excessive heat and want Of wa.
ter. He lost on bis retreat from Strasburg
to Winchester, August 10th to 18th, 1900
men. He lost in his defeat at Winchester,
August 18th, and in bis immediate retreat to
Challestown, 1900 men. lie lost in the SO
we're battle at Bunker Hill, August 26th,
1000 men; and in bis subsequent retreat to
C""' 'SS'N"'' cOO. IAo 'oSG III tuS DatlIS ol
BerryviiIe, Sept. Cd, 1,Go0 men; in the bat
tie of Bunker's Hill, Sept. 10Th, 5000 men;
and in the battle a, Fishers Hill, Sept. 2lst
5000 men. After that battle he had 10000
men left, Including 600O new recruits who
had joined him since Sept. 1st, and he sup.
posed that Early's army was entirely used
up. A few days, however undeceived, him
From the 22d TO the 3Oth OF September he
lost in sundry skirmishes 1000 men in va.
rous attempts to force passage through
the Blue Ridge, in order to get to Lynch
burg. His force was then reduced TO 24,O0C
men, and with these he retreated to Stras
burg, from the 9th to the 10th of October
losing $4,000 men en- route. From that
time, however, be began to receive the last
renforcements mentioned above. From the
! lth to the 18th ult., he lost in the skir
mishes and reconnoisauces mentioned in my
recent letters, 1000 men. He lost in the
great battles of the 10th ut., 1885 men
namely, in the 7th corps 1900; in the 9th
corps 3,2l6; and in Crooks division 1927
And he has lost in skirmshes and reconnois
sances since then, nearly 1000. His entire
losses during the campaign have thus been
35,8l5 men, and bis present forces reduced
to 21,l55 men.
GuN CoTroN IN THE ARMY-N1rRE.-It i:
stated by the Chief Of the Ordnance Bureau
in bis annual report, just published, thai
! ,tc h. IL