Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-01-05

presumed, were sent 10 Grant, as, otherwise,
they might have been brought to Washing
ton to meet my force with more ease than
troops from his army
General Lees army, at the beginning Of
the campaign, consisted Of two divisions Of
Longstrect's Corps, Ewells Corps, A. P.
Hills Corps, three divisions of cavalry and
the artillery. [ commanded, at different
times during the campaign, Hills and Ewell's
Corps, and am, therefore, able to state very
nearly the entire strength of the army
Ewels Corps, to which | belonged, did not
exceed fourteen thousand (14,o00) muskets
at the beginning Of the campaign. When I
was placed in command of Hills Corps on
the Sth of May, by reason OF General Hills
sickness, it's effective strength was less than
thirteen thousand (13, 000) muskets. and it
could not have exceeded eighteen thousand
QS,000) in the beginning. Longstreet's
Corps was the weakest OF the three when all
the divisions were present, and the two with
him had just returned from an arduous and
exhausting Winter campaign in East Tennes-
see. His effective strength could not have
exceeded eight thousand $4,000 muskets.
General Lees whole effective infantry, there
fore, did not exceed forty thousand Gao, 000)
nluskets, if it reached that number. The
cavalry divisions were all weak, neither OF
them exceeding the strength ola good brigade
The artillery was in proportion to the other
arms, and was far exceeded by Grants not
only in the number of men and guns, but in
weight Of metal, and especially in the quality
Of the ammunition. General Lees whole
effective strength at the opening of the cam
paign was not over fifty thousand 100000
men of all arms. There were no means of
recruiting the ranks of his army, and no re-
endorsements were received until it reached
Hanover Junction, on the 23d of May. 1t
was this force, therefore, which compelled
Grant, after the fighting at the Wilderness
and around Spottslvania Court House, inclu-
ding the memorable 18th Of May, to wait
six days for re-enforcements from Washing
ton before he could move, and baffled his
favorite plan of reaching Richmond At
Hanover junction General Lee was joined by
.Pickett's division Of Longstreet's corps, one
small brigade Of my division or Ewell's corps,
which had been in North Carolina with Hokc,
and two small brigades, with battalion of
artillery under Breckenridge. This force
under Breckenridge, which General Gran
estimates at 5000, and which was subset
quently united to mine at Lynchburg, did
not exceed Two thousand $4,000 muskets. s.
At Cold Harbor, about the LIST Of June,
Hoke's division from Petersburg joined Gen
eral Lee, but Breckinridge's force was sent
back Immediately after its arrival near that
place, on account Of the defeat and death Of
General VIM. e. Jones at Piedmont, in the
Shenandoah Valley, and Ewelrs corps, with
two battalions of artillery, was detached I'M
der my command on the morning of the 18th
of June to meet Hunter This counterbal
anced all re-enforcements The foregoing
statement, which fully covers General Lees
strength, shows the disparity of forces be-
tween the two armies to the beginning, and
it was never lessened after they reached the
vicinity of Richmond and Petersburg, but
was greatly increased The curious may
speculate as to what would have been the re-
suit if the resources in men and munitions Of
war of the two commanders had been re-
versed, or if Lees strength had approximated
Grants. Occupying neutral position, as
between the two Federal commanders, Grant
and Butler, and certainly having 10 reason
to admire the latter, [ cannot but be amused
at the effort Of Grant, by the use of few
flash phrases, to make Butler the scapegoat
Of all his failure.
The disparity between the forces Of Sher-
idan and myself in the Valley campaign was
even greater than that between Lee and
Grant Ny force, when | arrived in front
of the Notifications of Washington ON the
18th Of July, 1864. was eight thousand g.
0O0) muskets. three small battalions Of ar
tillery with about forty (40) field pieces, Of
which the largest were twelve FOUNDER Napo-
Icons, and about two thousand (2,O00) bad
ly mounted and equipped cavalry, of which
large portion had been detached to cut the
railroads leading from Baltimore north
General Grant says that two divisions Of the
Sixth Corps and the the advance of the Nine
toenth Corps arrived at Washington before1
did, and Mr. Stanton says was met there
by the Sixth Corps, part Of the Nineteenth
Corps under General Emory, and part Of
the Eight Corps under General Gilmore
Ny force had then marched over 500 miles,
marching, at least, twenty miles each day,
except the day Of the fight at Monocacy,
when it marched fourteen miles, and fought
and defeated Wallace.
At the battle of Winchester or Opequan
as it is called by General Grant, my effective
strength was about eight thousand five hun
dred 6, 500 muskets, the three battalions Of
artillery and less than three thousand $4,000
cavalry Sheridan's infantry consisted of the
Sixth. Nineteenth and Cooks Corps, compos-
ed one division of the Eight Corps and what
was called the Army Of West Virginia"
Some idea may be formed Of the strength Of
the 9th Corps, when it is reelected that the
Army Of the Potomac was composed of three
corps On the LIST Of May previous, to wit =
the Second, Fifth and Sixth, and that it's eff
fective strength then was, according to Mr..
Stanton's statement, l20,386. The same
statement shows that the available strength
of the forces in the Department of West
Virginia" on the LIST Of May, 30,7S2, and
most of the troops in this department were
concentrated in the Valley. Documents sub
captured showed the strength Of
the Nineteenth Corps to have at the battle of
Winchester, not less than $4,000 effective
men. Official reports captured at Cedar
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