Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1867-08-03
From the New York Tribune
TIE MUSTER ROLLS OF THE CON
FEDERATE ARMY

On another page we give an abstract O.
The returns of all the armies OF the Con
federacy for nearly every month from the
beginning of 1862 down 10 the beginn!ng
of 1864-the entire active period OF the
war. saving a few weeks at the close.
We are confidaut that oil the rebel OH
GERS, from Lee. downward, could not fur
nish so complete an account OF the
strength of their armies. And we think
that no captured documents, as yet un.
arranged, can add anything material to
this statement. 1t will be seen that the
number of troops at the East and the
West was throughout nearly equal, and
that no considerable body Of soldiers
was ever transferred from one army to
the other. The greatest number actually
borLe at any one time ca Their muster
rolls was $50, 600 and this was only
when, by robbing the cradle and the
grave" every male from II to so was
enrolled in the army. Half a million is
the utmost nomIDally enrolled at any
other period. The greatest number pres
ent for duty at any n time, and that
only for a brief period, was 100000 ; to
which should be probably added a few
thousand rangers, partisans and bush
whackers. There were not three periods
of a month when they had $500 The
Army Of Northern Virginia, under Lee,
was the great strength Of the Confedera-
cy. At only three periods did it for a
month number 0 0,000 men present for
duty. A study Of these reports, com
pared with the known strength of the
Union Army Of the Potomac, will furnish
materials for q more severe criticism on
the conduct Of the war in this depart
ment, and the military merits Of the diff
erent commanders, than any man has yet
dared t. write. Thus in October, 49,
81, when Mcclellan, with $4,000 men
fit for duty feared to advance toward
Manassas, surprising that the enemy had
not less than 80, coo, their actual force
was less than 10000 and in December
they had only $4,000. Again, when al
the beginning of April 1862, the "Unrea
dy reached the Peninsula with not fewer
than 100000 men, he was held in check
BY Magruder with barely $4,000, who, be-
side holding Yorktown, had to guard a
line of a dozen miles. When, after dig.
ging away at Yorktown for a fortnight,
Mcclellan was ready TO assail that forii-
t%lcation, held, as he supposed, by at least
100000 men-he having, as be says, S.
OOo-the Confederates actually had on
the whole Peninsula less than so.
And when he finally reached the Chicka
hominy with about 10000 effective men.
the enemy had at Richmond but At, 600.
increased at the close of May to 67, 600,
sick and well, probably 60, 900 effective,
Meade's success at Gettysburg was SO
decided, and Of such vital moment. that
the feebleness Of bis subsequent cam
palgn in Virginia has been overlooked.
When. at the close Of July, be had reach
the Rappahannock, he had fully so, 900
men. The figures which we give show
that Lee had only II 900. Yet with ills
great p~reponderance HalIeck would not
allow Meade to attempt any offensive
operations. But in October, when Meade!
had 10000, and Lee but $4,000, the Union
was actually driven back almost
within sight of Washington. This re-
from Culpepper to Centrevslle is
utterly inexplicable, for Halleck had no.
thing to do with tho movement, and
Meade knew that he was much stronger
han his enemy: This abortive campaign
showed that Meade, an excellent officer i
when backed up by a viii stronger than |
l's own, was wholly deficient in moral
requisite for the conduct of a 7
campaign. When Hallack was displaced $
rom the chief command, and Grants t
irm will directed Meade, the campaign t
assumed a wholly different aspect. aFor. r
ward to Richmond" or wherever else the +
Rebel strength might lie, became the |
war-cry' not only Of the Commander a
+ the National Army, but of the Nation. a
Ihese are but a few of the points upon t
which the Confederate muster rolls. which {
re now for the first time published, fur Z
'lsh occasion to remark. .
CURE FOR CHARBoN.-As this dreadful a
courge is prevailing in some of the par 9