The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-08-31
The Rebel Arness.


The New York Tribune has an ab-
stract Of the muster rolls Of the rebel mr.
my This document has every appear
ance Of authenticity, and shows IN the
first place that the rebel armies we're
much smaller than imaginative Generals
and excited civilians were, during the
war, in the habit Of believing. The Ar
my Of Northern Virginia, commanded by
Lee, numbered about 100000 men when
he took it in hand. This was in June,
1862. In July, after tho seven days
battle before Richmond, those present for
duty numbered 60, $50. After Antictam.
Lees army was reduced to 52,607 pres.
cnt for duty When the invasion Of
Pennsylvania took place the rebel army
was just about 100, 900 efectiyes After
Gettysburg, those present for duty we're
reduced TO IL, 1856 This shows loss Of
$1,000 men in six weeks, about 10000
having been killed wounded aud taken
prisoners, the rest struggling or deserving
In November, 1864, Lee had present for
duty G9.200, while his nominal army was
Isl ,S2G. Our Committee on the Con,
duct Of the War, who were in the habit
Of expecting Generals 10 operate with ar
mics as large as the nlustcr.rolls showed,
both present and absent, might learn
something froui these figures.
In December, 1862, while at Murfrees-
boro', and before the battle, Bragg had
81 ,030 electives After the battle he
had 36,98l. In April, 1863, Bragg had
52,0G9; in September, 1870. Joe
Johnston's army in December. 1863. was
~ ,439 present for duty in June, 1864,
5I.0S5. Hood had, TO commence with,
4.495. L0ngstreet had, in East Ten
nessee, in February, 1864, 1000 pres.
ent for duty. The summary Of this inter
esiing report Is as follows:
''Ihe Confederate army undoubtedly
reached It's highest point, both in num-
bcfs and efficiency, in the early summer
of 1868, when the movement into Penn
sylyania was commenced. At the close
Of March, before all preparations had been
made, the returns show a nominal force
of lsi 900. Of whom 3ii 900 were pres.
ent, and PSI 900 present for duty Prob.
ably about - 900 were added during the
next six weeks TO the Amy Of the East
50 lha, wo may safely say that at the mid.
die 81 June there were little more than
800 600 or the muster rolls, Of whoni
300, 900 were present for duty. The ar.
my. especially that under Lee, we're in
the highest state of efficiency. The re.
cent victories At fredericksburg and Chan.
ccllorsyille had inspired them with perfect
confidence in their own inyincibility. The
Confcderacy was at that time ike an ath.
lete in the highest condition Of training
Fully onc-half Of the men Of military az,
were enrolled in the army. If VIC take
into account those exempt by iuGrnity
those employed IN the various civil de
partments. and those detailed directly tC
perform labor in the various military work
shops, it is hardly an oyer-statemsnt Il
say that every able-bodied man vas en-
rolled; Of these, seven out Of ten were
aetually present, aud six out of ten were
"present Tor duty" No people could
long sustain such strain. In the frs
week Of July they suffered losses amount
/ ing to fully 100000 men. 1T the end o.
the month Lee had only Al 900 for duty
out of the 100000 with which he had Sc
out six weeks before and in n month b,
every exertion he could get together onll
$4,000 more. and out Of this $4,000 al
told, he was forced to sebd $4,000 of hi
best troops to the West If the autumn
campaign Of 1868, in Virginia, had beer
prosecuted by the Union commander will
anything approaching vigor, there is NJ
reason TO doubt that 1t would have closeC
the war; for Meade had an army fully
double that OF Lee. When, in the sprinl
oil 1864, Grant opened his campaign, Lee
had only little more than 80, 600, and il
August, when the seige of Richmond wa
fairly opened, he had, counting in thos,
present with him though still nominal,
belonging to the Department of Nortl
Carolina, less than 60,000 From thi
time tho returns show how prevalent be
came desertions from tho Confederate ar
mics at the East and West In August
out oil a nominal force of $50, 900, ther,
were not 100000 present for duty in al
the armies. At the close of February
the date of the latest report in our posses
sion, Lee, out of nominal force of l60,
900, had present but 73 1000, aud for du
ty but $1,000. More than half were alb
sent wholly, aud little more than thir,
were present for duty When he finall,
abandoned Petersburg and Richmond, i
is doubtful whether he had $4,000 mel
all told. We judge that in all, 600,00I
different men were in tho Confederate
ranks during the war. OF these we d
not believe one-half are alive this day
Once in the ranks there was no eseap
except by death, disablement from wound
or sickness, or desertion. OF the 800,
900 of the Confederate soldiers yet alive
no man can say what proportion are Who'll
ly or in great part disabled by wounds 0
disease but it is safe to say that in thre,
years the South lost by the war alone ful
/ ly one-third of its able-bodied white mall
population"
GIVE THE PRINTERS FAIR Play
4 x1r ..sa, ,,vI.. IL 49, So II