The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-06-28
Strength of the Confederate ArIny-It
Never Exceeded 5JO,OO0 Mcn-A Cri-
fiouc from the Tribune.

The New York TribUne gives an abstract
Of the returns of all the ARMIES Of the Con
fedcracy from 1852 to 1864, which it con-
siders complete. 1t thus comments upon
the exhibit made 10y this abstract:
"Thc number of troops at the East and
the West was throughout nearly equal,
and no considerable body Of soldiers was
ever transferred from one army TO the
other. The greatest number actually borne
at any one time on their muSter-rollS was
GOO; and this was only when, by "rob-
bing the cradle and the grave" every male
from seventeen to fifty was enrolled In the
army. IIalfa million is the utmost nomlnally
enrolled at any other period. The greatest
number present for duty ut any one time,
and that for only brief period, was
800, GOO; to which should probably be
added few thousand rangers, par
tisans, and bushwhackers. There were
not three periods of month when
they had 80, 1000. The Army Of Northern
Virginia, under Lee, was the great strength
Of the COnfcderacy. At only three periods
did it for a month number 100000 men
present for duty. A study Of these re-
ports, compared with the known strength
of the Union Army Of the Potomac, will
furnish materials for o more severe criti-
ciSm on the conduct of the war in this de-
partment and the military merits Of the
different commanders than any man has
vet dared to write. Thus, in October,
1861, when Mcclellan, with l47,0OO men
eft for duty" feared to advance toward
Manassas, suppoSing that the enemy had
a +hn;, oot,,a1 iarrn
was less than 10000; and in December
they had only 1900. Again, when at the
beginning of April, 1862, "the Unrcady"
reached the Peninsula with not fewer
than 100000 men, he was for fortnight
held in check by Magruder with barely
$4,000, who, beside holding Yorktown,
had to guard a line Of dozen miles.
When, after digging away at Yorktown for
fortnight, Mcclellan was ready to asSall
that fortifcation, held, as he supposed, by
at least 100000 men-he having, as he
saws, S5,OOO-the COnfcderates actually
had on the whole Peninsula less than
10000. And when he finally reached the
Chickahominy with about lO,OOO effective
men. the enemy had at Richmond but
A., 900, increased at the close of May to
c. 900, sick and well-prObably about
GO, 900 effective. Meade'S success at Get
tysburg was 50 decided and of such vital
moment that the fccbeneSs OF his subSe-
quent campaign in Virginia has been over
looked. When, at the close OF July, he
had reached the Rappahannock, he had
fully 10000 men. The figures which we
give show that Lee had only II 600. Yet,
with this great prcpOndcrance, Halleck
would not allow Meade to attempt any Of
fensiye operations. But in October, when
Meade had 10000 and Lee but $4,000,
the Union General was actually drl-
ven back almost within sight OF
Washington. This retreat from Cul-
pepper to Ccntreville is utterly in
explicable, for Halleck had nothing to
do with the movement, and Meade knew
that he was much stronger than his enc
my. This abortive campaign showed that
Meade, an excellent officer when backed
up by stronger will than his own, was
wholly deficient in the moral courage requi-
site for the conduct of campaign. When
llallcck was displaced from the chief
command, and Grants firm will directed
Meade, the campaign assumed a wholly
different aspect. Forward to Rich
mond," or wherever else the rebel
strength might lie, became the "war-
cry not only of the nation, but of the
Commander Of the National Army. These
are but few of the points upon which
the Confederate muSter-rolls, which are
now for the first time published, furnish
occasion to remark.