Litchfield enquirer., 1868-07-30
GRANTS LAST CAMPAIGN.

The Rebels and their Northern allies are so fond of enlarging upon what they call Grants butcheries' in the final cam paign of the war, and so resOlute in as serting that Lee was never Outgeneralled but simply overborne by tremendous pre- ponderance of numbers, that we have been at the pains of procuring from the official returns of both armies, now preserved in the Archive Office at Washington, the ex- act figures which show the true state of the case, and we beg for them the readers care full attention. Lees field return for April 20, 1864, shows Q force present. for duty of which joined him few days later; the field return of Longstreet for March 31, 1864, shows IS, 1887 for duty; making 72,27S present for duty. These are the returns nearest to the date of the battle of the Wilderness which are in the possession of the Government. The total present, in cluding sick, in arrest, and extra duty !.oI, . c:-;-;"t by the same papers to S6, TAP Tn the field with Lee when Graut crossed the Rapidan. The original papers now in the Archive Office, War Department, are signed by both Lee and Longstreet. Lees return states that Hoke's division was ab- sent, not reported, at the same date, and Hoke's return shows 5,664 enlisted men
 
 total present. The Valley district is also returned as not reported.
 The field return of the Army of the Po- tomac for the same date as Lees, April 20, 1864, shows 72, 11S present for duty, equipped, beside 9,747 cavalry, also pres ent for.eduty equipped. Beside these, Burnsides corps joined Grant before the Wilderness. This corps was 19, ,25O strong, for duty; but from these, Ferrero's division. 3,095 must be deducted, as it was never at this time allowed to go into battle, being used as guards for the trains. This leaves 16. .155 as Burnside's real strength for du- ty. Adding this and the cavalry force to the strength of the Army of the Potomac, makes 98, ,019 as the utmost limit of Grant S effective force at the Wilderness. It should be remembered that Grants movements were constantly offensive, through dense ly wooded country, and that during every battle of the Wilderness campaign, except the first. Lee fought behind breastworks, an advantage which nearly or quite doubles the strength of the defendants, One oth- CT important consideration is that Grant had supply train 60 miles in length to guard, in hostile country, while Lee was constantly falling back nearer to his base. 'snd through region in which every white was his friend .--r.---'D--..>z--.ee
 Grants losses up to the crossing of the James, including the Wilderness, Spott. sylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor. and all the smaller fights between the Rapidan and the James, as reported in the regimentaI returns on file in the War Office, wo,a .a 6,580 killed, 26,047 wounded, and 6 zoe missing; total, 39,259. Of the wounded very many were only slightly hurt, and moi absent from duty more than day or two and at least 10000 out of the 26,047 even. tually returned to duty; so that Grants absolute loss, from the Rapidan to the James, was probably not greater than 2O,. 900 officers and men. The missing were undoubtedly most of them prisoners Grant took, during the same stime, 10, ,46s prisoners-at least 4,000 more than Lee There are no other data on which to form