Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-08-14
Grants Last Campaign.


are so fond of enlarging upon what they |
call Grants " butcheries " in the final
campaign of the war, and so resolute in
asserting that Lee was never outgener-
aled but simply overborne by tremend-
Gus preponderance 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 exact figures which
show the true state of the ease, and we
beg from the readers careful attention.
Lees field return for April 90, 1864, |
shows force present for duty of 53,S91,
exclusive of Longstreet's corps, which |
joined him few days later; the field re-
turn of Longstreet for March 81, 1864, |
shows 1887 for duty; making 72,278
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,
including sick, in arrest, and extra duty
men, amount by the same papers to &c.
742 in the field with Lee when Grant
crossed the Rapidan. The original pa
pers now in the Archiye Office, War
Department, are signed by both Lee and
Longstreet Lees return states that
Hoke's Division was absent, not reported,
at the same date, and Hoke's return
shows 5,664 enlisted men present. The
Valley district is also returned as not re-
ported.
The field return of the Army of the
Potomac for the same date as Lees, Apr.
20, 1864, shows 72,117 present for duty,
equipped, beside 9,747 cavalry, also pre-
sent for duty, equipped. Beside these,
!. Burnside's corps was 29.250 strong, fol
duty; but from these Ferrero's division,
3,095, must be deducted, as it was at this
time never allowed to go into battle, be-
ing used as guards for the trains. This
leaves 16,155 as Burnside's real strength
for duty Adding this and the cavalry
force to the strength of the Army of the
Potomac, makes 9S,019 as the utmost
limit of Grants effective force at the
= Wilderness. 1t should be remembered
that Grants movements were constantly
offensive, through densely wooded coun-
try, and that during every battle of the
Wilderness campaign, except the first,
. Lee fought behind breastworks, an adj
vantage which nearly or quite doubles
the strength of the defendants. One
!. other important consideration is that
! Grant had supply train 60 miles IL
length to guard, in hostile country
while Lee was constantly falling back
!. NEARER to his base, and through a region
in which every White was his friend.
n Grants losses up to the crossing of the
;s James, including the Wilderness, Spott
:. sylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, anc
+ all the smaller fights between the Rapi
;s dan and the James, as reported in tn
regimental returns on file IN the War Oh
J. fee, were 6,5S6 killed, 20,047 wounded
,e and 6,726 missing; total, 39,259. q
the wounded, very many were onl,,
i slightly hurt, and not absent from dut
t. more than day or two; and at leas
V. 10000 out of the 26,047 eventually RI
i'll turned to duty so that Grants absolut
ar loss, from the Rapidan to the James, wa
Is probably not greater than 10000 officer
nd and men. The missing were, undoubtet
IT. ly, most of them prisoners. Grant tool
,st during the same time, 10, 462 prisoners
he 1T least 1000 more than Lee. There al
no other data on which to form estimat'
of Lees losses, except that in the WI
VS. derness. He was as much exposed {
ey, Grant, attacking and being repelled;
his Spottsylvania, each attacked in turn, al
nd each was repelled: at Cold Harb
ces Grant attacked, but without success.
ow is, therefore, fair to suppose that Le'
an- losses were equal to those of Grant. !
tie any rate, Lee suffered SO much that
oy- never again assaulted Grant in force dr
the ing the nine months longer that the "
nth continued.
led 1t has been repeatedly asserted tn
ov- Lees army was not recruited to any
BOD tent during the last six months of t
,tal war. and that he had but a handful
ace men opposed to Grant in the final ca
fire. paign from Petersburg to the Appon
md tox. But Lees own feld-returns sh
nts that on the 2Sth of February, 1865,
ew- had 73,349 men present, 59,O94 pres
self for duty. This was exclusive of the
.th- cal militia of Richmond, always put il
,ad, the trenches in fight, and several th'
N. sand strong, as well as the gun-boat ere
and in the James, who were also pat into la