The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-10-29

"A to their side. Geoeral Meade ESTIMATED
his aYai,abletforce at. 81, $50 men and about
800 cannon. Some OF these guarded bis
trains, and many must have struggled. Dis
counting Ten per cent. for these, he must
have had in bis seven army corps not less
than 80. 600 men upon the field. las!
The Federal estimates OF our force are
very extravagapt and some OF them not q
little curious. General Hooker says ia bis
testimony before the Committee on the Con-
duct of the War: j" With regard to the enc
my's force had reliable information. Two
Uniou meu had counted them rs they passed
through Hagerstown, and In orderthat there
might be no mistake they compared notes
every night, and If their counts differed they
we're satisfactorily adjusted by compromise.
In round numbers Lee had 81 900 infantry
and $50 pieces Of artillery. Marching with
that column were 5000 cavalry" He then
estimates Stuart's cavalry at 1000, and sums
up his count Of Lees men as 10000 Infantry,
1900 too. 900 artillery, and 10000 cavalry
IN all sSout 104, 600.
The miraculous performance OF these two
reliable NJ MON men can be we'll appreciated
when it is remembered that all of Lees
army did not pass through Hagerstown-
Earlyes command, for one, going through
Sharpsburg-a aud this spectacle of a COM
mander bas;ng q calculation on such trivial
statements can only excite iridicule. am
not able to state General Lees force, but
can contribute afeW items which may serve
partially toward an estimate. I bold Ia my
hand the original tri.monthly field return Of
;Earlyfs division, made and, signed by my.
self as its adjutant-general, on the goth OF
June, two days before it crossed the Potomac.
The total present for duty was Ola officers
and s.a24 enlisted men; aggregate, 5,638.
This Division was fully an average one OF
the army. Pickett's division, as stated BY
Major Walter Harrison. its adjutant-gen-
eral, numbered on the field 4,48l muskets-
about 400 rank and file. But allowing
5000 as the general division strength we
would have had 81 900 men. The cavalry
could not have exceeded 1000, Ror the ar
tillery 5000, and allowing ten per cent. dis.
count tor Struggling and tratn-guards,
about $4,000 would represent onr available
strength. This, believe, runs over the
mark, but it shows how, groundless are the
wild speeulations Of the writers who have
put our numbers at such high figures.
We have also some general data which
show that the weight OF numbers must have
greatly preponderated on the Federal side.
10 work entitled q Is History Of the Battle
OK gettysburg" from the pen Of Samuel P.
Bates, State historian. Of Pennsylvania, we
have a tabular statement showing the
regiments Of both armies. From that
it appears that there were one hun
dred and sixty.four Confederate and
two hundred and forty.oue Federal
regiments of infantry engaged-that is,
seVenty.seven regiments 10 excess Of ours.
Three hundred Is large average regiment,
and alio wing that as the general average our
force would be forty.nine thousand two
hundred, and the Federal force seventy-two
thousand three hundred-a result, think,
nearly approximating the facts.
=: ,s.-.,,., THE AFTER PART.
The first impulse of General Meade when
he saw Pickett's men break and fall back
was to hurl forward bis whole army in
counter charge against Lee. he has been
severely criticised by many of his generals for
not doing so; but it is well for him that his
"natIve hue Of resolution" was so soon
"SickIied DER with the pale cast of thought"
The Federal army as we'll as its COM
mander we're appalled, by the amazing bold.
ness and bravery they had bebeld. They
were shocked and shattered Dy the terrific
blow received. The arm that parted the
stroke had been paralyzed by it the victor
stood aghast upon the field of carnage the
hand which welded the scythe was too weak
to garner the grain, and too weak to strike
back at the rival reaper who had moved
down his own ranks like desolating storm.
In the history of battles we generally find
that repulse like this is followed by the
dismay, confusion, and flight of the defeated
army. But not thus passed away the glory
of the Army of Northern Virginia, nor Of
that great commander who in the tWinkling
of an eye saw the brimmiDg cup of victory
dashed from his lips E...
On our right Hood and McLaws, on the
GENRE Anderson, and on the left the whole
corps of Ewel stood as steady and un-
moved as il they had witnessed the mimic
evolutions Of holidays review; and not
only not dismayed, but eager to welcome
their antagonists "with bloody hands 10
hospitable graves"
As the remnant of Pickett's men fell back
within our lipes General Lee rode to meet
them. "Neyer mind" said he, as he urged
them to reform, "we'll talk OF this after
wards; now we want all good men to
rally" and to General Wilcox, who rode up,
be- said quietly and cheerfully: "Never
mind, General, all this has been my fault,
and you must help me out Of it the best way
you can" g..
AS the soldiers c,ugot sight Of their be-
loved commander, whose serene. majestic
countenance showed no trace OF disappaint.
ment, they raised their hats, and, cheering,
turned to their posts; and many q ragged
veteran with one arm wounded grasped his
musket 10 the other and stood ready to do or
die. In short time our lines were rear.
ranged, and so efectually and coolly that, as
said by Colocel Freemsutle, British officer,
who was an eyewitness, g There was much
less noise, fuss, or confusion than ut an OF.
binary field day.
During the whole Of the next day the
whole Army Of Northern Virginia stood 10
line of ba' tie on Seminary Ridge confront
ing In solid array the Army Of the Rotenac.
1t was rainy and chilly. aud between the two
hosts lay the thiek-crowded victims OF the
battle, making the field in verify valley Of
the shadow OF death. II
Then slowly our eoAmns turned their
faces toward Virginia, while slowly aud
tinidly following the Army of the Potomac,
hung upon our rear, willing enough To-
.wGund but yet afraid 10 strike. The To-.
structions OF d eade to bis subordinates were
by 10 amesns TO bring on general engage
ment and on the night OF the I3 "a of July
we recrossed the swollen waters OF the Pc.
tomae aud stood again. in thiuned ranks but
nnbroken spirit, Upon the soil of the Old
Dominion. g z. 80.
ooseLUDfkG REFLECTIONS.
Thus, any comrades, have told you In
lnvarnished language the story OF Gettys-
burg.
My chief object has, been to state facts,
which will stand as landmarks OF C0nfede.l
ate history, rather than Co attempt @neiltiu.
,us phrases which would roll away like rip