Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-12-23
Wgly the Confederate Sol
der Failed.

ssEnmense odds. In the seven Gays
battles around Richmond, $4,000
ss1roye to the James River lis, 900 of
the enemy. At Fredericksburg, in
1882, 5000 of them routed 10000
Federal troops. At Chancellors
osville, in 1868, $1,000 under Lee and
jackson whipped, and but for the
death of Jackson, would have
sas1nihiIated, an army of 49,
900 men - more than double
sfeeir own number. AT Get
aTysburg, SO 900 of them assailed the
1sleights manned by $4,000. AT the
Wilderness, 1864, $4,000 met and
successfully resisted l4l 900 of the
: saemy. At Appomattox, in 1865,
& goo of them surrendered to the
siiost commanded by Grant The
ss.y nited States government, at the
and OF the war, mustered out of ser
vice / 600, GOO of men, and had in the
Z aen, from first To last, 100000. If
the Confederate soldier had then
had only this disparity Of numbers
TO contend with, he would have
ariven every invader from the soil
st Virginia.
But the Confederate soldier
Fought, in addition to these odds,t the
facilities for the transportation and
concentration of troops and supplies
afforded by the net work of railways
in the country north of him, all of
which were subject to the control of
the government, and backed by a
Treasury which was turning out
money by the ton, one dollar of which
cwas equal to sixty Confederate dol
s3ars.
1t should be remembered also
shat, while the South was restricted
20 its own territory for supplies, and
its own people for men, the North
drew on the world for material, ana
an every nation of the earth for
~men
Ihe arms and ammunition of the
Federal soldiers were abundant and
good, SO abundant and so good that
they supplied beth armies, and were
greatly preferred by Confederate
Officers. The equipment Of the Fed
-eral armies was well nigh perfect.
The facilities for manufacture were
simply unlimited, and the nation
,Ga0ught no expenditure of treasure
t1Oo great, if only the country, the
Union could be saved. The factory
and the foundry chimneys made a
pill of smoke by day and Of fire 10y
might The latest improvements
were hurried to the front and adopt
ID by both armies almost simultane
ously for hardly had the Federal
bought, when the Confederate cap
-tuTed, and used, the rery latest.
Commissary stores were piled up
AL over Virginia, foi the use of the
Invading armies. They had more
xEan they could protect, and their
Ness was gain to the hungry defend
Ers of the soil.
The Confederate soldier fought IA
.ss0st of ills occasioned by the depri-
-gatton of chloroform and morphia,
Ehich were excluded from the Con
feleracy, 10y the blockade, as contra
ESna of war. The man who has sub
Mitted to amputatiOn without chlor-
Storm or tossed on a couch of agony
fJsr night and day without sleep
96gr want of dose Of morphia, may
rWOssibly be able to estimate the adj
Vantages which resulted from the
possession 10y the Federal surgeons
2f an unlimited supply of these.
The Confederate soldier fought
bounties aud regular monthly pay /;
the "Stars and Stripes" the "Star
Sipangled Banner" Hail Column
tda, ''1"John Browns Body" Rally
SRCung the Flag" Tramp, Tramp,
Tramp" and all the fury and fanat-
x:ism which skilled minds could ere
dsse ,-opposing this grand array with
Zee modest and homely refrain of
Dixie" supported 10y mild solu
tson of Maryland, My Maryland"
re fought good wagons, fat horses,
and tons OF Quartermaster's stores /;
a0ntoOn trains, of splendid material
aud construction, by the mile gum
BOATS, wooden and iron, and men of
var illustrated papers TO cheer the
Boys in Blue" with sketches of
the glorious deeds they did not do !;
Bibles by the car load, and tracts by
sI1s million,-the first to preprre
slsenl for death, and the second to
EEge upon them the duty of dying
TH1e Confederate soldier fought the
Sanitary Commission" whose
members, armed with every facility
and convenience, quickly carried the
16Gk and wounded of the Federal
zzxny to comfortable quarters, re-
zz0yed the bloody garments, laid tie
sxafferer on clean and dry couch,
clothed him in clean things, and fed
azsE2 on the best the world could af
u a Inn