The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-06-13

Sixth Corps, infantry Il, 696
Sixth Corps artillery 6iS
Nineteenth Corps, infantry. 12,8l0
Nineteenth Corps, artillery. 2l5
Army of West Virginia, infantry ........... ,l40
Army of West Virginia. artillery SG7
Cavalry (Torberts 6,465
Army of West Virginia, artillery. 355
aarpers Ferry 2Sl5
,4o7
But this included all the available troops
in the whole of the newly-created Middle
Military Division" into which the four de-
partments-that of West Virginia (includ-
ing western Maryland), the Susquehanna,
Washington and the Middle-had been
merged. Perhaps one-half of these were
engaged in defending exposed points in the
long line, guarding wagon trains, driving
teams, and employed in various ways in the
Quartermaster, Commissary, Ordnance and
Medical Departments.
In his official report of the operations
leading up to the battle, Sheridan says:
Ny effective line-ofbattle strength was $1,000 in
fantry and $500 cavalry.
The best proof of the equality of strength
of the opposing armies is furnished by the
course of Early After a month of wrest-
ling with Sheridan, he by dint of superior
strength, forced him back to defensive po-
sitiOn in the lines at Halltown. Then he
falt biy,,saIf c4ro,,,r a,,o,rJ, 70 so,,d 4,D0 0f
his best Observation-Disclosures and Ker-
shaw's-back to Lee, and still have sufficient
force to hold Sheridan quiet at Halltown,
while he raided across the Potomac into
Maryland and Pennsylvania. To try to
make us believe that he expected to do all
this with 10000 or $4,000 men, against So
900, is to argue himself bigger fool than
he is liar, and ridiculously incompetent
General
Early goes on to say:
There is one thing which must strike with great
force the impartial student of history who may
read accounts of different battles and campaigns of
the war written from Federal or Union stand
point aud that is the wonderful capacity the Con-
federate soldier had of multplyin himself on the
field of battle. According to many of these &C
counts, there was scarcely a battle or campaign in
which the Confederates did not outnumber the
Union soldiers.
The one thing that does strike the i'm
partial student of history with great force "
is the brazen mendacity of rebel writer's in
undertaking their forces. Somebody has
truthfully said:
After few more rebel histories are written the
public will come to believe that all there in
front of the Army of the Potomac were Lee and
Stonewall Jackson, with a one armed Orderly and
| a casual Virginia gentleman armed with a shot
gum
After giving description of the battle of
Cedar Creek, Early said
You will perceive that Sheridan made his famous
poetic ride. Twenty Miles Away" over distance
OF about 10 miles and that it took him from early
| in the morning until about noon to make it.
Well, no matter how long it took Sheridan
to get there he q got there all the same,
and much too soon for Jubal.
His address concluded thus:
| The men whose DOGleS now lie IN TINS cemetery
gave their lives for what they not only believed to
be- but what insist just and righteous cause.
That cause lost but that did not prove that il
was wrong, for the history of the world abounds
| with instances in which might has proved more
powerful than right. The fact, therefore. that The
cause for which these brave soldiers gave their
lives failed of success and that we have accepted
the result with determination to abide the issue
as the final settlement of the questions which led
10 the conflict does not justify those time-servers
who pretend to have discovered that they were on
the wrong side in the contest either from want o.
manly courage or from some sinister motive O
self-interest. As have said on former occasion
" If ever repudiate disown apologize for the
cause for which Lee fought and Jackson died, may
the lightning of heaven blast me and the scorn o
all good women and true men be my portion
And again say that the Confederate who has de
serted since the is infinitely worse than one
who deserted during the war.
This is a fitting peroration for such
blatant, unrepentant rebel, who did all tina
he could to plunge the country into IRENE
dial ruin, is sorry he didn't succeed, and il
enraged at everybody who opposed him. o
who is glad that he failed.
THE prospects for manufacturing tin
plate in this country are getting very bright
There is tin enough in the Black Hills t.
I'M