The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-02
THE TWO ARMIES.
What wa, Their Relative strength in 1891

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Seeing a
series Of articles, running through several num-
bers OF your valuable paper, putporting 20 give
the strength of the armies particularly the
Confederate, at different periods of the war, I
wish 20 correct the inaccuracy of these state
ments. soldiers paper is for the information
Of soldiers facts are infoFmation-mere state
ments are not.
To begin with, the South not only desired
but determined upon war as early as 1860
Every observing man travelling IN the South
during that year spoke Of the drills, collecting
OF arms, etc, which he everywhere noticed. So
when JEFF Davis assumed the leadership of the
so-caled COniedeTacy he found a forwardness
Of preparation, an amount of military material
ready 10 his hand, far in excess Of the widely
scattered, reasonable Regular Army, to which
Mr.. Lincoln looked for support When vol
unteering commenced in the North, its aggre-
gate was too small-its recruiting offices too
abruptly closed. The Southern demand was
larger, and its recruiting better fostered. So
az the commencement they had greater army.
had It under longer drill than that OF the
North.
Now, as TO relative strength in 1862, Gen.
Joe Johnston says after Gen. Lee succeeded
70 the command he received in reinforcements
10000 men. lie also states what Generals
brought these, and how many were under each. }
As he estimated his own com maud at something
over 10000, 10 is plain that Lee in June 1862
was at the head Of over 10000 men. have
carefully read twice the 18th volume of Rec
ords Of the Rebellion" or the " Peninsular Cam
paign." The Army Of Northern Virginia gives
Its monthly returns not in numbers but In rcgi-
mental organizations. / counted these three
times, TO be accurate, and found 1872 regiments
OF infantry. Allowing 400 men 70 a regiment,
this would make 76 800 infantry. But the new
men added under Lee had seen but little gerv.
ice, tho 1900 OF Holiness none, SO my esti-
mate is very low.
From the same source the cavalry was not
less than 1900 and the artillery by battery
and aggregate Of guns must have required at
least 5000 men. Here we have: infantry,
7O,5OO; cavalry, 1900; artillery, 5000; total,
S6.oJD No information points TO less force
Now the Army Of the Potomac, after the
withdrawal Of McDowell's army, aud the re-
teution of the garrison Of Harper's Ferry, was.
IN round numbers, about 5000. The hypo.
thesis That the garrison of Harper's Ferry
would aid the Army Of tho Potomac was dis
proved, as the rebels captured il and then
Joined their main army.
Then, too, who were the officers high in COM
mand in 1922 Mcclellan organized the Army
OF the Potomac, but who appointed its corDs
commanders2 Did subsequent events prove
them TO be the best Oncs2 j make no case for
Mcclellan. la the strctest military sense he
was not a fighting General" am after facts.
For May, 1868, VIM. swipton, author Of" Cam
paigns OF the Army Of the Potomac" places the
rebel force then confronting it at $4,000 men.
hr. Swinton enjoyed unusual facilities for col.
lectibg accurate information. For four years
he was at Army Headquarters; heard aud knew
Of ali estimates, movements, etc; was known
70 DC gathering material for history of that
army, and was aided 10 that end by a study OF
/ the rebel archives. He also gives to the Army
] a 10 z
| strength Of over $4,000, but as the Ninth Corps
belonged to and soon fought with it--as the
Army or the james was simply an annex-ii
really had present for duty 10000
Gen. Humphreys, Chief OF STAFF, states the
same numbers also another General high in
! command, the same. Now, as the War Records
Office had only published 81 of its 50 volumes
last November, will the authors Of the figure.
lately published ia The NATIONAL TRIBUNE
tell the readers Of it where they got them p
JAMES ID. ROGERS, Co. II, 10th Conn, Mantle
/ Conn.