The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-03-10
STRENGTH OF THE REBEL ARMY.

had more than 100000 men in their army
was absurdly false and that it was easy 20
demonstrate that they had from two-and-a-
half to three times that number We are
glad that other writers, angered by the
brazen insistence Of pro-rebel historians, are
also turning their attention 10 this matter
and producing facts which sustain our posi-
tion. One Of the very abiest, and most I'M
answerable articles on this subject, appeared
in the March Century from the pen of A. b.
/ Casselman. He points out the well-known
fact that while the name Of every man who
served in the Union appears on the rolls of
the War Department, and has been gone
over again and again for various purposes,
the rebel rolls are singularly incomplete,
aud furnish no evidence whatever rs TO the
number Of men in the companies, regiments
etc.
AI,er March, 1862, all the able-bodied
lighting men in the South were forced into
the army, and but little attempt was made
TO keep a record Of them. Such conscript
records as were kept were deliberately
burned by the officer in charge Of them inst
before the entrance Of our troops into Rich
mond in 1865.
1t is only recently That some Of the south
ern States have made any effort TO find out
how many men they furnished therebelarm
The first State 10 do this was North Carolina,
which in 1sSO authorized Maj. John w.
Moore, late Of the 81 n. C..battalion rebel,
to compile and publish a roster Of the North
Carolina troops in the rebel army. He could
find no rolls at Raleigh, and had recourse to
the captured rolls at Washington. On these
be found only l04,4 9S names, but in his
book giving these he says that he is con-
WINGED that they are from $4,000 to $4,000
names short lie says that of his own
knowledge not one-half Of the men who
served in organizations with which he was
acquainted appear on the rolls. He instances
the Goth " c., raised mainly in BuDcombe
County, where most of its officers yet reside.
II had 200 men in the Fall Of 1862 and
the conscripts it subsequently received
raised this number above 900. Yet he
could find only 455 names on its roster,
showing a deficiency of more than 1000
names in a single regiment
There are, Mr.. Casselman says, 279z
widows on the North Carolina pension rolls,
whose husbands were either killed in battle
OF died from wounds or disease, Of whom
one-third were not able TO show by any
written evidence that their husbands were
ever in the rebel army.
IT is the same in other Southern States
Everywhere they have great numbers q
men and women on thrir pension-rolls with.
out any written evidence of service in the
rebel army.
Mr.. Casselman quotes Gen. Grants opin
ion, expressed in his Memoirs, which wat
that Of every other prominent Union Gen,
eral:
There has always been great conflict Of opinioF
10 the number Of troops engaged Ia every battle
on all the important battles, fought between he
sections. the South magnfyiHg the number o
Union troops engaged, and beiittinE their own
Northern writers have fallen. In many instances
into the error. The whole south WAS a mill
tary camp.
Conscripton resorisd to early and embrace,
every male FROM the age Of 10 10 g years Tn
slaves the -combatnuis, one-third Of the whole
were required 10 work in the field without regar
10 sex uud almost without regard to age Tn
$3.50 600 colored non-combatauis were equal 4
more than three times their number in the Noni
age Tor age, and sex for sex, ia supplying FOO
from the soil 10 support armies Women did go
work In tlle fields in the North, and children al
tended school. The press was free tin the North
up the point Of open treason. The Copperhea
di-repuiAbls portion Of the press mEguiGod reb,
SUCCESSES and beltued thOse Of the Union army.
Before the over, further con-cription 1
tIe south took those bciwern IL and u years ,
agc ~ Junior Reserves, and those between Is an
60 ~ ser.ior Reserves Under such circumstance
2 q IL hard 10 c0mcrivn how the NoTih showed sue
: a superiority Oi force in every battle fought
, know lhcy did MOI.
Mr.. Casselman goes on 10 say:
Ia h eHsiiy understood that tils total strength ,
The Confederate army from IhGI ia 1865 lar rKceede
te Number - white males IN tie seeeded stat,
who were between ths HEss of ~ and IS :
shown by the census ~ l-O; for that army IA
cluded, la tlIe last year 81 the war men of CO.
well ns boys 81 49, who therefore only n yea
old At the census Of lsS0. The number Of whit
; malss between IL and o. iu North Carolina ia ls
a WAS IT'S $50. yet no one pfetends 20 estimate a
4 Noth Carolina contingent 10 the Confedera
n army Rt less thuH 1900. while Mai. Moore III
q placed on record au estimate That the state IA
h uished 10000. The Huuiber II white males b
tween D. and IS lea te u sccuded states u 1850 WI
a 1904 253 ia the three border slave Stntes Missou
- Kentucky and Maryland. there was the addition
number 81 56,l75. The people 81 these three bu
der States were not unrveriy divided and "a,
about an equal number ~ men 60 each army
II fair 10 from these tlle State al Nor
NJ Carolina could not have furnished more llan on
- tenth Of the strength 81 the Confederate arm
~ which therefore. in lie total aggregate must ha
Il numbered not far from n million and "a hulf oil Ine
F. lie makes this instructive comparison:
The larger percentage Of men furnished by soul
y, crn States 60 tlIG Confederate army. ia propUr
m SO tlie population thau was furnished by Norlhc
States % iho Uuion army. may bc shown by a cot
Dr. pa isun ~ the States Of North Carolina aud low
lt which were nearly equal n white population
"A shown boy tae following GxuIcs from lie CENSUS