The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-08-09
fortunes of war was more than 81 years

IN Gne RANKS, Tor such was, and as
such l am proud to meet you. Many
of my friends call me ''Maior," but I
have no right and never had, to that
distinguished honor. Let him who
won the spurs wear them, and cheer
fully concede his right to do so. My
title as Major" was given me since
the war when such titles became easy
to acquire and without risk of life or
limb in the getting, and as such con-
ferred, l lightly esteem it. Understand
me, however, my comrades, extend
hearty and respectful salutatiOn to
those among us today who in those
trying days from 81 to IS WOrthily
won and wore the indicia of rank the
stars and gold lace and tinsel of their
positions. Without them, intelligent
direction of battle would have been i'm
possible and the efforts Of the privates
in the ranks, however brave, would
have been entirely worthless. But, my
comrades, let it never be forgotten that
without the OrGUGte soldiers the off
GERS could never have gained distinc-
tion, and they could never have fought
a battle. For every enemy actually
slain with the sword or pistol in the
hands of an officer, a thousand bit the
shells, grape and canister, behind
which stood the privotes in the ranks,
giving and receiving these missiles of
death. So it has been, and thus it must
be, in all wars. Therefore, while honors
are due to the officers, let honors like
wise be bestowed upon the privates. 1t
was the privates chiefly who always
had to face the music of the shell and
the minnie ball and for the greater
part stood the brunt of the battle in
the charge with the bayonet and oftimes
grappled with the foe and used the
dubbed musket.
If there is glory in the killing of
human beings on the field of battle,
surely, surely, the men who wore the
plain grey jacket of the old Confederate
soldier, had enough Of it. Enough of
1t to surfeit the present generation and
may we not hope for generations of
our descendants for centuries yet to
come. In this connection, while |
would not weary you, it may serve to
impress us all, to rehearse a few sta
tIsCics
STATISTICS
The whole number of enlisted soldiers
in the Confederate Army from first to
last of the four years war, was in round
600, 900, all told While the
total enlistments in the Union armies
were (2,70O,OOO) two millions, seven
hundred thousand, or more than four
to one, 1t goes without saying, that
the Union forces were better armed,
better equipped and better supplied in
almost every way than we're the Con
federates. We were blockaded on
every side, while they had the wide
world from which to get recruits and
purchase all manner of supplies. And
history records it in figures that are
indelible that the 900, 900 poorly
equipped, poorly armed and oftimes
barefooted and ragged "Rebs" kept
back 2, ZOO, 600 such men for four long
years, and in doing it piled up a death
roll of their enemies of more than 300,
600, or half their own number of total
enlisted men. What other war history
of the same length of time and proper
tiOns can furnish a parallel
1t might, and does often happen, that
in a single battle one side may kill and
wound of the enemy half as many as
their own numbers; but throughout a
succession of battles, during four
years war, we search in vain for an
historical parallel in profane history
and even sacred history is not prolific
in instances showing much greater or
even equal analogous parallels.
Let us take q cursOry glance at the
carefully prepared national cemetery
statistics, coming as it does from the
Union source, if anybody for moment
questions the valor of Southern troops
or underestimates the cost to the Union
troops of the four years war between
the States. The list is a long one q
shall not read it alb but it records an
historical fact of the greatest signifi-
canoe in many respects.
The nations dead are buried in 70
national cemeteries, 10 of which are in
the Northern States, including Cyprus
Hill, with its 3,786 dead; Finn's Point,
New York, where are buried 2,644 un-
known soldiers; Gettysburg, Penn,
with !, 967 known and ,6O8 unknown
Mound City, Ill, with 2, sos known and
2,721 unknown; Philadelphia, with
1909 dead, and Woodlawn Elmira, n
Y, with it's 800. The largest depositor-
les are situated in the South near the
scenes of the principal conflicts, as the
following lists will show:
Beaufort, S. O., 9,241, of whom 4, 493
are unknown,
Chalmette, La, 1851, of whom
5, GA are unknown.
Chattanooga, Tenn, 12, 962, ofwhom
4, 963 are unknown.
Fredericksburg, Va, Is, ,297, of whom
10, no are unknown.
Jefferson Barracks, No, 1,29O, of
whom 2, 900 are unknown.
Little Rock, Ark, 5,6O2, of whom
2, 337 are unknown.
City Point, Va, 5, ,122, of whom 1, ,374
are unknown.
Marietta, Ca, 1O,151, of whom 1868
are unknown.
Memphis, Tenn, 1897, of whom
SSH are unknown.
Nashville, Tenn, 1854, of whom
4, 701 are unknown.
Poplar Grove, Va, 6,199, of whom