The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-10
JUINtTSlIy STATION,
Cha lnttasNILle- Va. Fob. . $50.

Editor The Nation: Dear SRI am
obliged for your return of myletter and the
accompanying reply which | enclose.
1t seems impossible 10 get before the pub
lie any statements COntrOVerting those OF
your reviewer. who shirks the main ques-
ton. That was plainly stated IN my let
ter of January 20th, VIZ: "lhe tanacy Of
taking a return OF September -, lSbZ as
evidence OF the number engaged IN "A bat
tie on September lith.' Instead OF
acknowledging his error, which is patent
he goes Off to alleged mistakes OF Con
federate histories IN their way OF esti-
mating Federal and Confederate forces,
and refers to his review OF Alian5 Army
of Northern Nirg MIA most accurate
and excellent work-which review the
public has long since forgotten. Now, /
wish to remark that / said nothing about
"Federal' statistics. lie can fix them any
way he pleases | confined my attention
to the Confederate forces at Sharps-
burg" and my objections 10 his made-up
statistics, which doubled the number Of
the Stonewall o.. Il. JonesD division on
the morning of the fight, are not yet an
SWered. Moreover, he seems TO think
return made five days after the battle
more reliable record than the official re-
ports OF officers as 20 number OF men
present lat the beginning OF the light
The latter are just as official as the for
mer, and more reliable tor the purpose IN
NeW-namely, the asCerta,nlng of the eN-
act number Of men engaged IN the battle.
The cause Of the absence OF men be-
longing 10 the command, whether sick,
wounded, prisoners, detached duty, Strag-
glers or what not, IS beside the mark.
II is sufficient TO know that they were
absent. and should not be counted as
present for duty In the Tight II your
reviewer had taken the trouble 10 exam
inc the reports he would nave seen that
Major Williams reports the Second Nlr-
gina Regiment as ION detached duty at
Martinsburg' War Records, Xix, Part
l., .. 1919, and that the report of casual
ties In Taliaferros brigade Up. lUO9D shows
that the Tenth Virginia Regiment was
not engaged, so these statements We're
based on official reports and not ION any
bOdyS recollection lie tries TO get out
of the dilemma by saying the official re-
turns should show this with note Of
Joined the command since last report
but what If the return does not SHOW II,
when the reports Of the commanding OFF,
GERS do show plainly that these two regi-
ments We're not In the fight. This is set
ting no man of straw TO ENJOY the
pleasure of knocking him down. The
trouble with your reviewer Is that ne
prefers TO take returns that have nothing
10 DO with the main question to taking
reports of officers which are our only evil
dence Of the facts.
But / have, IN conclusion. more Sc
riouS charge against your reviewer. lie
says: 1T Is historical dishonesty to .be
continually making such deductions on
one side and not on the other Nobody
does that. If trOOpS.on detached duty at
MdrtinSburg, Winchester and elsewhere
are TO be counted as present for duty"
az Sharsburg on september 18th We might
as we'll count as part Of McClellan's army
the II 600 men at Harper's Ferry. cap
tured two days before the iigh', because
they were In the vicinity on September
18th.
He says further: 1--WE demand that you
q. e., Confederate writersD shall be intel
l.gent enough TO know his (McClellan's)
method Of accounting and honest enough
to make no comparisons except by the
same method"
Now, he may make what deductions he
pleaSes from McClellan's forces on all
legitimate grounds, and the stubborn fact
remains that Mcclellan had i'm the field
at the battle OF SharpSburg-Of men that
he could have put into the hght-mOre
than double the number that Lee had. and
II ne aid not put them In, 10 quote your
reviewers own words, 1T is (was) his bad
gencralShip.'
| am sorry that 1 cannot give your re-
viewer the same credit for courtesy that
he kindly allows me, for / regard 10 as
positively dlscOurteOus TO charge upon
Confederate writer's a lack Of "intelli-
gence" and honesty" in making their
estimates OF Federal forces.
Yours very truly
JAMES VI. GARRETT.
p. S.-This reply is intended for your
reviewer, and | shall send copy 10 The
Richmond Times. j.. NJ. q.