The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-06-20
ONLY 100000 REBEL SOLDIERS.

the States did not exceed 60OUUU men,
General chorus Of Southern papers and orators
Were this true the celebrated Kill
kenny cats which fought till there was
nothing left of either Of them except the
tips of their tails, were simply "not In
il" as compared to these undaunted
Southerners.
For example: Incomplete official re-
ports of the Southern Confederacy, In
our hands, show that at least $4,000
rebel soldiers were killed in battle.
How many more than that no one
knows, but we are sure of $4,000.
There is at least one-sixth Of their num-
Der gone at once.
Figures tabulated in the War Depart
ment Of the injuries received by the
Union troops show that for every man
killed or MORALLY wounded % men
were severely wounded. As both sides
used substantially the same kind OF
arms, we can properly assume that this
same proportion obtained in the rebel
armies. Therefore, if there were 1000
killed, there must have been fully 25O,-
600 severely wounded. This makes in
round numbers total of $4,000.
Next comes the losses from disease.
No one can more than guess how many
rebels died from disease, nor how many
were permanently broken down. Every
one knows that the graveyards near
every rebel camp were well filed.
Comparisons with our own invariably
showed that they were losing quite as
many from this cause as we were. This
is confirmed by the rebel Surgeons
reports. They say that from Jan. /,
1862, to July 81, 1878 months
they treated 100000 wounds, and 600,-
900 cases of disease. They estimate
double this number during the final %
months Of the war.
1t is not possible that they had less
than 10000 deaths from disease, and
the truth is probably nearer double that
number. This gives us 100000.
Next We have desertions. From 1862
on the rebel papers, the official docu-
ments-Confederat and State-the mil
itary orders, all necessarily wall and
harp over the enormous number of
desertions The swamps and mountains
in all the States were well populated
with fugitives from the rebel service,
who were frequently strong and desperate
enough to give successful battle to the
forces sent to apprehend them. The
voices of all earnest Confederates were
lifted up in mourning over this ulcer
which was eating out the heart of the
army. Preachers acclaimed against it,
the families of the deserters were fear
fully prosecuted, and JEFF Davis invoked
all the rigors Of despotism TO stop the
evil. The whole Confederacy was made
a prison. A man could not travel five
miles without pass, and the shooting of
apprehended deserters in the large camps
to terrorize others was a regular part of
the weekly routine.
In spite Of all this, desertions went ON
rapidly increasing, until at least 100000
men were absent from their regiments
without leave toward the end Of 1864.
Next came the prisoners Of wal, of
whom 200, 900 were in the prisons Of the
North when the war closed.
1t is impossible to say with any degree
Of accuracy how many men were actually
In the field against US during the last
/ few weeks Of the war. Lee had approx
rnately $1,000 effective men around
Petersburg and Richmond. Joe John
ston surrendered 29,924 men, and had
probably nearly as many more in vari-
Gus parts Of the Carolinas and Georgia.
Taylor surrendered 10000, which was
only fraction Of the force with which
be was trying to hold Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, and Louisiana.
Kirby Smith and JEFF Thompson sur.
rendered 27.454, which was confes5edly
but portion of the force west. of the
Mississippi.
So there is but little difficulty in &C
counting for between 100000 anc
400 600 men whom the rebels nuf inf