Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1897-10-20
THE souTH's COLONIES.
Possible Explanation of Their Number
Suggested by an OHacial Statement

Suggested by an Ofacial Statement
For many years indeed, since the
close of the civil war--it has been a
standing joke among the paragraph
ers and in variety theaters that the
Confederate army was composed al
most wholly of staff officers, and
that the number of colonels distrib-
uted. throughout the south and in
the states of the southwest was ma
terially greater than the number Of
male adult civilians. It is certainly
a fact, as all travellers attest, that
there are more colonies, majors and
generals in the southern than in the
northern states, and this is fact,
despite what is a matter of general
knowledge, too, that the southern
army was materially smaller
throughout the war than the north
ern forces.
An explanation of the apparent
anomaly has recently appeared in a
statement which shows in detail
that the number of southern officers
was relatively larger than the num-
Der of northern officers during the
civil war. The official Confederate
army listshows one general in chief,
Robert E. Lee, and seven full gener-
ais, as follows: Cooper, Albert Sid
ney Johnston, Beauregard, Joseph
E. Johnston, Smith, Bragg and
Hood. The number Of lieutenant
generals in the Confederate army,
Stonewall Jackson, Hill, Early,
Buckner, Wade Hampton and Cor
don among them, was 49,, and there
were besides 81 major generals and,
more than 200 brigadier generals.
This was very much larger than the
army roll ia respect of staff officers,
on the Union side at corresp ondingl
period. Before the establishmentOf3
the Office of lieutenant general there
were 4 major generals and II brigas
der generals in the regular army,
and 90 major generals and $50 brig
adler generals in the volunteer serv-
ice There was correspondingly a
larger number of colonies and ma.
jors in the southern than In the
northern army and the reason for
this was to be found in the fact that
the commands of southerners were
generally smaller and more widely
separated.
The northern forces constituted
the attacking army. The southern
forces after the battle of Gettys-
burg were on the defensive, and
much of the conflict which contin-
ned during the closing years of the
strife was, go far as the southern
men were engaged in it, of desul-
tory, guerrilla character The serv-
ices of sharpshooters, of small at
lacking columns, of commands or
ganized for foraging purposes or to
cover retreat, were in detail, and
the commander of each detail took,
by courtesy and under military u.s.
age, a title as high in its way as
northern commander would receive
if in charge of force perhaps eight
or ten times larger 1t is a well
known fac1 that military men hav
ing titles are as slow to surrender
them and to forego their use as
of6ceholders are to retire from the
honors and emoluments of public
station The rule ''once a colonel,
always colonel still prevails in
the south. and it applies in like
manner to generals, majors and cap
tains as well. A man who may
have acted for a few hours perhaps
at the head of detachment as it's
colonel, though actually a corporal,
has since the close of the war con-
tinued to be known as colonel. New
York Sun.