Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-03-12
THE soUTH's MANY COLONIES.
Possible Explanation of Their Num-
Der In an OmciaI Statement.

Possible Explanation of Their Num-
Der In an OmcinI Statement.
For many years, indeed since the
close of the civil war, it has been
standing joke among the paragraphers
and in variety theaters that the con-
federate army was composed almost
wholly of staff officers, and that the
number of colonels distributed through
out the south and in the states of the
southwest was materially greater than
the number of male adult civilians. 1t
is certainly fact, as all travellers attest,
that there arc more colonels, ma jors,
and generals in the southern than in
the northern states, and this is a fact,
despite what is a matter of general
knowledge, too, that the southern army
was materially smaller throughout the
war than the northern forces.
An explanation of the apparent anon
ally has recently appeared in state
ment which shows in detail that the
number of southern officers was rel
atively larger than the number of
northern officers during the civil war.
The official confederate army list
SllO"o oiC III GlllGl, IAODtIl L.
Lee, and seven full generals, as follows:
Cooper, Albert Sidney Johnston, Beau
regard, Joseph Z. Johnston, Smith,
Bragg, and Hood. The number of lieu
tenant generals in the confederate
army, Stonewall Jackson, Hill, Early,
Buckner, Wade Hampton and Gordon
among them, was 10, and there were be.
sides 81 major generals and more than
200 brigadier generals. This was much
larger than the army roll in respect
of staff officers on the union side at
corresponding period. Before the es-
tablishment of the office of lieutenant
general there were four major generals
and IL brigadier generals in the regu-
lar army, and 20 major generals and
$50 brigadier generals in the volunteer
service. There was, correspondingly
a larger number of colonies and majors
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 north.
ern forces constituted the attacking
army; the southern forces after the
battle of Gettysburg were on the de.
fensive, and much of the conflict which
continued during the closing years OF
the strife was, SO far as the southern
men were engaged in it, of desultory,
guerrilla character. The services of
sharpshooters, of small attacking col
umns, of commands organized for for
aging purposes, or to cover a retreat
were in detail, and the commander of
each detail took, by courtesy and under
military usage, a title as high in it's way
as a northern commander would receive
If in charge of force perhaps eight
or ten times larger. 1t is well-known
fact that military men having titles
are as slow to surrender them and to
forego their use as officeholders are
to retire from the honors and emolu-
ments of public station. The rule "once
a colonel, always a colonel" still pre-
walls in the south, and it applies in like
manner to generals. majors and captains
as well. A man who may have acted
for few hours, perhaps, at the head
OF detachment as its colonel, though
actually corporal, has since the close
of the war continued to be known as
colonel.-N. Y. Sun.