The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01

aggregate, will run tho Confederate totals up
to nearly p. 900 killed. wounded and missing.
Their reports in the official records. and also
published In the Southern Historical Societv's
Papers. Southern magazine acoeptsd as au-
thoritative by all orthodox Confederates. give
| aggregates as follows:
Killed. Wound,d Missing. Total.
FIRST Corps. &c. ...983 445S 227a 1869
second Corps ....9 $50 A.o7o 1880 $3.50
Third Corps ....s40 <.2s9 3s4+ s.es2
Tot.l, .......2.7i2 l2sls 1897 22e97
Add cavalry losses. estimated. 1,25o
Total losses in campaign Observation-Disclosures. 242F
Therefore. II we add say $500 slightly
| wounded. omitted from the Confederate re-
| ports by Lees order. which would then make
| it a fair com parison with the Union reports OF
the same battle. we have nm aggregate sum OF
| % 749 as the Confederate losses In the Gettys.
| burg campaign. made up from figures OF the
| Confederatcs themselves. excepting the two
| items Of cavalry losses and slightly wounded.
| Tho cavalry losses were probably double the
| figures l give. which apply to operations
| north Of the Potomac only. This tabuation OF
itself is proof that the losses OF the Confeder-
ates greatly exceeded those Of the Union
army even II We admit the slightly wounded.
| The Confederate reports. for a substantial
| reason are untrustworthy. even where any
| were made. because. as they abandoned the
field and largely their killed and mortally
wounded. 1t goes without saying that they
| lacked accurate knowledge OF their actual
| losses in those two items. Careful investiga-
| ton. however. OF the available official data and
other sources Of Information has determined
the fact that their killed amounted to 1903.
instead OF 2.0S3. as reported by DR.. Guild. and
| 1874 wounded instead OF 1890. as stated
by Guild. DR.. Guilds shortage comes doubt
| less. from the fact that he took no account OF
the killed and wounded abandoned to the
enemy on the third day after Pickett's
and Johnson's charges. AS previously
stated, the Union rolls show the names OF
| 12,227 prisoners captured at Gettysburg
wounded and unwounded. Ofthese GSO2 were
| wounded. and are consequently to be added to
tho aggregate Of wounded as made up by DR..
| Guild. less 40 wounded whom they Officially
| reported captured. This deduction leaves
3. 1875 we'll prisoners captured by the Federals
| which pretty well agrees with the Confederate
report OF $3.50 missing. as 1t appears in the
war records summary. Now those are all prac-
ticay official figures. collected from every
source. and dcduced by comparing the re-
ports Of tho opposing armies. Hence. the Con-
iederate losses are thus summed up In round
numbers
hilleu. 3.sO3
y, al
Missing. 5105
Total .139
But it must not be overlooked that from this
tabulation is omitted entirely the slightly
wounded covered by Gen. Lees order II
these be added. estimated as above at $500.
probably a low one. the total Confederate
casualties ut Gettysburg will be as follows:
Killed. wounded and missing .,.,...........2773 $50
cd
Total 80. 23y
And passing from fact rs established by the
records into the field Of speculation more or
less. although there is warrant for the deduc-
ton In the records. it Is highly probable that
Gen Lees losses even exceeded the foregoing
aggregate, without including the slightly
wounded item. The official returns OF strength
for tho Army OF Northern Virginia on MAY 81,
1853 tho last on file before the battle OF Get
tysburR. shows that it contained then 1881
men for duty. During the month OF Juno It
was greatly strengthened by recruits and from
other sources to probably near $1,000 men OF
all arms Lees correspondence with the
Richmond authorities and his subordinates
during the preparatory period prior to
the invasion shows that he strained every
nerve to bring his army up to the highest pos
sible strength. He was seconded by President
Davis. who favored the offensive movement
contemplated. While there Is no return OF
strength for the month OF June there are col
lateral proofs that Lee marshalled at least So
900 men at Gettysburg. His army was COM
posed OF nine divisions OF infantry and artillery
eight OF these averaged 5000 electives each
Gen. Hood. after the war, said his division was
5000 strong, An official return OF Rodes's
division at Carlisle. after it had participated in
the valley operations before advancing into
Eylvanin 1iSplOapI a enpptiya Of OF
OF S.O52 only two days previous to the opening
OF the battle. Picketts division was abou,
$500 strong. somo OF his troops being absent
Here. on fair estimate. We have O9,5OO IN
fantry and artillery. Tho cavalry force approx
mated to II 900 electives. less losses in the
movements. All told, $4,000 men OF all arms
There is another instructive method OF ar.
irving at the approximate strength OF the
Confederate army. 1t was composed OF 2OC
regiments OF infantry and cavalry. Analyses
OF various returns at different periods. com.
pArison OF losses with reported strength sub.
sequent to the battle. showed that these regl-
ments averaged about 375 men each. Many
were considerably stronger. while many
others were weaker. This would give an
aggregate strength Of $4,000 infantry and
cavalry. Add 5000 artillery. moderate fol
nearly 300 guns, and we have an aggregate
again OF &c. 600 men OF all arms.
On the goth OF July. 1863. only q week after
Lee recrossed the Potomac into Virginia. an Of.
fetal return OF strength showed Al .692 officers
and men present for duty in the Army OF North
crn Virginia not including the cavalry. csti'
mated at G.50O mon, or a total OF only 4S, 1872
DeductnR this number from the 10000 mer
Gen. Lee marched into Pennsylvania, leaves
difference OF 81 1908 men to be accounted for
They were lost at Gettysburg and the campaign
which ended with the recrossing OF the Con-