The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-08-01
What are the Facts?
QUESTION AS TO THE NUMBER OF TROOPS
NORTH CAROLINA FURNISHED

QUESTION AS TO THE NUMBER OF TROOPS
NORTH CAROLINA FURNISHED
To the Confederate Army in the Great
War for Southern Independence
Attention Called to What is Evi.
IDENTIFY a Grave Error-rlaj. Meath
ery's Figures Much Below the Real
Number-What the Roster of State
Troops and the Federal War Records
Show-Let's Get History Straight.
Wilmington Messenger.
An article that appeared in the
Charlotte Observer, which we did not
see, is copied into the Richmond Dis
patch. 1t is great disparagement of
North Carolina in the war between
the States. 1t gives what purports
to be correct list of strength of the
North Carolina regiments, and was
furnished by the late Major John b.
Neathery, of Raleigh, '.who was dur
ing the war clerk in the capitol,
made up for Governor Vance a state
ment of the strength of each of the
State regiments when turned over to
the Confederacy and in January. 1887,
a day or two after Governor Vance
took office again as Governor, Ma or
Neathery gave me the original docu
ment.'
Now, if Major Neathery's figures
are correct, then what? He gives
$4,000 troops only, save one. If that
be correct, then there has been vast
deal of ignorance and Dragging, and
the grand old State did no better than
other States in proportion to popula-
ton. Bat are Mr.. Neathery's figures
correct9 Did North Carolina fall
$4,000 behind the supposed correct
number OF troops2 We respectfully
submit this.
Governor Vance caused to be pre-
pared roster of the North Carolina
troops while the war was progressing.
Ma or James II. Foote, still living,
had much to do with the work, as we
have long understood. What will he
say to that 80, 900 limit?
Then Governor Vance, the greatest
of war Governors by odds, in speech
delivered at the White Sulphur
Springs before the Confederate vet
Grams, many years after the war, sta
ted that North Carolina furnished
1850 soldiers in the war. Such is
our recollection. If he was so very
ignorant as to claim 10, 900 more SOL
diers than were really furnished, then
it was the duty Of Ma or Neathery to
have informed him of the facts and
supplied him with the precise figures.
Governor Vance was a most honorable
and truthful man and would not lie
for glory. or to play the part of brag-
CART. Was he in error?
We have never examined the roster.
have never seen copy even. We
heard long ago that it contained over
131 900 names. We heard farther
that many names were repeated
twice, and some perhaps cover three
times. We had supposed that 5000
or 5000 errors had occurred, and we
have generally placed the number of
troops at 10000, making allowance
for errors. How many does the ros-
ter show?
Does the history of the regiments
recently written under the highly pa
triotic editorship Of Mr. Justice
Walter Clark (he not charging cent
for it and his great undertaking in
completing the editing of the colossal
Colonial Record), authorize the state
ment that North Carolina did not fur
nish the troops claimed heretofore
but only S0,O009 We shall not be-
lieve it until further evidence is forth
coming than Mr.. Nealhery's figures.
In 1860, according TO The Confcd-
crate Handbook, prepared by the
| late Colonel Robert &. Wood, of the
cavalry c. S. A, and published last
year in New Orleans, the military
| population of North Carolina was
| 115, 1863. 1t never voted, we think
more than 112, 800 in the Governor $
| election in 1860. We fail to find a
statement as to what North Carolina
furnished. 1t gives the following
losses for this State:
| Killed in battle, G77 officers: Ii ,S45
| men-tOtal, Il, ,552.