The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-01

Carolina in the Confederate War. 1t
seems to us from reading the publications
To whic. We have referred, that some OF
ou1 friends from that State have not been
either Just or generous In some OF their
illusions to her sister States, and have
seemed to be both spteful and boastful
In some Of their charges, claims and ref
e1ences to their "next-door neighbour"
Virginia. What Virginia may have done
to provoke this. we are not advised Ii
aught, we regret 1t. 1t Is these charges,
thees claims and seeming reflections on
Virginia alone, that we now propose to
consider, ms we feel in duty bound TO do.
In doing this we shall not initiate the
course pursued by some of the writer's to
whom we have referred. Some Of these
have not hesitated to reflect on the people
and soldiers from Virginia In the harshest
and, In our opinion, most unjust manner
We shall not initiate these writer's ~
because we feel confident they do not,
in their criticisms Of Virginia and her
people, reflect the real feelings of North
CarolinIans towards Vlrginians. dnd (2)
because neither the people Of Virginia
nor the soldiers sent by her to the Con-
fedcrate armies need any defense at our
hands. The preservation of the truth Of
what Virginia did and dared and suffered
fol the Confederate cause Is her COM
plete and perfect vindication. and 1t IS a
part of this task that we now, fllially but
cheerfully assume.
istaken CIa;m.
First-The first and most serious claim
made by North Carolina is that she fur
nished more troops to the Confederacy
than any other Southern State.
This claim has been made and published
far and wide, and. as far as we know,
no attempt has been made to controvert
It. It generally assumes the form of a
boast, but sometimes is made the basis
OF complaint We saw not long since
in a North Carolina paper (the Charlotte
Observer, Of May II, 1909 a statement
from the pen OF distinguished writer Of
that State. in which he complained that
Partially had been shown to Virginia.
and consequent injustice done to North
Carolina during the war in the appoint
especially, he said. since Virginia had
only furnished about seventy-six (7G)
thousand troops to the Confederacy, to
North Cardinals one hundred and twenty
STA C26) thousand or fifty thousand more
than Virginia.
So far as the question Of partially is
concerned. since President Davis. who
made all these appointments, was not a
Virginian, there was no reason why he
should have been partial to Virginians
unless their merits warranted 1t. And, in
our opinion. no good reason is given by
this writer for any such alleged niscon-
duct on his part. We believe Mr.. Davis
was not only true patriot. but a great
and good man, and that 1t would have
been almost impossible to have found any
one who could or would have discharged
the delicate and difficult duties of his
Office more satisfactorily to all than he
did.
But what concerns us far more is the
claim made by this writer that North
Carolina. with smaller white population
than Virginia, furnished fifty thousand
more troops to the Confederacy. This
claim necessarily implies that North Car
DINA was more loyal to the Confederate
cause than Virginia. or. In other words
discharged her duty in this. the greatest
crisis in the history OF these States. bet
ter than Virginia.
Tn Re-ord Examined.
Let US examine the record on this point
first, then. and see If this claim Is sus-
tanned by It.
In Series w, Vol. III, at page IS, OF
what are termed THE War of the Re-
tellion Official Records" will be found
carefully prepared official report to the
Bureau OF CONSUMPTION" of the Confed
crate War Department. giving in much
detail the number and character OF the
troops furnished by the States OF Vir-
ginia. North Carolina, South Carolina.
Georgia. Alabama and Mississippi, up to
January 25, 1864. This report shows that
the total number of men sent to the
field by Virginia up to that time was
(page 1O2) one hundred and fifty-three