The National tribune., 1906-03-22

| and losses OF MS army.
| Since the cavalry increased so greatly
in number after May l, 1t Is reasonable
to suppose that the infantry aud ardl
| lery likewise augmented after tina
date. and before we left Dalton
Hood and Hardee Had 1880 Men.
It was telegraphed over the countr!
that Gen. Sherman was about to ad
vance. This information induced quite
a large number of absentees TO re
turn; as Gen. Hardee and myself hac
noticed this Increase a short time be-
I fore the retreat began, the subject was
| mentioned between US when discuss
ing the approaching campaign, and we
| found by comparison that we had a:
many as 42,500 effective infantry and
| artillery in our two corps. exclusive
of not less than 500 electives in the
reserve artillery. If n return had beer
made up on the 10th or 18th of May
the number I have stated would have
appeared upon 1t.
The following extract from n letter
of Col. W. III. Sellers. Assistant Adju-
tant-General of Hoods Corps, Army
of Tennessee, dated Oct. 20, 1872. Cal
weston, Tex, furnishes evidence of the
correctness of my statement in this
regard:
Il cannot be as positive regarding
| the strength of your command during
the at ana l,ditOn u
Atlanta as I could wish. My recoIlec-
ton, however, is that you mustered
1000 to $4,000 electives at Dalton
and Resaca, at which latter point some
diminution occurred in casualties, and
| in desertions on the night of our re-
treat on CasSville."
Hardee's Corps was the largest in
the army. and numbered about 1000
more than my corps
AS previously stated. the assertions
of Gen. Wigfall as to Johnston's
strength and losses may safely be re-
garded as correct; and Gen. Johnston
furnishes evidence OF his satisfaction
Herewith by inserting in his Narrative
the speech delivered by Wigfall IN the
Senate Chamber of the Confederate
States. This Senator, in his estimate
of the strength of Polk'S Corps. says
''ft amounted to less than $4,000 men.
Col. Douglas West, of New Orleans,
La, who was at that time Assistant
Adjutant-General of Polk's Corps, says
on Nov. 13. 1869. in answer to letter
from me in regard to the strength of
that corps when it Joined Gen. John
ston, "We bore on the rolls an aggre-
gate of about $4,000 present" Gen.
Johnston acknowledges to have re-
ceived 1S,100 from that source.
We now have 42.500 in Hoods and
Hardee's Corps at Dalton. exclusive of
y,
in Polk's Corps, which was marching
rapidly to that point. together with
8.410 of Wheeler's Cavalry, exclusive
OF Jackson's-
We find by this summary 70,500 eff
fectiyes-a number in excess Of that
which is stated in my official report.
This number of troops, however, dill
not at that time embrace all the avail
able forces which were subject to the
order of Cen Johnston
The Georgia Militia.
The following extract from Maj
Gen G. W. Smiths official report at
tests the presence of over 5000 Geor-
gia State troops. which could have
been, In May. 1864, assembled at Dali
ton. in the event the Commanding Gen
eral of our army had desired to offer
battle, when in possession of Rocky
faced Ridge:
Headquarters, Georgia Militia, Ma
con, Ga, Sept. Is. 1864.
Gen. J. b. Hood, Commanding Army
of Tennessee, near Lovejoy Station:
General: My appointment was dated
1st of June. | took command few
days thereafter. relieving Gen. Wayne,
who returned to the duties of his office
as Adjutant and Inspector-General of
the State. The force then in the field
was composed entirely of State Off
GERS. civil and military. They had been
formed into two brigades of three regi-
nIents each. and one battalion of ar
tillery. making in all a. little over 5000.
The command had reported for duty
to Gen. j. r.. Johnston, and had been
ordered to guard the crossings of the
Chattahoochee River from Boswell
Bridge to West Point
These troops were far superior to
those usually found in the ranks of the
M q nnnnASp6
civil and military officers of the State,
and were possessed of more pride and
intelligence. They could have per-
formed noble service in well-construct-
ed redoubts in Mill Creek and Snake
Creek Gaps; would have proved the
equal of regulars in those positions.
and have allowed Gen. Johnston the
grand opportunity to attack Sherman
with his main army by passing over
the northern slope of Rocky-faced
Ridge.
We find, as above stated. 1880 in
Hardee's and Hoods Corps. $4,000 in
Polk's Corps, S.410 in Wheeler's imme-
diate command, and 5000 Georgia
State troops under Gen. Wayne, thus
forming a grand total of 1850 effec-
tives "at and near Dalton" either
marching to or in readiness to be
promptly massed at that point.
1t will be observed that I have esti-
mated the total effectlVe cavalry at
10,139, whereas Maj. Falconer, in his
return of the 10th of June. acknowl-
edges 1856; also, that l have made
no allowance for the return to duty of
some of the wounded, prior to the
passage of the Etowah, nor for the
killed and wounded of the cavalry,
prisoners, stragglers and deserters in
the two estimates at New Hope Church
and Adairsville.
Johnston Took Away His Records.
1 have been compelled to make these
various estimates in order to demon
strate the actual strength of Gen.
Johnston's army, since he furnished
the War Office with no returns after
the 1st of May until June 10, and
since he, as stated by his own Adju-
tant-General, took with him all the
books and records of the army when
he relinquished the command. Maj.
in regard to the removal of the rec
ords to Macon by the following dec
laration. which prefaces the diary of
Brig.-Gen. Shoupe:
Memoranda of daily movements and
events in the Army of Tennessee, kept
by Brighten. f. A. Shoupe, assigned
to duty as Chief of Staff by orders from
Gen. Hood. dated July "a, 1864:
mo records were turned over by
former Chief of Staff; therefore the
records of the office embrace only the
administration of Gen. Shoupe-"
Mai. Falconer, in referring to Gen.
Johnston's last return of the 10th of
July. says: THE report was made un-
der Gen. Johnston, and signed by Cen
Hood. On the 18th of July the COM