The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-21
Conflicting Estimates by Southern
Writers rs to the strength of tnr
Confederate Armies.

Mary College. writing in the south
in the Building Of tho Nation" says:
IN rounu numbers the south had ON
iier muster rolls from first 10 last
about 100000 men" This estimate
agrees with that OF Adiutant -,i.nc!al
Cooper, D:. Blcdsoe, Vice plcsiIent
AleN. H. STEPHENS. General Iubai ~
( Early and General Iohn Preston But
other writer's In the same publication
alicgc that Alabama mississippi. North
Carolina. South CarUlina Tcnnossey,
TcNaa. Virginia eight StatrE-:Mrnlsheh
Tij.GeO mon; aud other southern Winters
represent that Georgia. Louisiana and
Florida furnished the Confederate
Army. in addition 10 these. 100 200
men. making "a total of o35 900 1t IS
also commonly asserted that the Bor-
der states furnished tho Confederate
Army not less than $4,000 men watch
would make total Of l.052.Ooa In tho
! Confederate Army. This enormous dis
crenancy (bctwccn 100000 aud lObY, :
0OO) suggests a careful revision of
tho whole subject, Some Northern
writers &c. T., \. T.. Castallranb have
placed The numbers as ligh as 1900
900. Even our good fi.icud Charlie;
Francis Adams puts the number as
high az i.2II.Ooo. and argues that the
estimate given by Southern writer's Of
60Q.0o0 is highly discrrdiblr 20 the de-
votion and patriotism OF the Southern
people.
Now the strongest argument brought
forward br Northern historians in sup
port Of this opinion is found in the
claims mads hS the historians OF the
eleven seeded States to which nave
Just alluded. 1t Is not moro than prob
abba that these writers. In their zeal for
the honor and glory OF the several
stats which they represent. have made
serious errors than that the leading
men in the Confederate armies. whose
names | have mentioned above. who
Fvnre at the sources Of Information
and who ought to lave been well im-
formed. should have 50 cnormo yrly
undorcstlmated the nuubrr of men ac-
tually in the Confederate Army?
Now the military secretary or the
War Department.. in a circular issued
May -, 1905, states that although the
aggregate number Of credits for cn-
listment in the United states Army Is
2.t5S.ocr. that Office estimates that the
whole number or individuals in service
IN the Union ARM ana Navy during
the Civil War vas only 2.2l3.0oO: the
difference C665 00Ql is accounted for by
establishments May no this principle
explain the hardly credible numbers
claimed By the several Si5te writer's at
the present timcH
thls estimate IF theirs briefly as fol.
lows: Tie total military popuia tion of
The eleven seeded states in 1861 was
JSii15, not taking into acCoun. that
about one.fourth OF Our territory ana
population became unavailable for re-
cruitinS purposes within one year OF
Inc breaking out of tile war. IL We
aid nne-tcnth for the extension OF the
military age hy Confederate law down
TO seventeen and up to nifty tPre.iden,
Tyler is In error in saving that the
south enlisted In It's armies all men
between sixteen and sixty years; the
conscript Law extended only down Ia
seventeen and up TO fifty), we have
aS.iiI, and if we add , per cent. for
youths reaching military age in four
years, we have 1ts,l3T. aggregate.
1,20i,5is.
But from this we riust deduct, as
military writer's agree. 80 ner cent for
ncn exempt for physical and mental
disability, viz, 24O.3G3, which leaves
available for military duty in tho
four years OF the war. through the
whole extent OF the Southern territory,
26l,2it NOW, If VIC accept the figures
Of the State historians, we have s35.-
QUO enrolled In the Confederate Army:
and the reports of the United states
War Department state that exclusive
of West Virginia there were 55,unD
soldiers in the Union army from these
Same Southern States. which makes
an aggregate OF 100000. men furnish
cd TO both armies: which. II Will be
observed, is nearly 10000 more than
the entire military populations! WITH
Miners Line. Is nire off the coast he
out going any farther this shows that
there has been serious error In the
above estimates or Confederate enroll
lnent. But there are several other mat
tiers to be considered. In the first
place, by the spring Of 1862, at least
onc-fourth of the territory of the Sc
coded states was under the control of
the United states Army: and. therefore.
that much of the territory was not
available as a source OF supply for tic
Confederate Army. This cuts of near
ly one-fourth OF the military strength
Again. the conscript law. drastic as
il was, was very impcrfectly executed,
as those in charge of 1t Mt tile time
amply testified. The opposition of the
Governors of Mississippi, Georgia,
South Carolina and North Carolina to
the conscript law Will he remembered.
We must also remember that thous-
ands OF men were employed on the
railroads In the government depart
ments and in various branches OF man
ufacture necessary for the support of
the army and the people: and also for
agricultural labor. 1t must also ht
remembered that there were thousands
OF men in ali the Confederate States
exempted by state authc rity.
General Preston gives table Of
State officers exempted on the cnrtih-
Gates of tho Governors: and 1t appears
that In Virginia. North Carolina. South
Carolina. Georgia. Alabama. Mississippi.
Louisiana, Tennessee. and Florida there
were 1888 such exempts Tic civil
officers exempted in Georgia alone were
5.i7s. IN the same State tho exempts
for agriculture and necessary purposes
reached the number of 6,553. These
oxempts are over and above the many
thousands OF men detailed for special
work under tho heading of public nee
cssity.
II these thinga are considered, II be-
comes plain that the previously quoted
estimates of the several States or tho
Confedcracy cannot possibly be accept