The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-22

Nv
wrote: 1t win be difficult TO get the
world to understand the odds against
which we fought" One is reminded
OF this from time to time by articles
and statements which seek to show
that tine South had enlisted N us
service for The conduct OF tn war
from 1851 TO 1865 not less than 1000
900 men.
These -, mates are largely based
upon the hypoti %sls that I'm popu-
IstiOn Of 5.e0O.O,J Of white people N
1851 there should have been an arms
bearing population OF about i,VVoeVV
<Inen, and tat hte Actions 10 TINS
number by the cOnscript Jaws and
by boys coming Of age and by men
from the bordAr states would have IN
| creased the arms- bearing population
10 about l,f5Q.9Q0. Accordingly the
estimate usuali5 aa5e by Confederate
writer's that IN. south had in its
| armies only about 500. 600 men is re-
| jected as having no solid basis. as
opposed 10 all reasonable assumption
and unsupported by documentary evil
The estimate OF SOC. 600 is supported
| oy the statement o. the adutant-gen-
eral OF the Confederate army. General
/ cooper; by DR.. a. 7. Biedsoe, Assistant
| Secretary OF War: by General John
| Preston. Chief OF the Bureau OF Con-
scription, and by Vice President Alex
ander II. Stevens. Ii Is credible that
| the adutapt-general % the Confed-
crate army should have given his
opinion that this number Of 100000
was nearly critically correct" If, in
| fact. there had b. u upon the rolls
| OF the Confederate army twice tnat
| NUMBER
BY adding together the number Of
states at The close oil Inc ,s ~ar; ,, ene
who were Killed or died OF wounds,
those who died in prison. those who
we're discharged ana deseEters' we
10 The n Official report Of General Cooper.
March l. i'e3 si9.sS ee 1hg eee arTav
Including the militia. officers and men
az $40 80. General Preston. supeIin-
tendent Of cOnscriptionf reports tne
total number OF cOnscrl pttons az 81
ee3 enlistments east Of the Mississippi.
IS zoo; estimated conseIiptions and en-
lz0.OD. total. 6ls 900. II is true that the
estimates recently given BY repre-
would show q much larger NUN Der
than 600 900. but IL can be demon
zeal to glorify their several States
have. with honest Intentions, made
egregious errors. 49, .,
luded have overlooked some import
ant considerations bearing on dne
Soi During IL The the FIRST year Of the war
the Confederate goyernnent c9Pgid
not have awaited itself OF even hdif
million of men for its armies. mas,
much as it WAS unable 10 arm ana
equip them
Nv NAV. 1885,. the Northern armies
were in permanent occupation of about
one fourth of the territory OF the ION,
federacy- The population inus e1S I iuded
may be estimated at .2cooo !eaEln
3 so 90 10 bear the burden OF war
Hence ~ me ne, 1T zee 200 se'i 6us 20 o and OF
this number, one attn, or lSt GO wouio
be exempted see2Tdinf 70 ri tes Pr9 from
physical and mental defects
The southern Stats- furnished the
Northern armies. ACCORDING 20 me g T oo
men
There was a large element Of dis
loyalty. especials. n the noun me-. ,iss
who begrudged every sacrifice Tor
liberty and shirl,ed danger.
The writers 20 whom reference has
been made assume that cOnscfipt laws
~ Tho south we're strictly and success
flliIv enforced This Is a grave mistake
I II can be shown from official reports
that in three or four states cast 81 the
CnIv b ss5 men were put into the army
through the conscriptioR law IN tne
states east of the Mississippi from the
ofticers had 20 meet the opposition OF
The Governors Of some Of ne StsIes
notably the Governor Of Mississippi;
the CiSvernor of North Carolina, and
the Governor OF George
South Carolina passed an exemption
law which nullihed 10 certain c1tcit
the cons ription laws OF the Conic9et-
acv Thus the doctrine OF state rights.
which was the bedrock OF the SoutneIn
Confedcracy. became a paii'er 70 '"'
The letters of General Lee down 10
within a few months % the end snow
through the action OF the cOnsctipt
law on September IS 1854. he wrote
Il get no additions.
numbers of men employed on the rail-
roads. in the government departments.
in the state Offices. and in the various
branches OF manufacture necessary FOR
the support Of the army and the people
Let rs now coIs;deI nc qSeS,lon
There wore 10000 white people IN the
seeded states a. the beginning Of
AZ least ono fourth Of the Southern
territory had been wrcnchcd from The
control OF the Confederate government.
In the territory remaining there was in
round numbers population OF about
sSo0.ooo. the military population should
military age down 20 seventeen and up
20 atty. say ten per cent, or 9e0o add
for youths reaching military age IA
and the total Is or. 90.
ASd to this men furnished by the
border states. say 1.eoo. and the ergre-
s ear = Of ma furnished the Cor
fcderate army by the border states is
more than double the actual number
have to be made from this mum Der.
on the ground Of disiovslty we have no
facts on which TO base an estimate.
hut 80 u certain the number was con
siderable Many thousands must 30
deducted for men exempted Tor various
causes over and above those exempted
Tor physical and mental dcfccte or
these We have no complete statietice.
hut we have a report OF state officers
cxernptcd on certificates Of the Cover
Dorp in nine States 20 the numbc OF
Issf8 The civil officers exempted IN
Georgia alone were 5.f7s. in the same
State there were exempted Tor arr
cultural and necessary purposes -!
These erc only examples Of facts which
We meet with in the official reports IN
inc war Records" A conservative
estimate Of the numbers thus exempted
Tor these various causes IN the eleven
States would be 7B.ooo.
We must merit deduct from tire aggre-
gate number OF men OF military age
lQz7 100 twenty per cent for those
exempted on account Of physical OF
mental dissbuity-thet Il rs .fD. IN
nv letter published IN the New York
hun on March . there was an unfor-