The numerical strength of the Confederate army Part 3

At any rate, some men in them did not remain." (Colonel J. W. Mallet, February 16, 1912.)

3. Bonham's South Carolina regiment enlisted for six months. Re-enlisted 1861. (Statement of Colonel Hilary Herbert.)

4. General d.i.c.kinson, late Secretary of War, remembers regiments which were enlisted for three months, and then re-enlisted.

5. The Eighth Alabama, Colonel Hilary Herbert. He says:

"The men stepped out one by one and re-enlisted, all but one man, and he exercised the liberty which all had, of declining to re-enlist. This was in January, 1864."

I quote also an order of General Lee's on the subject, February 3, 1864: "The Commanding General announces with gratification the re-enlistment of the regiments of this army for the war, and the reiteration of the war regiments of their determination to continue in the army until independence is achieved." The fact of re-enlistment then is absolutely established. In fact practically all of the twelve-months' volunteers re-enlisted in 1862.

THESE RECENT SOUTHERN ESTIMATES GREATLY EXAGGERATED

But it can be shown, I think beyond contradiction, that the numbers given by the representatives of the various States which Mr. Adams quotes from "_The South_," and from other Southern publications, are enormously exaggerated.

We may test the accuracy of this estimate of theirs briefly as follows: The total military population of the 11 seceded States in 1861 was 984,475, not taking into account that about one-fourth of our territory and population became unavailable for recruiting purposes within one year of the breaking out of the war. If we add one-tenth for the extension of the military age by Confederate law down to 17 and up to 50, we have 98,447; and, if we add 12 per cent. for youths reaching military age in four years, we have 118,137, aggregating 1,201,518. But from this we must deduct, as military writers agree, 20 per cent. for men exempt for physical and mental disability, viz., 240,303, which leaves available for military duty in the four years of the war, through the whole extent of the Southern territory, 961,215. Now, if we accept the figures of the State historians, we have 935,000 enrolled in the Confederate Army; and the reports of the United States War Department state that, exclusive of West Virginia, there were 55,000 soldiers in the Union Army from these same Southern States, which makes an aggregate of 990,000 men furnished to both armies, which, it will be observed, is nearly 30,000 more than the entire military population! Without going any further, this shows that there has been serious error in the above estimates of Confederate enrollment.

But there are several other matters to be considered. In the first place, by the spring of 1862 at least one-fourth of the territory of the seceded 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 the Confederate Army. This cuts off nearly one-fourth of the military strength. Calculated on this basis, the writers alluded to make the aggregate of Southern soldiers more than 200,000 in excess of the entire military population!

Again, the conscript law, drastic as it was, was very imperfectly executed, as those in charge of it at the time amply testified. The opposition of the Governors of Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina to the conscript law will be remembered. We must also remember that thousands of men were employed on the railroads, in the Government departments and in various branches of manufacture necessary for the support of the army and the people, and also for agricultural labor. It must also be remembered that there were thousands of men in all the Confederate States exempted by State authority.

If these things are considered, it becomes plain that the previously quoted estimates of the several States of the Confederacy cannot possibly be accepted as at all near the real facts.

Let us now compare these estimates of the Southern writers quoted with the military population of some of the States:

The military population of Virginia in 1861, exclusive of West Virginia, is estimated by Livermore at 116,000 Add one-tenth for extension of military age down to seventeen and up to fifty 11,600 Add twelve per cent. for youths maturing to seventeen in four years 13,920 ------- Total 141,520 Deduct exempts for physical and mental defects, twenty per cent 28,304 ------- Available military population 113,216

But the representative writer in "_The South_" puts the number of men furnished by Virginia to the Southern armies at 175,000, which is 61,784 more than the available military population! Could there be a more palpable _reductio ad absurdum_?[13]

Besides, as I have shown, in Virginia and all the States there were large numbers of men exempt as State officers. This considerably increases the twenty per cent. which Colonel Fox says are in all countries exempted from military service.

Take next Florida:

Her military population in 1861 was 15,739 Add one-tenth for extension of military age down to seventeen and up to fifty 1,573 Add twelve per cent. for youths attaining seventeen years in four years 1,888 ------- 19,200 Deduct exempts, twenty per cent. 3,840 ------- Available military population 15,360

But the writer quoted by Mr. Adams states that Florida furnished 15,000 to the Confederate States army, and the War Office records show that she furnished the Union army 1,270; making a total of 16,270, which is 900 more than the entire available military population!

Georgia.--Military population in 1861 was 111,005 Add one-tenth for extension of military age down to seventeen and up to fifty 11,100 Add twelve per cent. for youths attaining seventeen years in four years 13,320 ------- Total 135,425 Deduct twenty per cent. for exempts 23,085 ------- Available military population 112,340

But the alleged enrollment in the Confederate States army is 120,000, which is 7,110 more than the available military population, making no allowance for the failure of the conscript officers to put into the army every man liable to military duty, and none for the thousands exempt from service.

North Carolina.--Military population was 115,369 Add one-tenth for the extension of military age down to seventeen and up to fifty 11,500 Add twelve per cent. for youths maturing to seventeen years in four years 13,800 ------- Total 140,669 Deduct twenty per cent. for exempts 28,133 ------- Leaving available 112,536

Alleged Confederate enrollment 129,000; furnished to the Union army, 3,156; total, 132,156; which is 19,620 more than the available military population, although in one-fourth of the State the conscript law could not be executed, and although many thousands were exempted from service by State law.

South Carolina.--Military population 55,046 Add one-tenth as above 5,504 Add twelve per cent. as above 6,605 ------- Total 67,155 Deduct twenty per cent. 13,231 ------- Leaving available 53,924

The alleged Confederate enrollment was 75,000, which is more than 21,000 in excess of the total number of men available for service, though here also there were thousands of State exemptions.

Mississippi.--Military population 70,295 Add one-tenth for extension of military age 7,029 Add twelve per cent. for youths maturing to military age in four years 8,435 ------- Total 85,759 Deduct twenty per cent. for exempts 17,151 ------- Leaving available 68,608

The alleged Confederate enrollment was 70,000, and furnished to the United States army 515, which is nearly 2,000 more than the total military population, taking no account of the large number of exempts and of the failure to execute the conscript act.

Alabama.--Military population was 99,667 Add one-tenth for the extension of military age down to seventeen and up to fifty 11,500 Add twelve per cent. for youths maturing to seventeen years in four years 11,796 ------- Total 121,959 Deduct twenty per cent. for exempts 24,391 ------- Leaving available 97,568

The alleged Confederate enrollment was 90,000, and furnished to the Union army, 2,576, making a total of 92,576; which is within 5,000 of the total available, taking no account of the large number exempted for State officers and other causes, and taking no account, either, of the number of men who could not be reached by the conscript officers.

Tennessee.--Military population 159,353 Add one-tenth as before 15,935 Add twelve per cent. as before 19,222 ------- Total 194,510 Deduct twenty per cent. 38,902 ------- Leaving available 155,608

The alleged Confederate enrollment was 115,000, and the State furnished the Union army 31,092, a total of 146,092, which is within 9,000 of the total available military population, without taking account of the men not reached by the conscript officers, and, further, taking no account of the fact that so large a part of the State was in occupation of the Federal armies.

As to Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, it is enough to say that they were in that Trans-Mississippi Department of which the Confederate Government lost control in July, 1863. Hence, it is not surprising that even those inflated estimates of the number of men furnished the Confederate army fall far short of the estimated military population. In Arkansas, however, the estimate comes within 5,000 of the total available,--58,289 out of 63,665.

In the light of the facts just stated we must conclude that the Southern writers quoted by General Adams have, in their zeal for the honor and glory of their several States, greatly overestimated the number of men contributed by the same to the Confederate armies. This would be more probable _a priori_, than that the leading men in the Confederate army and Government who were at the sources of information, and who ought to have been well informed, should have so enormously underestimated the strength of the armies of the South; but the tests to which we have now submitted the figures given by these State historians demonstrate their error beyond the possibility of doubt. They must be cut down by several hundred thousand. A large element of this error is to be found, as I have suggested, in the failure to observe the great number of re-enlistments that undoubtedly took place, especially in 1862, when the terms of service of nearly all the Confederate regiments expired. This duplication, in the opinion of the military Secretary of the United States, reduces the total by twenty per cent.

As a sample of how errors creep into reports of numbers, it is stated (W. R., ser. iv., vol. iii, p. 96) as to a certain number of conscripts, "We find some men were reported three times." And again (_Id._ p. 99) that the "Adjutant-General's report contains an error in which he has accounted for 14,000 men twice."

Let it be observed, finally, that when we have reached a reasonably probable conclusion of the men enlisted in the Confederate armies during the four years of war, we must then proceed to ascertain, if we can, the probable number of these enlisted men who were _detailed_ for various duties and occupations ancillary to the support of the government and the army. And only when this number has been deducted from the total enlistments will we have ascertained the probable number of men actually serving with the colors and making up the fighting force of the Confederacy.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE BORDER STATES TO THE ARMIES OF THE CONFEDERACY

It is a difficult problem to determine with any degree of probability how many men were contributed to the armies of the Confederacy by the Border States. The factors by which it might be solved do not seem to be within reach. At least, I have not been able to possess myself of them.

There lies before me a printed "List of Regiments and Battalions in the Confederate States' Army, 1861-1865." According to this there were furnished by Missouri 21 battalions and 79 regiments; by Kentucky 16 battalions and 26 regiments; by Maryland 2 infantry regiments and 4 battalions, 4 batteries; also the Maryland Line, of various arms. But, upon inspection, it appears that this "Maryland Line" was formed of those regiments and battalions and batteries previously enumerated.

General Charles Francis Adams, following Colonel Livermore, tells us there were 238 full regiments from the Border States in the Confederate army, besides 132 lesser organizations. On the other hand, Colonel Fox, in his well-known work, "Regimental Losses in the Civil War," credits the Border States with having sent into the Confederate army only 21 regiments and 4 battalions of infantry; 9 regiments and 5 battalions of cavalry, and 11 batteries of light artillery. As to numbers, he estimates them at "over 19,000" (p. 552).

These estimates and numbers of Colonel Fox look strange beside the estimate of 117,000 and 125,000, as given by some Southern writers. We have already stated that in "The South in the Building of the Nation,"

Maryland is credited with having furnished 20,000 men to the Confederate army. How wide of the mark this statement is, may be seen by inspecting the following total of organizations of Maryland men in the Confederacy:

INFANTRY First Maryland Infantry, number of men 782 Second Maryland Infantry 627 Company B, Twenty-first Virginia, Colonel L. Clarke 109 One company, Thirteenth Virginia Lanier Guards, estimated 75 One company, Sixty-first and Sixty-second Virginia, estimated 65 ----- Total Infantry 1,658

CAVALRY First Maryland, Colonel Ridgeley Brown 74 Company K, First Virginia; transferred in August, 1864, to First Maryland 197 Lieutenant Harry Gilmour Battalion, estimated 250 Colonel Sturgis Davis Battalion, estimated 100 One Maryland Company in Seventh Virginia, estimated 75 One Maryland Company in Thirty-fifth Virginia, Colonel Elijah White 103 One Maryland Company in Forty-third Virginia, Colonel Mosby, estimated 75 ----- Total cavalry 674

ARTILLERY Colonel Snowden Andrews 204 Second Maryland, Captain Griffin 197 Third Maryland, Colonel Rowan, Captain Ritter 350 In Western Army, Fourth Maryland, Chesapeake, Captain Brown, Captain Chew 137 Captain Brethed, Horse Artillery (a Maryland battalion, though mustered into service as Virginian) 75 Baltimore Heavy Artillery, estimated 100 Marylanders at Charleston, South Carolina, estimated 225 ----- Total artillery 1,288 ----- Grand total 4,580

These figures are compiled from the muster rolls, with the exception of those "estimated." It is to be observed that a very large proportion of the men in the Second Maryland Infantry were those who had previously served in the First Maryland Infantry; so that there is a good deal of duplication there by reenlistment. On the other hand, there were many individual Marylanders in various regiments accredited to other States.

We have also the names of 137 Marylanders who were officers in various other commands.

The estimate above alluded to, of 20,000 Marylanders in the Confederate service, rests apparently upon no better basis than an oral statement of General Cooper to General Trimble, in which he said he believed that the muster rolls would show that about 20,000 men in the Confederate army had given the State of Maryland as the place of their _nativity_. How many were _citizens of Maryland_ when they enlisted does not appear.

Obviously many _natives_ of Maryland were doubtless in 1861 _citizens of other States_, and could not therefore be reckoned among the soldiers furnished by Maryland to the Confederate armies.

As to the estimates furnished by writers in "_The South_" concerning the number of men furnished the Confederacy from the Border States, viz., Kentucky, 30,000; Missouri, 60,000; West Virginia, 7,000; the same unintentional exaggeration doubtless exists here as I have shown in regard to the numbers alleged to have been furnished by the seceded States. Unfortunately it is not possible to be definite in stating the numbers furnished by the Border States. When we observe the discrepancy between Colonel Fox's 19,000, President Tyler's 117,000, and Colonel Livermore's 143,000, it becomes clear that the whole subject is involved in uncertainty. I incline to the opinion that 50,000 is nearer the actual numbers in the Southern army from these Border States than 100,000; but for the sake of argument I leave the number 75,000, as stated above.[14]

Before concluding this branch of the subject I would call attention to the following remark made by Mr. Charles Francis Adams in his "Military Studies," p. 282. He says "that the States named [meaning Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, West Virginia] sympathizing, as at the time the Southern authorities claimed, most deeply with the Confederacy should have furnished over 316,000 recruits to the Federal army, and only 117,000 to that of the Confederacy is, to say the least, deserving of remark,--it calls for explanation." Again he says: "It would be not unnatural to a.s.sume that these States furnished an equal number of recruits to the Confederacy." (_Id._ p. 238.)

This statement is sufficiently amazing. On the contrary, would it not be most _unnatural_ to a.s.sume that these four States, occupied and controlled from end to end by the Federal armies, should have furnished as many men to the Confederate army as to the Federal army, notwithstanding the enormous difficulties of pa.s.sing through the lines?

Although there was much sentiment favorable to the Confederacy in these four States, I fear there cannot be any doubt that the preponderance of sentiment was in favor of the Union; and he must be blind who does not recognize the fact that the difficulties in the way of a young man desiring to enlist in the Southern army, while his State was occupied by the Federal forces, were enormously great.