Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/492

Rh each, we have 1,900 unarmed volunteers, which number added to the number of armed men, gives an aggregate of 3,927 belonging to the volunteer companies, which approximation will vary but little from the correct number. The number of arms in the hands of the troops amounts to 2,127 stand: of rifles, 1,256; of percussion muskets, 391; of flint, about 60; of pistols, 462; of sabers, 370. The number of men subject to military duty, as far as reported, amounts to 39,263." The military age was from 21 to 45.

In his message to the legislature, November 4, 1861, Governor Pettus said: "From the report of the adjutant-general herewith transmitted, it will be seen that Mississippi now has in the Confederate service 22 regiments and one battalion of infantry, one regiment and fourteen companies of cavalry, and eleven companies of artillery, amounting in the aggregate to about 23,000; the number not definitely stated for the reason that several of the regiments have no muster-rolls on file at the adjutant-general's office. To this estimate should be added a considerable number of independent companies tendered directly to the Confederate authorities and ordered to Missouri, Kentucky or Virginia, probably fifteen companies, making the number over 24,000. When this number shall be farther increased by the thirty companies enlisted for the war, now in camp in the State, and the companies now rapidly sending in their tender of service under the recent call of Maj.-Gen. A. S. Johnston for ten thousand troops, the aggregate will exceed 35,000, which is probably a larger proportion of the adult male population than any State or nation has sent to war in modern times; and when it is remembered that not one of all these thousands has been required by law to enter the service, or constrained by any force save their patriotic desire to stand between the State and her enemies, Mississippi may well feel proud of her