Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 02.djvu/18

8 but when the report of Mr. Edwin M. Stanton, the United States Secretary of War, made at the opening session of Congress for the years 1865-'6, is critically examined, it will be regarded as most surprising that General Badeau should have committed such gross blunders in regard to the strength of Grant's army. In order to expose those blunders, and to enable you to verify the extracts which I shall make from Mr. Stanton's report, I send you an official copy of that report printed under the authority of the United States Congress. On page 3d of his report, Mr. Stanton says:

"The national forces engaged in the spring campaign of 1864 were organized as armies or distributed in military departments as follows:

"The Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major-General Meade, whose headquarters were on the north side of the Rapidan. This army was confronted by the Rebel Army of Northern Virginia, stationed on the south side of the Rapidan, under General Robert E. Lee.

"The 9th corps, under Major-General Burnside, was, at the opening of the campaign, a distinct organization, but on the 24th of May, 1864, it was incorporated into the Army of the Potomac. "The Army of the James was commanded by Major-General Butler, whose headquarters were at Fortress Monroe. "The headquarters of the Army of the Shenandoah, commanded by Major-General Sigel, were at Winchester." [It is not necessary to mention the other armies for my purpose.] On pages 5th and 6th of his report Mr. Stanton says.: [sic]

"Official reports show that on the 1st of May, 1864, the aggregate military force of all arms, officers and men, was nine hundred and seventy thousand seven hundred and ten, to wit:

The aggregate available force present for duty May 1, 1864, was distributed in the different commands as follows: