Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 06.djvu/20

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, March 23d, 1878.

Rev., Secretary Southern Historical Society:

With the permission of the Adjutant-General of the United States army, General Humphreys has kindly furnished me with a complete and authentic copy of the monthly return of the Army of Northern Virginia for the 31st of May, 1863. The inspection of that document settles at once the difficulties which I met with in the evaluation of the effective strength of Lee's army at Gettysburg, and which I had submitted to you. It explains the difference between Colonel Taylor's figures—which embraced only the enlisted men present for duty—and that given by General Humphreys, which comprises both officers and men present for duty. As the Federal reports always reckon the officers with the men, whenever a comparison is to be made between the forces of both armies it is the latter system which should be adopted. An error of nine in the aggregate of Rodes' division having been corrected by me, there is the same difference between the figures I give here and those of the original return. As some of these figures have been published, both by Mr. Swinton and by Colonel Taylor, but without the necessary explanations for their intelligence, I think it is no breach of confidence to give these figures and a few others with the required explanations:

On the 31st of May, the Army of Northern Virginia numbered 133,680 officers and men and 206 guns. Out of these 44,935 were absent and 88,745 present; the latter figure embraces 7,387 officers and men sick, 5,951 on extra duty and 948 in arrest. Lastly, there were present for duty 6,116 officers and 68,343 men, or, in the whole, 74,459. The division of this effective force between the different arms was as follows: General staff, 47; infantry, 69,418; cavalry, 10,292; artillery, 4,702. During the month of June this