Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/583

 Notes and Queries. 573

the late war on both sides. Respecting the Confederate force, sta- tistics are at variance. The Adjutant-General of the Confederate army, in a statement since the close of hostilities, estimated the en- tire Confederate force, capable of service in the field, at 600,000 men. Of this number, not more than 400,000 were enrolled at any time, and the Confederate States never had in the field at once more than 200,000 men. When the war ended the Southern army was reduced to less than one-half this number. The official reports of the War Department set down the grand total of troops furnished the Union armies at 2,850,132. Reduced to a uniform three years' standard, the whole number of troops enlisted amounted to 2,320,272. The number of casualties among the Union troops and those taken pri- soners together, by far exceeded the entire Confederate forces. The Provost-Marshal General reported in 1866 that the losses of the Union were: Killed in battle, 61,362; died of wounds. 34,727; of disease, 183,287 ; total, 279,376. The Union troops captured during the war numbered 212,008. Actual decrease of the army, 491,984.

The Appomattox Apple Tree Once More. — We have received from Colonel T. M. R. Talcott, at that time in command of the First Regiment of Confederate Engineers, the following letter, in reply to an inquiry from us, which fully confirms the note made in our last issue :

Richmond, November jd, 1884. The Rev. J. Wni. Jones, D. D., Secretary, &c.

Dear Sir. — The note on "Appomattox Apple Tree" states cor- rectly the fact that my regiment furnished a guard to General Lee ; but it is also true that there were no negotiations between General Lee and General Grant at the point referred to. General Lee himself stated to me at the time that he was waiting for a reply to a dispatch he had sent to General Grant, and as soon as a reply was received he rode towards Appomattox Court House with Colonel Marshall. On his return from Appomattox Court House (as he passed my lines) he told me of the terms of surrender, which he had accepted.

The cordon of sentinels was placed around General Lee and his staff at the request of Col, Walter Taylor; and one object was, I think, to keep straggling Federal officers away from the General. I remember seeing several Federal officers of high rank who seemed to be very inquisitive. Yours, very truly,

T. M. R. Talcott.