Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 29.djvu/312

 296 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Neathery' s figures, but he published what Major Neathery did say, not what some one reported him as saying.

I find in " Our Living and Our Dead " for June, 1875, an editorial signed by Dr. Kingsbury, in which the Doctor uses these words:

"When we were connected with the Raleigh Sentinel, we stated that we had heard it estimated that North Carolina had furnished as many as 103,000 troops (independent of the Home Guards and Re- serves) and then asked if any one could supply us with the exact number. This inquiry brought us an answer the next day from John B. Neathery, Esq. We avail ourselves of the statistics kindly fur- nished, as we wish to place them among permanent records of our magazine."

"On November 19, 1864, General R. C. Gatlin, Adjutant-General of the State, made an official report to Hon. Z. B. Vance, then Governor, in which the following numbers are given:

Number of troops transferred to Confederate States accord-

ing to original rolls on file in this office ....................... 64,636

Number of conscripts as per report of commandant of con-

scripts, dated September 30, 1864 ............................. 18,585

Estimated number of recruits that have volunteered in the

different companies since the date of the original rolls ..... 21,608

Number of troops in the State service for the war. .......... 3,203

Total number of troops .............................. 108,032

To these must be added: Number of Junior Reserves ......... ..................... 4> 2I 7

Number of Senior Reserves ................... ........... 5,686 9,903

Number of troops in unattached companies and serving in regiments from ot^ier States .......................................

121,038 Home Guards and militia 3,962

125,000

This official report from so accurate an officer as General Gatlin, ought to settle this matter for all time.

D. H. HILL. Raleigh, N. C., August 6, 1901.