Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/61

 Relative Numbers in Union and Confederate Armies. 49

"The aggregate enrollment of the Confederate armies during the war, according to the best authorities, numbered over 600,000 effective men, of whom not over 400,000 were enrolled at one time."

This author also gives to the " eleven States of the Confederacy a military population in 1860 of 1,064,193, with which to confront 4,559,872 of the same class in the North." Of this 600,000 were in the Confederate army and 86,000 in the Union, while the Con- federate States received 19,000 from the border States, making 677,009 in both armies out of the 1,044,193 men of the age of ser- vice in the South, and leaving 387,184 for other duties, such as State government officials, Confederate government officials, railroad employes, ordnance and other manufacturers and skulkers and in- valids. It is a historical fact that many of the centers of population in the South soon fell into the hands of the Federal army. Thus, in Virginia, Alexandria was occupied the day after secession, Nor- folk and Wheeling soon after, together with the whole of the west- ern part of the State, and by the time the Confederate conscription act went into force many large cities were out of the control of the Confederacy, and the circle gradually contracted until the end; therefore, it is safe to say that the conscription act was never en- forced in half of the territory, and that the most populous part of the Confederate States. In the town of Alexandria, Va., for in- stance, five companies of infantry and one of artillery were organ- ized in 1 86 r. Alexandria's quota should not have been less than 1,000, according to the established rule, but these companies num- bered less than 500 men, most of them young men from 18 to 25, and after the occupation by the Union soldiers very few reached the Confederate ranks. Of those who remained at home, many from necessity, having no other means of livelihood, served the Federal army in various capacities, such as teamsters, drovers and laborers, and these are not estimated among those who enlisted in that army. These conditions existed in many parts of the South, so that it will be seen the estimates made by Northern authorities from the popu- lation of the South are not reliable, and that given by the authori- ties who were best able to judge must be received.

While it is a historical fact that we fought as a whole about five men to our one, and that it took four years to conquer us, and while the Northern men were better equipped, better armed, better clothed and fed, still it does not prove they were less brave, for