Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/148

 140 Southern Historical Society Papers.

written that the President stated "at that time no reinforcements could be furnished to the army of the character asked for." In another place he is made to say he could not take any troops from the points named, and, " without arms from abroad, could not reinforce that army." Here, again, it is clear from the answer, that the proposition had been for such reinforcements as additional arms would enable him to give, not for " seasoned soldiers," but for such men as would be brought into service when we could supply them with arms. Those arms he expected to receive, barring the dangers of the sea, and of the enemy, which obstacles alone prevented the " positive assurance that they would be received at all."

It was, as stated, with deep regret and bitter disappointment that I found, notwithstanding our diligent efforts to reinforce this army, before and after the Battle of Manassas, that its strength had but- little increased ; and that the arms of absentees and discharged men were represented by only twenty-five hun- dred on hand. Again, it is seen that the question was how many arms could be had for new levies, the requisition for reinforce- ments being always treated as a thing dependent upon the sup- ply of arms. The forces of the Confederacy consisting of its citizens who had been mustered into service as and when arms could be obtained, during the brief period since the Provisional Government was instituted, then about seven months, what could have been more idle than to have asked for seasoned soldiers equal in number to the largest and oldest array we had, unless it would have been the "large additional transportation and muni- tions of war," which, it is stated, was required, if reinforcements proposed should be furnished. To a long established govern- ment with a "standing army" and arsenals supplied with the munitions of war, such a requisition might have been properly offered, but under the well-known condition of the Confederacy it could not have been seriously made or respectfully received.

Having noticed the improbabilities and inconsistencies of the paper, and referred to the circumstances under which it was prepared, I submit to honorable men the fact of the concealment from me in which it was kept, and leave them to judge of the motive for that ex partc statement, and the chances for such co- intelligence as needs must exist between the executive of a gov-