Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 40.djvu/200

 196 and confident, had been hurled back, broken and shattered to take shelter under their gun boats, and Richmond, the devoted capital of the Confederacy, around which so many hearts clustered, invoking upon her the protection of the patriot's God, was again free. The Confederates did not number more than 100,000 men. The theatre of war was changed; Cedar Run, Second Manassas, and Ox Hill, had shed new lustre upon Southern genius and Southern valor. The Confederacy was again triumphant, and Pope, with headquarters in the saddle, had been driven hopeless and helpless to a safe refuge under the very walls of Washington, never more, so far as I am advised, to meet a rebel foe. He was not wounded; he did not die; but he was translated to look after the Indians on the plains.

Between the 25th of August and the 2d of September, 1862, the Confederates had lost, between the Rappahannock and the Potomac, 9,112 men in killed, wounded and missing, including Ewell, Field, Taliaferro and Trimble, seriously wounded. The Federal losses were 30,000 men, 8 generals slain, 7,000 prisoners, 2,000 wounded in the hands of the Confederates, 30 pieces of cannon, more than 20,000 rifles, many ensigns, and an immense quantity of war material in the hands of General Lee, without estimating the vast amount destroyed by Jackson at Manassas. Again the theatre of war was changed; Harpers Ferry was captured, Maryland was invaded, and Sharpsburg was fought, and McClellan claimed the victory. Is the claim well founded? We are content with the facts.

Lee had about 35,000 fighting men, and of this number the troops of Jackson, MacLawsMcLaws [sic] and Walker, in all 14,000 men, were not on the ground when the battle commenced. McClellan had about 87,000 well fed, well clothed, and well equipped men. The Confederate loss was 8,790 killed and wounded. The Federal loss was 12,469 killed and wounded, and among them 13 general officers. McClellan made the attack with the view to overwhelm and destroy Lee's army, and was repulsed. On the night of the 17th of September, 1862, after the battle was ended, the Confederate general held the same position that he had in the morning. On the 18th of September, his position was