man and musket
I’ve heard about the Guns versus butter economic model. As the number of men in Confederate armies diminished, it appears that the government tried to get more soldiers in the field while still producing enough ordnance to keep shooting at Yankees. From the Richmond Daily Dispatch October 21, 1864:
Filling up the Ranks.
A late order, issued from the office of the Adjutant and Inspector-General, orders the chiefs of the Bureau of Ordnance and of the Nitre Bureau to turn over, without delay, one-fifth of all the force employed in their respective bureaux, including contractors and other employees.
This order will put into the field almost as many men, if not more, than were procured by the revocation of details of producers — the whole number of men who have been detailed as farmers on this side of the Mississippi river being four thousand four hundred and eighty five.
dead Confederate, Spotsylvania, 5-20-1864
The only objection to this order is that portion of it which says: “Three days are allowed for the execution of this order after its reception at any post or station of the different departments.” This time will be too short to prevent inconvenience to the public service from the sudden cessation of labor and the inability of contractors to wind up their affairs.
The same issue admired Canada for not exempting aliens from the service.
Refugees in Canada.
The following order seems to have created great excitement among the refugees from Yankeedom in Canada:
“Headquarters, Quebec,
“September21, 1864.
“Notice is hereby given to all persons from the Federal States of America who have taken refuge in Canada since the first of August, 1864, and are fit for the performance of military duty, to report immediately to Captain H. Stanhope Wilkes, of Her Majesty’s service, at his headquarters, Clifton House, Canada West, for enrollment into the military service of Her Majesty’s Government.
ebb tide
“All persons failing or refusing to comply with this order will be subject to summary arrest, fine and imprisonment.
“Refugees and exiles seeking the protection of this Government must lend their aid to strengthen the Government that gives them protection.
“By order.”
Southern refugees are said to be complying with the order, and Yankees are making for their homes.
It should cause our authorities to reflect on their leniency towards foreigners in letting them go almost entirely unscathed, while every white male citizen is required to go to the front — exemption or no exemption, detail or no detail.
We are indebted to Captain Gilbert C. Rice, of the Eighteenth Georgia battalion, for his courtesy in sending us copies of late Northern papers.
The graph is posted at the National Park Service.
