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artful and lying Yankee that he will have a farm given him out of his master's land, and that he shall be made in every respect the equal of the white men.
But I do not estimate him as a soldier likely to decide the fate of battles.
We have on our rolls this side of the
Mississippi 401,000 men; of these there are present and effective some 175,000.
We ought easily to keep in the field an effective present force of 200,000.
This is as many as we can well feed and clothe, and is amply sufficient to prevent subjugation or even the overrunning of our territory; and the two things are widely different if our people have the pluck, fortitude, and endurance which I believe they have.
After all, what is the use of ‘putting men into the army,’ whether they be
white or
black, if we cannot keep them there?
If we had the absentees and deserters back we would have over 300,000 effectives this side of the
Mississippi, and we have on the other side nearly 70,000.
I believe we want reorganization in our army— better discipline, and, as a means to that end, better officers.
If we could feed and clothe our soldiers well, and pay them regularly—if we would officer them properly, and thus improve the
morale generally, we would have numbers enough, especially if the conscription laws were firmly and impartially carried out. What we want is not new and additional legislation in army matters, so much as an energetic administration of existing laws.
There are some few necessary things to be done by law—such as ‘consolidation,’ doing away with elections and promotion by seniority, a more summary mode of dropping worthless officers, the improvement of the cavalry arm (the point so forcibly dwelt upon by you), and some stringent remedy for the absenteeism of officers.
Upon all these subjects my committee has been at work and framed bills which we hope may prove efficacious if adopted by Congress.
I send you a copy of our Cavalry Bill as it passed our
House.
It is now pending in the Senate.
It was drawn by
General Wickham, a distinguished cavalry officer, now a member of my committee, and meets with
General Wade Hampton's warm approval, as well as that of various distinguished cavalry officers whom we were able to consult.
I have written
Governor Magrath concerning the condition of things in
South Carolina, and would be glad if you would read the letter which I have requested him to show you.
Very truly yours,