Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 5.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

Of course this number was not available to him at any one time, as I have previously explained, but I prefer to adopt the greatest number as shown by the official reports; and in like manner I would persist in estimating the strength of the Federal army by the statement of General Hooker to General Halleck, made on the 27th day of June, to the effect that his “whole force of enlisted men present for duty would not exceed 105,000.”

As General Hooker thus gave only his enlisted men present for duty, perhaps the figures originally given by me as the strength of General Lee's army — that is say, 67,452 on the 31st May, 1873, and 62,000 at Gettysburg — should be employed in the comparison, as they represent also his enlisted men present for duty.

For if we add to the 105,000 enlisted men of the Federal army the same proportion for officers as that found in the Confederate army, it would raise the effective strength of the former to fully 115,000 on the 27th day of June, four days previous to the battle. View these figures as one will, the disparity in numerical strength is very apparent.

Historical accuracy being my great aim in all that I have to say upon this subject, I hasten to correct the error into which I have inadvertently fallen along with Mr. Swinton.

Strength of the army of Northern Virginia, May 31st, 1863.