This marked change in the standard of the size of companies and regiments prescribed by the War Department in November, 1861, as compared with the Act of March, 1861, lowering the requisite number of men in an infantry regiment from 1040 to 640, and in a cavalry regiment from 720 to 600, is suggestive of the fact that it was not found easy to raise regiments of the size originally prescribed. Now in calculating the strength of the Confederate army from the number of regiments, we shall probably approximate closely a correct result by taking the mean between the larger and smaller number just referred to. But the mean between 1040 and 640 is 840, and that between 720 and 600 is 660. Applying this standard to Colonel Fox's statement of the troops in the entire Confederate army, we get the following result: Men 529 regiments of infantry, 840 each 444,360 85 battalions infantry, 400 each 34,000 127 regiments cavalry, 600 each 76,200 47 battalions cavalry, 400 each 18,800 261 batteries light artillery, 70 each 16,270 5 regiments heavy artillery, 800 each 4,000 6 battalions heavy artillery, 400 each 2,400 8 regiments partisan rangers, 700 each 5,600 1 battalion partisan rangers 350 ------- 601,980 The size of infantry and cavalry battalions and of regiments and battalions of heavy artillery in this calculation, as well as of the regiments of partisan rangers, is in each case suggested by that accomplished and experienced officer, Colonel Walter H. Taylor, adjutant-general on the staff of General Robert E. Lee. His figures may be rather high--certainly they are not too low. Of course such a calculation is necessarily only approximate, but the basis on which it is made appears reasonably reliable. To one who, like myself, had personal observation of the armies in Virginia from the first battle of Manassas to Appomattox, the standard of strength in regiments and battalions in the field above adopted, seems in conformity with the facts. THE ARGUMENT OF GENERAL ADAMS Turn we now to examine the estimate made by General Adams and quoted at the beginning of this paper. But first let me say that I quite agree with him when he says that if the South had as many as 600,000 men in arms she ought to have been unconquerable, and probably would have been so, but for the United States Navy.