Reunion of Virginia Division, A. N. V. Association. 213
erals. At each call for more troops the Governors of the Northern States insisted upon furnishing them in new organizations — regiments, batteries, &c. They would not forego the patronage of the appoint- ment of the new officers. The result was that there was little or no veteran element in their new regiments. With us, on the contrary, no new regiments were allowed after the reorganization in the spring of 1862. Volunteers and conscripts, as they came in, were assigned to the existing regiments, and soon assimilated with the veterans around them. The esprit de corps was thus preserved. There were no regiments without histories and reputations to be preserved. They carried on their colors the battles in which they had been engaged. The system, too, of brigading our troops by States added greatly to their esprit de corps, and the permanency of our division and corps organization had a most salutary effect in this direction. This corps sentiment was particularly strong in the Light Division.
But after all, I cannot better conclude this consideration of the dis- cipline of our army than by quoting two accounts of it, one from the correspondent of the London Times, and the other by a Federal officer.
Mr. Lawley, the correspondent of the London Times, writes :
"In the shelter of the dense woods about Culpeper, in wonderful spirits, with physique ineffably improved since the bloody day at Sharpsburg, are clustered the tatterdemalion regiments of the South. It is a strange thing to look at these men, so ragged, slovenly, sleeveless, without a superfluous ounce of flesh upon their bones, with wild, matted hair, in mendicant's rags, and to think when the battle -flag goes to the front how they can and do fight. 'There is only one attitude in which I should never be ashamed of your seeing my men, and that is when they are fighting.' These were Gen- eral Lee's words to me the first time I ever saw him ; they have been con- firmed by every other distinguished officer in the Confederacy. There are triumphs of daring which these poor ragged men have attempted, and at- tempted successfully, in this war which have never been attempted by their Sybarite opponents. Again and again they have stormed batteries, formida- bly defended, at the point of the bayonet ; nothing of this kind has ever been attempted by the Federals. Again and again has General Stuart's cavalry surprised Federal camps at night; no Confederate camp has been surprised since the commencement of the war. One or two regiments of these tattered men will stand firm, though attacked by overwhelming num- bers of the enemy, and will constantly, under such circumstances, success- fully hold their ground."*
A Federal officer, writing after the battle of Chancellorsville, adds the following praise from an enemy :
- Marginalia, page 48.
