To show the immense strength of the Federal army, the following extracts are taken from the report of the Federal Secretary of War, Stanton, which was sent to the Congress at its session beginning on the first Monday in December, 1865. In that report he says:—
"Official reports show that on the 1st of May, 1864, the aggregate national military force of all arms, officers and men, was nine hundred and seventy thousand seven hundred and ten, to wit:—
| Available force present for duty | 662 345 |
| On detached service in the different military departments. | 109,348 |
| In field hospitals or unfit for duty | 41 266 |
| In general hospitals or on sick leave at home | 75,978 |
| Absent on furlough or as prisoners of war | 66,290 |
| Absent without leave | 15,433 |
| Grand aggregate | 970,710 |
"The aggregate available force present for duty May 1st, 1864, was distributed in the different commands as follows:—
| Department of Washington | 42,124 |
| Army of the Potomac | 120,386 |
| Department of Virginia and North Carolina | 59,139 |
| Department of the South | 18,165 |
| Department of the Gulf | 61,866 |
| Department of Arkansas | 23,666 |
| Department of the Tennessee | 74,174 |
| Department of the Missouri | 15,770 |
| Department of the North-West | 5,295 |
| Department of Kansas | 4,793 |
| Head-quarters Military Division of the Mississippi | 476 |
| Department of the Cumberland | 119,943 |
| Department of the Ohio | 35,416 |
| Northern Department | 9,540 |
| Department of West Virginia | 30,782 |
| Department of the East | 2,828 |
| Department of the Susquehanna | 2 970 |
| Middle Department | 5,627 |
| Ninth Army Corps | 20,780 |
| Department of New Mexico | 3,454 |
| Deprrtment of the Pacific | 5,141 |
| Total | 662,345." |
And again:—
"Official reports show that on the 1st of March, 1865, the aggregate military force of all arms, officers and men, was nine hundred and sixty-five thousand five hundred and ninety-one, to wit:—
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