1. Gen. Lee's own statement to Gen. Early, myself and others, in which he placed his strength, when about to move northward, in June, 1863, at 60,000 effective men. (See Gen. Early's reply to Gen. Badeau, in the London Standard, 1870; and article on Gettysburg, Southern Review, April, 1868.)
2. Gen. Lee's papers were burned at the close of the war, and he requested, in 1865, from his officers, such information as they possessed, with the intention of preparing a narrative of his campaigns. I have a copy, received from him, of the statements furnished to him in regard to his strength at Gettysburg, by two members of his staff, Col. W. H. Taylor, his Assistant Adjutant-General, and Col. C. S. Venable, his Military Secretary. The former places the Confederate strength of all arms on that battle-field at 61,000; the latter at 55,000.
3. Out of the 68,352 men, which constitnted the entire force for duty in the "Department of Northern Virginia," at the end of May, according to the Confederate return, published by Swinton, Gen. Lee could hardly have taken over 60,000 with him.
4. Gen. Early's careful estimate. (See his report, Southern Magazine, September and October, 1872.)
5. The number of regiments on each side as given by Dr. Bates himself.
All these go to show that Gen. Lee moved northward with about 60,000 men, and that instead of being weakened by train guards or by straggling to the extent of 25 per cent., between the Potomac and Gettysburg, as Dr. Bates imagines, he brought almost his entire force to the latter point.
Hoping ———— will carefully examine the original sources of information in regard to the matters treated by Dr. Bates, whose book may be "conscientiously," but is certainly not carefully compiled,
I am, most truly yours,
