July 17, 1862 (Friday): A Call to Return Deserters

Secretary of War George W. Randolph

CONFIDENTIAL CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,
CIRCULAR.
Richmond, July 17, 1862.
    SIR: Our armies are so much weakened by desertions, and by the absence of officers and men without leave, that we are unable to reap the fruits of our victories and to invade the territory of the enemy. We have resorted to courts-martial and military executions, and we have ordered all officers employed in enrolling conscripts to arrest both deserters and absentees, and offered rewards for the former. In Virginia the sheriffs, constables, and jailers have also been employed by the permission of the Governor, but still the evil continues, and unless public opinion comes to our aid we shall fail to fill our ranks in time to avail ourselves of the weakness and disorganization of the enemy.
    Their resources enable them to repair defeat with great rapidity, and they are more numerous now in Virginia than they were before the recent battles near Richmond.
    I must therefore beg your Excellency's aid in bringing back to our colors all deserters and absentees. If you will authorize their arrest by State officers, and bring to our assistance the powerful influence of public opinion in your State, we may yet cross the Potomac before a fresh army is raised to oppose us.
    It is desirable that this cause of weakness should be concealed as much as possible from the enemy, but we cannot adopt measures to remove it without risking to some extent a disclosure of its existence.
Very respectfully,


GEO. W. RANDOLPH,
Secretary of War.
(Sent to the Governors of States.)

Official Records, Series IV, Vol. 2, Part 1, Page 7.

The enthusiasm which raised troops so readily to the Confederate cause during the days of Bull Run was being dissipated by the reality of massive casualties such as were experienced during the Seven Days battles around Richmond.  Having seen enough of war to know its true nature, many left the armies, having seen enough of war.  Here Randolph lays out two important considerations.  First, there is a need to move above the Potomac to relieve Richmond.  Secondly, an acknowledgement of the true state of Lee's army might have influenced the administration in the North to renew the push on Richmond.  As it were, the Union had sampled its own share of discouragement and was not likely to fully understand how fragile their opponent's army actually was.  Randolph, the Secretary of War since March 18 was Thomas Jefferson's youngest grandson and is buried at Monticello.