This, Sir, is not the first time, even during my little experience here, that the same claim has been made on this floor; and this seems the more astonishing, because the archives of the country furnish such ample and undoubted materials for its refutation. The question of the comparative contributions of men by different States and sections of the country in the war of the Revolution was brought forward as early as 1790, in the first Congress under the Constitution, in the animated and protracted debate on the assumption of State debts by the Union. On that occasion, Fisher Ames, a Representative from Massachusetts, famous for classic eloquence, moved a call upon the War Department for the number of men furnished by each State to the Revolutionary armies. The motion, though vehemently opposed, was carried by a small majority. Shortly afterwards an answer to the call was received from the Department, at that time under the charge of General Knox. This answer, which is one of the documents of our history, places beyond cavil or criticism the exact contributions in arms made by each State. Here it is,—taken from the original, in a volume of the "American State Papers,"[98] published under the authority of Congress. This is official.
Statement of the number of troops and militia furnished by the several States, for the support of the Revolutionary War, from 1775 to 1783, inclusive.
| Number of | Number of | Total militia | Conjectural | ||
| continental | militia. | and continental | estimate of | ||
| Northern States. | troops. | troops. | militia. | ||
| New Hampshire | 12,496 | 2,093 | 14,589 | 3,700 | |
| Massachusetts | 67,907 | 15,155 | 83,062 | 9,500 | |
| Rhode Island | 5,908 | 4,284 | 10,192 | 1,500 | |
| Connecticut | 32,039 | 7,792 | 39,831 | 3,000 | |
| New York | 17,781 | 3,312 | 21,093 | 8,750 | |
| Pennsylvania | 25,608 | 7,357 | 32,965 | 2,000 | |
| New Jersey | 10,726 | 6,055 | 16,781 | 2,500 | |
| ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ||
| Total | 172,465 | 46,048 | 218,513 | 30,950 | |
| Southern States. | |||||
| Delaware | 2,387 | 376 | 2,763 | 1,000 | |
| Maryland | 13,912 | 5,464 | 19,376 | 4,000 | |
| Virginia | 26,678 | 4,163 | 30,841 | 21,880 | |
| North Carolina | 7,263 | 2,706 | 9,969 | 12,000 | |
| South Carolina | 6,417 | —— | 6,417 | 25,850 | |
| Georgia | 2,679 | —— | 2,679 | 9,900 | |
| ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ||
| Total | 59,336 | 12,709 | 72,045 | 74,630 |
At this time there was but little difference in numbers between the population of the Southern States and that of the Northern States. By the census of 1790 the Southern had a population of 1,851,804; the Northern a population of 1,882,615. Notwithstanding this essential equality of population in the two sections, the North furnished vastly more men than the South.
Of continental troops, the Southern States furnished 59,336; the Northern, 172,465: making about three men furnished to the continental army by the Northern States to one from the Southern.
Of militia whose services are authenticated by the War Office, the Southern States furnished 12,709; the Northern, 46,048: making nearly four men contributed to the militia by the Northern States to one from the Southern.
Of militia whose services are not authenticated by the War Office, but are set down in the return as "conjectural" only, we have 74,630 furnished by the Southern States, and 30,950 by the Northern: making, under this head, five men contributed by the Southern to two from the Northern. The chief services of the Southern States, for which the venerable Senator now claims so much, it will be observed with a smile, were conjectural only.
Looking, however, at the sum-total of continental troops, authenticated militia, and "conjectural" militia, we have 146,675 from the Southern States, while 249,463 were from the Northern: making upwards of 100,000 men contributed to the war by the Northern more than by the Southern.
The disparity swells, when we compare South Carolina and Massachusetts directly. Of continental troops and authenticated militia and "conjectural" militia, South Carolina furnished 32,267, while Massachusetts furnished 92,562: making nearly three for every one furnished by South Carolina. Look, however, at the continental troops and the authenticated militia from the two States, and here you will find only 6,417 furnished by South Carolina, while 83,062 were furnished by Massachusetts,—being thirteen times more than by South Carolina, and much more than by all the Southern States together. Here are facts and figures of which the Senator ought not to be ignorant.