There were several officers among them whom I had known before, both at West Point and in Mexico.

Seeing these officers who had been educated for the profession of arms, both at school and in actual war, which is a far more efficient training, impressed me with the great advantage the South possessed over the North at the beginning of the rebellion.

They had from thirty to forty per cent.

of the educated soldiers of the Nation.
They had no standing army and, consequently, these trained soldiers had to find employment with the troops from their own States.

In this way what there was of military education and training was distributed throughout their whole army.