I wish I could remember the numbers, and where I read it, but somewhere back in the dim recesses of time I read an article someone had written about the practice in the Confederate army of detailing soldiers for miscellaneous duties. The percentages of detailed men were astonishing. The article included excerpts of letters from irate colonels, complaining about another request for a levy of details.

Except for the Engineer Corps, and a much smaller Ordnance Department, most of the combat support departments had no enlisted men. The quartermaster, commissary, provost and other departments had staff officers who were permanently assigned, but relied on detailed "line doggies" to do the daily grunt work associated with each department -- teamsters, clerks, guards, carpenters, blacksmiths, butchers, herders, etc. Many of the detailed soldiers never returned to their regiments, and were kept on detail for the entire war. Like I said, the numbers of detailed men were very high, and it had to have had at least some impact on combat effectiveness.