Gettysburg Casulaties

[34 NC Co. H]

I have seen two different casulaty reports for the ANV at Gettysburg. One says that they suffered 20,000 casulaties and the Union suffered 23,000. Another report suggests that the ANV suffered 28,000 casulaties and the Union 23,000. Which is the more credible source and number, and what caused for the significant differences between the reports?

 

[hoosier]

The official Confederate casualty figure compiled by Gen. Lee's medical director was 20,451, but there are good reasons to believe that this number, depending on reports compiled while the army was in retreat and trying to reorganize on the fly after the loss of many officers, was understated.

The following article makes a case that 28,000 is probably a better estimate.

http://gburginfo.brinkster.net/Casualties.htm

 

[prroh]

Edward J Stackpole in They Met at Gettysburg reports that the Provost reports for wounded and unwounded by name, rank and unit between July 1st to 4th listed over 12,000 while Lee only reported that missing were in excess of five thousand

I had thought that the 28,000 casualty figure for the ANV was simply adding the difference between Lee's estimate and the well documented Union Provost numbers