The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-09-15
THE , ENQUIRER.
RICHMOND, sEprE MBER Is. 1909
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
THE BATTLE OF wAcRAM.

THE BATTLE OF wAGRAM
This battle is, in some respects, unprece
dented in the anpals of the world-in its
consequences, vast, impossible to be for
seen.
Inc battles which were fought in distant
ages, wnen there we're no immediate histori-
ansto record their events, are wrapt in all the
wonder and doubts of antiquity. The most
exaggerated accounts are given of the num-
Der " the Troops and the fortunes of the day.
Thus in the celebrated battle of Thvmbria
Which dccid ID the Empire of Eastern Asia
between the Assyrians OF Babylon and the
Persians, the army of Cyrus is said to have
amounted 70 10000 horse and foot, SO 600
OF them horse, besides 500 Chariots of war,
armed with Scythes-that OF Crasus to thu
extraordinary number of 100000 men. of
whom 10000 were Cavalry. The defeat of
Cr;esus was certainly complete-the sceptre
OF babylon was transferred into the Hands
ct Cyrns-but no satisfactory account has
been given of the extent of the havoc--of
the nulibcr OF the slain, the wounded and thu
prisoners.
In the first Persian war with the Greeks.
the army ut Darius under the Command NJ
Datis is said To have consisted of 1o0. ot1
foot, and 10000 hofse--And that OF the
Athenlans, under the auspices of the Illus.
trious Nitiades, of only 10000 men. Yet
trceme
to that OF slaves, that the Athenians are sa ID
to have lost only 200 men. whereas ON
the side of the Persians, above 6OoO men
were SLAIN, without reckoning those that fell
into the sea as they endeavored to escane
or those that were consumed with the ships
OF FIRE.
EOne OF the most extraordinary armies.
which appear on the page of history, is that
OF NerXes, in the second var which these
FersIans waged against the ill,tstrious Ceeks
inat MAD monarch is said to have had at
ihermopy'G the immense mass of 2,64l 61O
land and sea forces together, exclusive of
servants, eunuchS, women, suffers SC. of
which says Mons. Rollin, the NUMBER at
this time was equal to that of the forces :;
so that the whole number of souls that fol-
lowed Xerxes i'll this expedition, amounted
10 D 90, @2O. This is the computation.
which Hcrodotus makes of them. and in
which Plutarch and Isocrates agree with
shem: Diodorus Siculus. Pny, Gillian. and
",hers' Iaii pery Tar short Of this number in
'neif calculation but their account of the
ieat'er appears to be less authentic Than that
OF herodotns who lived in the same ace with
"S e"p@uition, and who repeats the lnscriD-
non engraved by the order of the Arnh,c
ions upon the monument Of those Grec;aue
VINO were killed, a rhermopyla, which ex,
pressed that they fought against 2. 000 0no
ihe. Much allowance is, no doubt. To he
'naue 'or he Grecian prejudices of .Ier0d, tins
anu the patriotic feelings Of his couotrvmen
III making these computations To oDnose.
teis Immense multitude, all the forces ofthe
Sreeks originally amounted only to II 600
iosh' {" Which plumber 40 0 men only were
employed to defend the Pass # Thermopylc.
nc brave Leopidas however is said to have
Obliged the rest of his allies TO retire, but
Naid himself with his 800 Lacetimonians,
ali resolved to die with their leader" The
virtue and enthusiasm Of Freemen again
H,one pre-emnent-and this Spartan Band
I'in not perish, b@fore 20, 900 of the Persian
troops bad bit the dust One Spartan only
escaped to tell the fate of his comrades.
After the napat engagement of Salamis
Scrxcs retired to his own Empire. and left
Mardonlus with an army of 100000 troops.
20 Complete conquest which he himself
Couid not atchieve. The satrap was not more
successful than the monarch I'm the battle
OF Platea, the Persi rs were completely o.
yerthrown. The Lacedcmoniaus are com
putcd at $4,000. besides 5000 Of the Tage-
atr: The events of that DAYS battle we've
decisive III faver of the Greeks-but the
particulars OF the havoc, the nGnber of the
Saughtered ana the wounded, are not record
60 ny the only historian, whom have had
u" opportunity to consult.
i ne next important war, which stands on
tne annals OF history, is that which was
WMa&cd by Alexander the Great against the
eFS'ans' 10 which he retaliates upon them
'.'e aggressions, which they had inflicted up
9" tns Greeks----aod drives back "tbe
..een& OF the poisoned chalice to their own
= ~ ks-soplewhat ~ the same way as the
'enCh nave retOfleA 4pOn the powers of the
~"!sl0ent the evils ut t',1ir Invasion of France
ana the atrocinus treaties of pilpi,z and al
'sVia' During this celebrated cante,,. the
"T't:;' vi the Maceaonians con sisted of iitti,
'-'''1 ian 500 'Ui,"'t. a',d 4, OF > 900 .oise