The Placer herald., 1856-11-15
Loss of Life by Wars.

ou.
reference to the loss of life in the Crimea.
that certain battles were among the blood
lest ever fought, the sacrifice of life the great
est, DC. But such writers either forget or
certainly know very little about the terrible
battles fought in former times, and even of
a comparatively recent date, and within the
memory Of persons living Let us notice
some of these
| At the battle Of Arcola the Austrians lost
in killed and wounded, $4,000; the French.
| $4,000.
At Hohenlinden the Austrian loss was H.
600; the French, 5000.
AT Austeritz the Allies out of 10000
men, lost 10000 in killed, wounded and pri-
soners; the French loss was only C) 10000
| At Jena and Austerstadt the Prussians lost
| $4,000 men. killed and wounded. and nearly
as many prisoners, making nearly 10000 in
| ALL and the French $4,000 in killed and
wounded.
AT the terrific battle Of Eyau, the Russians
lost $4,000 in killed and wounded: and the
| French, 10000.
At Fredland the Russian loss was 1900.
in killed and wounded--the French loss was
5000.
At Wagran the Austrians and French lost
each $4,000 men, or $4,000 in killed and
wounded
At Smolenski the French loss was $1,000
men, and the Russians, 10000.
At Borodino, which is said to have been
"the most murderous and obstinatelv fouoht
battle on record" the French lost in killed,
wounded and missing, $4,000 men-the Rus
slams about the same number, making in all
10000 men in one battle!
Al Lutzen the French loss was $4,000 men.
the Allies, $4,000.
At Brutzen the French lost $4,000 men.
| the Allies, $4,000.
At Dresden, where the battle lasted two
days, the Allies lost in killed, wounded and
prisoners, $4,000 men; and the French, be-
tween 10 and 10000
At Leipsc, which lasted three DAYS, Napo-
leon lost two Marshals, twenty Generals and
about 10000 men, in killed, wounded and
prisoners-the Allies 1870 officers. and
about 10000 men-upwards of 100000 men
in all.
At Ligny, the Prussans lost $4,000 men.
killed, wounded and prisoners: the French
5000.
The battle Of Trebba lasted three DAYS:
and the French and Allies lost each about
10000 men, or "a, 900 in ALL
Here we have battles, among which are
some compared to which those in the Crimea
were but small engagements, great as they
appear to us. Besides there were several
others OF minor Importance to the foregoing.
AS to the loss of men, but large in the aggre-
cute. There were those Of the Bridge of
Lodi, most desperately contested fcht: the
famous battle OF the Nile, sea fight, in which
Nelson lost S95 men in killed and wounded;
and the French, 1925 men in killed and
wounded, 3,OO5 prisoners, and l3 out of II
ships engaged in the aGtion-that of the BAY
Of Aboukir, where the French had 5000 men
engaged, and the Turks, 5000: and every
man OF the Turks was lost in killed. woun-
ded and prisoners-No -Engers-Maren-
90, a most desperate and bloody engagement.
Nadia, where the French, out of 1900 men
engaged, lost about 4,SOO in killed, wounded
and prisoners. Talavera, another famous and
bloody ngagement-Alhuera, where the
British, out Of 800 men engaged, lost 800
- Salamanca - Vittoria - Toulouse-Paris
and Quatre l}as.
In all these battles, the loss in killed and
wounded was at least MILLION Of men! be-
sides thousands in skirmishes, minor engage
ments DC. and that within period of less
than thirty years, Enormous as is this loss
and injury Of lite-of those who fall in bat
t,e and are manned by wounds-it is but
small compared 10 the loss of life caused
otherwise by war. "lhc numbers killed and
wounded in battle" saws a writer, "are no
full index to the loss Of life in war, and sell
dom comprise one-fourth of its actual vie
Tins" 1t is smal compared to the immense
numbers carried off by disease, exposure, and
other casualties incident to war.
Allison says Of the campaign of 100: "In
little more that four months the French and
Allied armies had lost nearly half of their
collective forces; those cut off or irrecovera-
bly, mullaied by the sword, being about
10000 men" And, "The survivors of the
French army from the Russian campaign,
were not more than $4,000 men, out Of an
army Of about 1000 mem"
Such are the curses of war. 1t is the
greatest calamity that can befall nation,
and more to be dreaded than plague, pesti-
lence or famine. If it has any advantages,
they are Of such a character as the hurricane
or earthquake produce in nature-more of
a negative than of positive character-in
he destruction of tyranical governments
and old, time-worn systems of error and OPP |
preston. War should be deynier resort
and nation should submit to almost any
evil rather than engage in one
Merchants of Ell Dorado, Placer and Ne
vada Counties