Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-08-29
Losses In the Wa,.

Iou vi udue Tue arrangement OF exchanges the necessa
ry or at least the inevitable waste 10 war; are apt to
exceed even the large appropriated, the heavy
debts incurred in and for the direct prosecution of hos
tities-so in all armies, and during all campaigns the
loss of life by sickness greatly exceeds that on the battle
field Typhus fever, it is called, according to the
place where it may occur, camp fever, ship fever,
with dysentery carry off their hundreds and thousands
while those in feeble health are apt succumb to
rosureO alterations of heat and cold of wet aud dry
Even a matter Of economy, then, all precautions
should be taken consistent with safety to protect tie
health Of the men. For every of the Confederate
forces now in Virginia elsewhere good round sum
hav" been expended by somebody from the first
listment to The drilling equpping mastering into SER
vice. seeing service and becoming prepared to act fully
the soldiers part All this is of lost when the
soldier succumbs disease aud either dies is perma
nenty nvaliied and goes home. 1t is lost pro tonto
all the time he is laid up.
We know that it is easier to talk than to do. We
know that the authorities have their heads their hands
and their hearts full and more than full This is very
young government It's whole arrangement is provis-
iona its whole separate history is not year old. Some
Of the most important States of the Conederacy have
only Joined it three months With bockaded ports and
threatened borders the Government at Richmond has
to call upon the lberality the patriotism the seEsacri
fee of every man. woman and child in the Confederacy
Great Britain, the weathiest of empires and among
the Oldest, failed lamenably in her Commssariat and
Quartermaser's department in the Crmea and her hes
pital system was awful. Under all the circumstances,
our government has done exceedingly well, compared
with that of Great Britain. We question, indeed, if
there can be any comparison instituted that would not
be odous by rejecting too severely upon the gov
eminent of the country upon which VIM. Howard Rus
sell condescended to be born.
But too many men die from -work-over-exposure
rather The British understood this matter in India
They drilled and now drill their European troops at the
coolest tine Of the day. never under It's extreme heats
Cavalry the country and make recognzances, so
that infantry not marched 10 death under broing
sun, or chilled aud fevertd by mephitc night dews
We fear that this is too much ignored in camps
Perhaps it requires experience to force these things upon
the official mind If this continues much longer it
aCU be fixed, however The influence Of physical feel
iDgs upon the mind the action, the dash and efficiency
of soldiers in BATTLE will be denied by who has
taken the trouble anay his feelings iii presence
of difficulty or danger when in strong health or when
weak tiredout and miserable" 1t takes effort of
reason to convince yourself that you the man
or the difficulty or danger the with that which ap
paled you so much at time, appeared, and was
so easily overcome at the other.
The great exposure of forces in the lower peninsula
Or the Southern neck as it is sometimes called, ap-
pears to be main cause of ratio of sickness and
mortality with some regiments, which, as we learn it
from good authority shrink from abiding to more
particularly. The hospitals might easily be better no
doubt but horsepickets and less exposure would bring
the out, make them healthier, heaftier and surely
no less fit for duty Washington Irvings Dutchman
who took such big run before jumping over fence
that he had to stop for breath The side, might
possibly fad counterpart in men worn out with
fatigue and sickness before the day of deadly battle
comes. The spirit may-nay, wM be willing, but not
able to prevent the flesh from being weak.
The Richmond Examiner, which is very apt to speak
out plainly, attributes great deal of the sickness to
the laxty of hygienic discpne-to neglect to remove
aud keep removed the producing causes of disease in
camp. he writer in the Examiner of yesterday morn
ing the article is editoria), says: AT Yorktown, in
July, we counted by hundreds the sick of the North
Carolina and other regiments We are told that they
now count by thousands. We alluded to the grave
abuses of omission under the head of 'excreta' -
Necessary precautions in this respect being omitted
neglected. the temporary homes of thousands Of men
become surrounded by atmosphere totally unfit FOR
respiration. The men individually cannot remedy this,
enforce the necessary rules but the officers can, it,
from the highest to the lowest they pull together,
ganize system, and heartily cooperate in having it
carried out
No false delcacy should nterpose betwxt grievances
and their exposure and remedy. when they involve the
| tain bealth .on6 IF no
mics of the South.
Speaking of Losses IN WAR, there is one thing that
may, perhaps have been at first regarded as sort of
pious fraud but has now by doing become rather
the occasion for satire We alude to the constant ten
dency of both parties to undersate explain away and
finally almost deny their own losses at each and every
collision If to believe some of the Federal &C.
counts given since they have so far recovered their
spirits as to be able to lie with their accustomed ease
might be led to suppose that they escaped with bard
y any injuries serious than those arising from the
kicks administered to them in their retreat aud Bennett
and the Little Villain know by experience that kicks
posteriori do not KILL else they would be both very
much dead several times.
General Beauregard and General Johnston have sub
mited no official report for publication. They had no
hard to doctor up and did not feel the necessity
much hard wholesome lying as deVolved upon Mellow
ell, who marched up to the work like patriot and lied
like and Lincolnite. We doubt, however, if
the loss side even, viii be generally known until
the war has closed if then, ever. The loss at Man
was much heavier both sides than has ever been
acknowledged.
Men who know anything at all must open their eyes
when they read and hear of the main armies of the
North and the South wrestling for long July Gay,
armed with rifles and ried cannon, flying artillery and
masked batteries, bayonets and bowie knives Colts
volvers and Sharps carbines without doing much
harm than railroad or Steamboat nYnnsinn