The hydraulic press., 1861-08-03
The gydraulie gress.
Effects OF Climate on Soldiers.

of measures by which the health of troops
may be preserved. We are wisely taking
advantage of their experience. Our soldiers
will fight the better for knowing that their
health and comfort are looked after by men
who have the matter at heart, and who are
fitted by their studies and experience to per
form the work thoroughly.
The enemy destroys scarce ten per cent. OF
an army. Government returns show that of
our forces in Mexico, regular and volunteer,
only $40 died of battle, or of wounds re-
ceived in battle, while IL, ,348 died of disease,
and l2,252 were sent home on account OF
sickness. Of the French army in the Crimea,
1900 men were slain in BATTLE so, 600 per-
ished by disease, and 5000 more were dis
charged as invalids. Of nearly $4,000 En-
glish soldiers in the Crimea, 4,4I9 were slain
in battle or died of wounds but l6, 298 died
of disease at the seat of war, and nearly 49,
900 were sent home sick. With the timely
labors of our sanitary commission we may
hope to show results much more encour-
aging than these, in our army returns at the
close of this war.
Meantime, as much has been said of the
perils, to our Northern troops, of the heats
and feyers of the Southern States, it will not
be amiss to look little at the mortality ta-
bles of the Mexican war. Here we find,
what the British have also discovered in In
dia, that men born in and coming from
colder climates bear fatigue and exposure in
torrid regions much better than troops ma
tive to the warmer cline. The rebels threat
en- us with their allies, the mosquitoes and
''Yellow Jack )" but as we shall presently
show, in Mexico, where Northern and South
ern men fought side by side, the men of the
free States bore the rigors of the climate
much better than those of the slave States.
The record is very curious one; and proves
that an army of ''gentlemen' is not alto
gether II desirable force for anything but
militia musters.
On April Sth, l848, the Secretary of War
made report to the United States Senate Of
the losses of the volunteer forces employed
in Mexico. From this it appears that seven
Northern States es-Massachusetts, New York
New jersey Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois-furnished, in the course of that war,
22,573 men. Of this force the total loss
from disease was 2,93l men less than one
eighth of the whole. Nine Slave States
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi. Louisiana,
Tennessee and dKentucky-furnished 22,699
men. The loss from this force, by disease,
and death caused by disease, was 4.3l5, OR
more than one fifth-a very considerable
difference in favor of Northern troops.
When we go into particulars we find that
Massachusetts lost OF l047 men but 81 by
disease, while South Carolina, furnishing l.
054 men, or more than Massachusetts, lost
not less than 338 by disease. Mississippi
lost 769 men by disease, out of 2,3l9, while
Indiana, furnishing nearly double that num-
ber, namely, 4,470, lost only 768. Georgia
lost 362 men by disease, out of 2,047, while
New York lost but 1873 ont of a total of e.
664. North Carolina sent 936, and lost 233; j;
while New Jersey sent 424, and lost but u.
Pennsylvania sent 2, ,464, and lost All; but
Mississippi lost 769 out of 2,3l9. Illinois
furnished 5,973 men, and lost $780, while
Tennessee furnished only 5000, but lost not
less than l,196 Alabama lost 1913 of force
of BOIL Arkansas 1876 of Il force of ,323-
rather more than 10 per cent. in each. Ken
tucky lost 709 out of 4,80O, but Ohio, send
ing $3.50, lost but GAL. The Texan troops,
fighting in a country to whose circumstances
and climate they were thoroughly accus-
toned, lost yet more by disease than the
Missourians, who came there from the cold
North. Of 1913 men, Texas lost $50 by dis
ease; while of 6,793 Missourians, only 342
were thus lost.
Astonishing as these comparative results
are, they might be predicated from a knowl
edge of the men. The northern soldier is a
man used to labor, who has earned his liv-
ing and supported his family by his strong
arms and honest industry. His muscle is
frm-his mind is quiet-his habits are such
that discipline falls lightly on him. He has
been used to endurance. And above all, he
lo1
ing, capable of adapting his conduct and
habits to his circumstances. But what are
the armies of gentlemen" of whom rebel
papers boast so loudly They are men who
have spent their days in idle boasting and
their nights in dissipation. Their relaxed
muscles, their restless minds, their ignorance,
their lack of self-control and hatred of dis
ciplne make it difficult to form them into
soldiers. Mr.. Russell, who has sharp eye
for soldier, does not in his last letters con-
ceal his preference for the men in Fort
pickens over those in the rebel camp out
side.
It is plain that should it be judged advis-
able to pursue the southern campaign this
summer, our men, taking equal risks, may
expect to suffer less than the enemy from
the climate, on which the rebels depend as
one of their safeguards.-N. Y. Post.
CALIFORNIA AND THE UNIoN.-The New
York Commercial Advertiser, noticing The
earnest Union movements in this State, says:
s'The almost miraculous growth of Cali
fornia points her out at no distant day as the
Empire State of this country. Her extent is
paralleled by the variety and richness of her
resources, whether mineral or agricultural
Her climate embraces every region between