The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1863-01-30
Mortality and Sickness of the United
States Volunteers.

The Actuary of the United States Sanitary
Commission, Mr. Z. B. Elliott, has published
a L" Preliminary Report on the Mortality and
Sickness of the Volunteer Forces of tie
United States Government" from data which,
he says, is somewhat understa.ed on account
Of the defects and omissions of reg.mental
reports, and which does not include deaths
among those who may have been previously
dicharged from the army. We find the fol-
lowing abstract Of the report in a Washing
ton paper:
From careful comparison and discussion
of the monthly casualty returns m lde to the
office of the Adjutant General, and after Ger
tain allowance for estimated deficiencies in
such imperfect returns, it is calculated BY Mr.
Elliott that the number of deaths in the vol
unteer forces of the United States during the
present war home guards and other bodies
not in active service being excluded) has
been at the annual rate of fitty-three(53 y
per thousand men, of which about for
ty-four (44.6) were from disease and accident,
and nearly nine CSC from wounds received
in action.
Assn ming that the rate of mortality expe-
r!enced by those who quit the service (by dis
| ability, desertion or otherwise) is the same
as those continuing in the service, to wit 50
per 1000-a very moderate estimate, since
those discharged for disability are justly pre-
sumed to be at the time, in point Of health,
inferior to their comrades who remain-Mr
Elliott reckons the annual rate Of deaths at
about 65 per 1000.
1t appears from the returns that while the
death-rate from wounds in action is greater
in the case of officers than of privates (bens
respectively III and 8! per 1OO0) the death
rate of officers from disease and accident is
much less than that of privates- 90 for the
former to 46 of the latter-and that the rate
from all causes (embracing both disease and
vioence) is less with the officers than with
the men-the entire rate for officers being 80
and for men being 81 per 1000.
The excess of the mortality due to disease
and accident, over that due to wounds in ac.
ton, is a noticeable fact in the volunteer ar.
my of the United States, as in all other ar.
mics twO-thirds of the deaths of officers and
flee sirthS OF those of the men resulting from
disease and accident; the remaining one
third and one-sixth, respectively, being caused
IVY wounds received III battle.
1t appears from the returns that the gene
raj mortality of the army has been gradually
, increasing since the commencement Of tht
! wal, and that the rates for the autumna
months is about twice o. times) that iudi
Gated by the returns for the summer period
and the winter rate in turn double Il 9 times
, that Of autum1.
. /: is also observed that the mortality of tht
: armies recruited at the West, and which ope
rate at the West, is almost precisely thrr,
times i3.0l) that Of the troops recruited il
the Middle and New England States, am
which serve in the armies at the East; III
, Westera rate from wounds received in actor
{ being i've (4.J) times. and that from diseaS
n and accident little less than three (2S
times as great as the corresponding rates il
the East.
{ 1t has been well said BY Jom:ni that th
d first necessity Of an amy in active service
y "a good recruiting system, to preserve it
II efficiency unimpaired. To supply losse
- among the enlisted men in our Eastern a!
mics, requires recruits at the rate Of n!retee
" QSs) per 1000 pr month, or o26 per 100
10 per annum of which latter proportion 80
% TIE number required to supply the annus
=, loss by death 100 the annual loss by di:
~ charge from service, chiefly from disability
g 79 the annual loss from missing in action an
is from desertions and Is to supply the los
IS from ether causes.
-. To supply such losses in our Western a
q mics requires recruits at the rate of near
twenty Q9.5) per 1000 per month, or %
per 1000 per annum; OF which latter p:ops
ton So are required to supply the annu
loss from deaths lOl the loss from discharg
from service, mainly from disability; 80 Il
loss from missing in action and from desc
tons, and from other causes.
1t will be observed that the number
n missing and of 'deserters' in the Easter
, volunteer army is more than double the nur
ly Der Of these classes in the Western volunte
n forces.
re Taking the returns of the period from ii
1st of June, 1861, to the 1st of March, 1876
as the basis of calculation, it is estimate
ed that, to secure in the field constant force
c- 800 OO0 effective men, the nation must nj