Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-11-29

| a heh Tue war closed there were in the
iield, on the 3Oth day of April 1866, !, 900, 5i8
men actually in service, and an enrolment
OF 2,245, ,O63 men, subject TO draft. This
would make the total fighting forces of the
free States, between the ages of eighteen
and forty-five, and in good physical health,
and not including foreigners not naturalized
TO be 3,245, ,579 men. And careful estimates
IN the War Department lead to the conclu
sion that, notwithstanding the losses during
the war, there were more men in the loyal
States, subject to the call of the government
Tor military purposes, at the close of the
rebellion than at the beginning Yet these
losses were very heavy. Two hundred and
eighty thousand four hundred aud twenty
men, loyal, true and brave, met their death
on the battlefield or in the hospital 1t is
sud to Know that the army lost nearly as
many from desertion as from death; 1876, ,O45
strong, able bodied men, having enlisted
under their country's flag and taken their
country's bounty, ignominiously deserted
their colors. Privates were not allowed to
resign, but 22, 2Sl officers resigned and 2,423
more were dismissed. OF the two and A
hall millions of men that entered the army,
9l2,O43 experienced u casualty of some
kind.
From the tables of the War Department il
appears that tho crime of desertion is espe-
cially characteristic of troops from large
cities. In the west, where large cities and
the foreigners who compose our manuiac-
turing population are rare, the average ratio
OF assertions was not quite two-thirds of
that OF New England. OF every thousand
enlisted men in the manufacturing State of
Connecticut, one hundred and seventeen
deserted; in New Hampshire one hundred
and twelve; in Massachusetts, only sixty
In the west the ratio sinks to forty and
half out of every thousand
The desertions in the regular army were
far greater than In the volunteer force. In
the former they averaged over two hundred
and forty-four out of every thousand; among
the volunteers only sixty-two. The infer
ence is irresistible that the men who enlisted
in the regular service were far inferior in
character to the troops furnished by the
States; they were more commonly levied in
large cities, and embraced larger proper
lion Of foreigners.
The military term "casuality" includes
every shape by which enlisted men or Off
GERS are removed from the army rolls. II
includes the fact that during the four years
OF war seven men were executed by the
sentence OF court-martiai for their crimes.
The total number of casualties in the army
during the whole war amounted to 914, ,061,
and are distributed as follows:
Deaths from wounds 49e,0se Dishonorably dis
=" :" diseAse.lBi ,3al charged ..,......,.... 6 800
.',''.. tbbVaol
''vSViNVy uifenHta- albHngI &o..s.."....I, ,Ob2
eu u.,.....,,.,,,......,"l74.bT1l
Discharged for disa- Total.............. .gl4 0sl
blllIy"..",........... 22i ,306l
From these facts il appears that the num-
ber of deaths in the army on the battlefield
or in the hospitals from wounds is only one
tenth OF the casualties that occurred during
the war, and that not four per cent. of the
men sent to war lost their lives from the
bullet. Over twice as many died from dis
ease as from battle. Nearly quarter of
million of men, who entered the army hale
and hearty, and in whom the rigorous mill.
tary examination could fnd no fault, were
discharged for disability. Legloss, armless,
eyeless, they live to bear witness to the cruel
demands rebellion made on the productive
power of the country.
The mortality among the colored troops
was far greater than that of the whites.
Among the latter, one out of every fifteen
died OF disease; among the former, one out
of every seven. While but 2,297 blacks
died in battle, 20, 301 died of disease. The
negro was not so capable as the white man
of fenduring the trials of military life Slavery
had enteebled him. And as the proportion
OF sick to those who die Of disease is as five
to one, large proportion Of the colored
troops must have been constantly upon the
sick list. They lacked that mental activity,
that buoyancy Of feeling and that fertility OF
resource, that made the white man superior
to his circumstances.
During the progress of the war over
twenty-six millions of dollars were paid into
| the treasury Of the United States by persons
actually drafted or liable to draft. Penn.
sylvania paying over eight and half mil
lions, furnished more money in proportion
to her population than any other State The
following sums of commutation money came
from the several States: