The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-13
THE IRIS H-AMERICAN ELE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

| BOSTON Mass. Jan. iil 1896
10 the E.iitorqfihe Boston i,lo
| DEAR SIR IL read the following i,
the Journal of this morning
WHO FoUaHT OUR BATTLES DIR
Bellows, President of the Sanitary Com
mission, recently made some Statements
which are worthy of general attention
Speaking from the official figures befoi,
him, he says that ''nine-tenths of tn,
men who fought In the Union arm,
were pure Americans ~ 900 of ever,
| 1000 were our own blood kinsmen and
cousins; aud that "of every 100 claims
of wounded soldiers, and soldiers wild
ows, and orphans, 80 per cent. came
from those of foreign birth. The first
part of this statement Is conclusive
answer to our English newspaper critics
who affirmed that the sIJnion armies
were largely made up of foreign mercen-
| aries. A more homogeneous force, on
the whole, never took the field in such
numbers. 1t was an American army
lighting understandingly for American
institutions The latter part of DIR. Bel
lows statement speaks for itself. II
does not necessarily discredit the for
eign element in our ranks, which bore u
serviceable and honorable share In the
struggle for the nation. But, in the first
place, tits not to be expected that the
bulk of this class should encounter
wounds and losses for the sake of the
Union so disinterestedly as our own
kindred and secondly, as class. they
aremuch more needy in their circum.
stances. But taking the whole record
as it stands, it is one of which every
loyal American may be proud.
L have not the statistics at hand to
enable me to show the utter falsehood
of DIR. B.'s estimate of the foreigners In
our late army but from actual expe-
rience in the army, should state that,
In my judgement, forty per cent. of the
soldiers IN the ranks were Foreigners
and the most of these wee Irshmen.
/ hope you have the means of showing
the facts. The statement of DIR. Bel
lows as to the percentage in our service.
as modified by the Journals comment;
Is not AL important matter; but the
item which follows it, exhibits the base
spirit in which the whole statement Is
conceived. The DIR. says-'of every
one hundred claims of wounded sol.
diers, and soldiers widows and Orphans,
80 per cent. come from those of foreign
birth.p / understand this to be an In
situation that the foreign soldiers, and
the widows and orphans of deceased
soldiers OF foreign birth, are more mer-
cenary than Americans of the same
classes. Perhaps draw wrong infer
ence, but so understand it, and so, evil
IDENTIFY, does the editor of the Journal.
Admitting then, this ratio to be correct,
for the sake of argument are not these
differences far more reasonable than the
forced une of Dr. Bellows: LIST, that the
farQinn q, 70 rnnotlxy in. G..l
ranks, and that others We're not there in
so large proportion to their numb ers
on the rolls; I'd, that more of the for :.
eign soldiers were actually killed and
wounded in our service than natives, in
proportion to their numbers Sd, that
the foreign soldiers had wives to leave
widows, and children to leave orphans.
and Others had not. Are these reasona,
bic differences TO the credit of DIR. Bel
lows and those whom he champions
without either their acquiescence or
consent? / am sure that 10 American
soldier would make such an intimation
as that to which object.
The writer of this could give series
Of facts which TRANSFERRED on several bat.
tle-fields, showing conclusively how il
happened that the casualties In Irish
regiments We're greater in proportion to
their numbers than in other regiments.
but has thought it the part of wisdom to
say nothing, thus far, on that point.
But much more Believing may make it
necessary to tell the whole truth. God
knows, want no discussion OF such an
unpleasant nature as this but when
prominent citizen of the nation insults
the memories Of dead Irish soldiers. and
the widows and orphans of such, | am
filled with disgust thai must express
itself. The American Republic repre-
sents the true temporal interests of the
human race, and all who fight for that
Republic are American enough to suit
every one except few sanctimonious
wasps. - IRIsH-AMERICAN.
The above communication is from a
brave soldier--one, too, whose wounds
testify that no coward blood courses
through his veins.-BOston Pilot.