The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-06-08
Mortality in the Federal Army.

A very interesting table of the mOrtali-
ty in the Federal Army during the late
war OF sections has been Published in
Washington, evidently by authority. 1t
stat how many died of disease, ami from
casualties in the field and also the nnm
tor OF men enlisted aud furnished from
each State. New York, for Instance,
placed 38l ,696 men Into the ranks, 81.
S52, or about 10 per cent of whom died
in the service Id AS offs we're wound p,
or on the baltl, field, aud II ,407 trnm dis
ease in hospital. The great states of Penn.
sylvania, OHIO, Illinois and Indiana come
next on the list, aud in every instance,
with the exec ption Of Indiana where the
mortality rises to about 10 per ct, 4 per
cent. Of which however, Vas the direct
results Of wounds show an average NOR
tally OF 10 per cent. Befure the publ.
cation Of this table, many persons were
under a far different Impression as to the
extent Of destruction Of if. caused by the
war. Most of the greater battles hat took
place we've spoken OF as something horrible
in the extent Of their slaughter, and gal.
Ions Ct Quot to cay barlcIs) II ink were eX
hausted to prove how the combatauts had
surpassed in herosm, bulldog tcnaci'y aud
pluck, the puny blows, aud the vacllla-
ting courage OF the ctlele aud worn out
veterans Ut The old world, According to
the Federal newspapers bauIe was no
battle unless from forty 10 fifty thousand
l. ;lI,,l 90 ,,,n,,,l,,l =, - fNnn
aud cxaggeraiions have, however, since
been cleared away the army correspon-
dent che reliable gentleman from the
South; )" "the intelligent C ntrabaud )
and "thc loyal retugee'--no longer tell
stories for sensational press and di
vested OF Its trappiDgs aud horrible at,
compartments, the great Moloch our
neighbours had set up shrinks to the very
moderate proportions of 10 per cent. for
losses in both field aud hospital, of the to.
tai combatanls, all told. The War lasted
fur years, and at different times, ,hcsc
tables inform us, no less than the enor
nous number Of 2, 154,31l men were en-.
gagged in it, on tue Northern side alone.
Some forty or fifty b"trles OF or at alleged
magnitude were ght, rot to speak of
uutpotts and skirmishes, and still more
considerable affairs. Yet FROM the whole
the returns give only 96,OS9 men killed
and died of wounds, aud $50 ,42O Of dis
ease. In other words, nine out of ten Of
all who went to the war from the Nurth
returned in safety to their homes ;aud only
small portion of this mortality came
from wounds on the battlefield. Disease
was far more fatal than the battle. So
far, in fact, from the recent war Of sec
lions in the United Suites being more Sc
we're and more exhaustive Of human life
than ancient wars, or wars in modern
Europe, as iIl.informcd persons here under
The ridiculous Inspiration Of the spirit Of
Initiation have pretended, they quite dwin-
die to small proportions when compare
son is made. ln the ancient Roman hand
to hand wars, sometimes hal the combat.
ants were left on the open field; and
there was great Significance III the coup
let of the lay =
"The kites know well the long stern SWELL
That bids the Romans close"
IF in modern wars We take the single
battle of Borodino, we find he Russians
lost As ,000 men in killed end wound, d
(including thirty.two general officers,
while the French lost so 000-maAing d
total loss in one battle # 95, 900 mem
Again, if we take the single campaign of
Napoleon into Russia, the Grvud Amy
when it marched numbered $50. SIP mcu
When it recrossed the Nemau the total
of those who escaped numbered only A..
200, showing loss of 539 3l3, or over IA
half million of men. The French ad.
nit that, in that campaign, they had 1876.
000 soldiers slain in battle, the rest died
miserably by the road side or were taken
or scattered. The French lost more men
in that single campaign than both the
North and South put together in the whole
four years war. In fact he work of war
done by the North aud South as we sit
coolly down to look at the results, was
very small indeed, not to say, COMPARE.
lively speaking, ridiculously so, when We
consider the very great material resources
and numbers f men employed. 10 fact
our Dei !, hhours have not yet established
that they are the most wonderful military
nation under the sun. 1t is matter for
rejoicing IL the interest of civilization
that there has been less bloodshed than
was supposed in the late unfortunate war,
but it is better that thc,c should be no
misappl ehonsion respecting the facts oil
history.-Montrcol Gazette.
L. 7 t.,