South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1870-06-17
Curious Statistics.

General SHANKs, member of Congress
who served in the Federal army during the
late war, has gotten up some interesting sta
tistics relating to the army during the var
The aggregate enlistments in the Fede-
raj army from the beginning 10 the end of
the war was 2,335,95l. OF this So ,944
were commissioned officers, including nine
colored. Of white men enlisted there were
2,013,ll2, and of blacks LIS, 1895.
The General shows the proportionate ca
sualties and the relative dangers of officers
and men in battle, the proportionate NOR
tally from disease and from other causes,
and other interesting comparisons.
There were 1924 commissioned officers
employed, aud Of them 3.93l were killed
IN battle, or about ono out of every twenty
one. Of 2,073,11 enlisted white men,
8,l93 were killed in battle, or about one
out of every ffty-four OF the 1895
enlisted blacks, ,514 were killed in battle,
or about one in one hundred and eighteen.
Of the mortality from wounds we have
this comparison 2,0G9 officers died of
wounds, or about one in forty-one; 30,987
white soldiers died from wounds or about
one IN sixty seven; and ,037 blacks died
from wounds, one in one hundred and Sc
venty-three. Its thus seen that the wounds
of the officers were more fatal than those of
the white soldiers, and they were far more
fatal than the wounds of the blacks. The
officers are conspicuous Marks and this may
account Tor their proportion of mortality.
The comparison of mortality from dis
ease between the officers and men entirely
reverses the figures. OF officers about
l,123 died Of disease, or about one in eve
ry forty.nine. OF white soldiers l2l, 100
died of disease, or one out of every seven
teen, and Of the negroes 26,211 died of
disease, or one out of every seven.
The disproportions here are great, the
deaths among the negroes being nearly two
aud half times more than among the
white soldiers, and seven times more than
among the officers, while the mortality
from disease amongst the white soldiers
was nearly three times as great as amongst
the officers of their race.
This disproportion between officers ard
men is partly owing to the greater hard
ships aud exposures of life amongst
soldiers than amongst their officers, partly
to the disregard Of health amongst the pri-
'H'Coj auu purify u INC TScKleSS nVeS OF
men before they enter the army and this
last cause, it is supposed, accounts for the
greater mortality amongst the negroes.
These statistics show how great en- error it
1T is to suppose that reckless exposure and
irreguarity make people hardy.
The combined numbers of those who were
killed and those who died of wounds receiv-
ed in battle compared with the deaths from
disease show the following results: 5000
officers lost their lives from injuries in bat.
tie, while only 1,723 died from disease
60 $50 white soldiers lost their lives by
battle injuries, while 121, 100 died from
disease, CT nearly two deaths by disease for
one in battle The blacks lost ., SOL from
injuries in battle, while the large number
of 26,2ll died from disease, or more than
ten from disease for one in battle.
The aggregate deaths from all causes
were Officers, 9,3l4, or one in nine en-
listed whites, 25l,722, or one out of eight
and quarter; and enlisted negroes, 49,
379, or one out ofevery FIVE and one-third
Deaths from all causes in the army, 294,-
4l5.-Rjchn0nd Dispatch.