The Iola register., 1884-02-15
AnnihilatiOn Of Armies.

Than "annihilation" there Is no more
favorite word with the critics of man
Guvres and sham-fghts. In a notice Of
a mimic battle near Portsmouth in the
London Times of the day 1 write these
lines occurs this observation: "The
guns of the feet would have annihilated
Colonel Thompson advance on the left
along the sea-shore" In truth it is
rs hard thing to '.annihilate" body of
troops as it is to kill scandal. In
| literal sense there Is scarcely record
of such a catastrophe; if used in Egur-
ative sense to signify loss so great as
to put the force sutleringit hors de COM
bat. there is amazing testimony to the
quantity of "annihiiatiOn" good troops
have accepted without any such hapless
result. Here are four instances taken
almost at random. The Confederates,
out of 5000 men engaged at Gettys-
burg, lost 1900, but Aedde fcld his
hand from interfering with their orderly
retreat. Of that battle the climax was
the assault of Pickett's division, 1.-The
flower Of Virginia." against Webb's
front on the left of Cemetery Hill. Be-
fore the heroic Armitage called for the
..cold steer' and carried Gibbons bat
terry with rush, the division had met
with a variety of experiences during its
mile-and-a half advance over the
smooth ground up to the crest. "When
it first came into sight it bad been piled
with solid shot; then halfway across it
had been vigorously shelled, and the
double canisters had been reserved OF
its nearer approach. An emilia ling
fire tore through its ranks; the mus
kerry blazed TO tn against it with
deadly effect" This is the evidence OF
an eye witness on the o posite side,
who adds, 'hut it came on magnii-
Gently. Yes it came on TO cold steel
and clubbed muskets, and. after des-
perate struggle it went back foiled, to
the Accomplishments which had marked
its advance. But, heavy as were IFS
losses. it was not "annihilated." Pick
ett's division survived to be once and
again a thorn in the Federal side before
the final day of fate came to it at Ap-
pOmattox COurt-house. At Mars Ia
Tour, Alvensleben's two infantry diyi-
sions, numbering certainly not over
l., GOO men for they had already lost
hea lily at the Spicheren Berg) sacri-
feed within a few of 1000 during the
long summer hours while they stood un-
SUI ported athwart the course of the
Fren.h Army retreating from besz.
But so far were they from being ami
hila,ed that fort eight hours later they
made their presence acutely felt on the
afternoon OF Gravelotte. In the July
attack on Plevna, of the 5000 men
with whom krud I ner and Schahoys skoy
went in, they took out under y ,9JU.
Cne regiment of the latter's command
lost 725 killed and 100 wounded
about as per cent. of its whole number
yet the Russian retirement was not
disorderly; and next day the troops
were in resolute cohesion ava ting whist
might be all them. In the September
attack on Plevna, of 74,GOo Russo-Rou-
man an infantry engaged, the losses
reached 1900. Skobeleff commanded
l. 900 men, and at the end of his two
days des crate fighting, not 10000 of
these were left standing. But there
was no 'annihilat on, either literally or
conventionally, if one may use the
term. The survivors who had fought
on the lith and 18th of September were
ready at the word to 90 in sga on the
l: tn; and how they marched across the
Palkans later is one of the narveis of
modern military history.-Arcbi- aid
Fortes, in tor!n.9htly Eerier.