News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-07-30
DEATHS IN THE CIVIL WAR
NO LESS THAN 6,s6S OFFICERS wRRK
hLLED ON THE UNION SIDE.
some Very Interesting Statistics from ths
AaDurant-Generaps Once ut Washington.

In the statistical exhibit of deaths Of
Union soldiers during the Civil War,
summarized recently from the record
made up In General Drums office, there
are some details worth notice.
No fewer than 6,366 officers were
Killed In action or died of wounds.
Among the enlisted men, including Of
course, non-commissioned officers, only
thirty per cent. of the total deaths were
OF those killed by the enemy, while
among the officers this percentage was
slxty-six and two-thirds, or two deaths
out OF every three that occurred among
them.
On the other hand, far greater pro-
portion of the deaths of enlisted men
occurred from disease. Sixty-three per
cent. OF all their deaths are ascribed to
snis cause, and another illustration is
thus furnished of the familiar truth that
IN an ordinary war, especially when
carried on by an army in a climate to
winch the troops are not accustomed,
many more die of sickness than of tha
wounds received on the battlefield.
among the Union enlisted men, as has
peen said, this rate of deaths from
disease to deaths from all other cause
was nearly as two to one; but only about
tWenty-nlne per cent of the deaths of
omcers was due to disease, or about one
In three. It is probable that the greater
proportlonate mortality from sickness
among enlisted men was partly owing
70 ther having fewer provisions for care
ana comfort, and oftener harder physical
work, with less opportunities to favor
themselves and to guard against ex-
posure
VI the total deaths 40, 0S9 were from
the New England States; IS, 531 from New
York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania !;
142, 469 from the Western States; 80, 607
from the border States, or Missouri,
Delaware, District of Columbia, Ken
lucky, Maryland, Tennessee, and West
Virginia; 1879 from the Pacific States
and the Territories, including California,
Nevada, Oregon, Washington Territory,
Dakota, New Mexico, and Colorado;
3, S54 from States included in the Con-
federacy.
1t is worth noting also that SO, SAT
deaths occurred among the colored
troops, 5,798 in the regular army, LOIS
among Indian nations, and 3, 044 among
miscellaneous organizations, which do
not allow credit under the scientific
heads already given.
Among miscellaneous cases of deaths
worth mentioning are drowning, which
caused no fewer than 4, 944 in the armies
alone, to say nothing of the navy; sun
stroke, to which only 313 are directly
attributed, whereas one might suppose
those figures of drowning and sunstroke
to be interchanged by mistake; suicide,
which caused 391; murder, which is
credited with $50 Then io4 officers
and men are set down as killed after cap
ture, besides Ga regularly executed by
the enemy. The Union authorities exc
cuted 267 of their soldiers, 140 of these
for desertion, 20 for murder, % for
mutiny, and the remaining "a for various
offences.
The list Maine Heavy Artillery met the
largest percentage of loss of any regiment
In the service, losing % per cent. of its
men. The I'd Wisconsin Infantry fol-
lowed with loss of III per cent. of its
men. The loss of men then dropped
to per cent lower.