The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-09
THE LATE WAR.
Armed Forces Tint Took Part In tho
Conflict Great Bnttics.

In the four years that followed the
uprising Of the South the people of the
North furnished to the arm les of the
Union nearly 5000, 900 of men. and the
South gave to the armies of the Confcd-
eracy over 1, 900, 600 more. from less
than %, 600. 600 of Inhabitants, and
within the space of four Years, 4, 200. 900
of men were under arms in that terrible
conflict. Contemplate the fac; that one
in every eight of u entire population.
or one in every four of our main popula-
ton, was actually engaged in the con-
test, and you get some idea of the ter
rlhlc drain that the war was on the flesh
and blood of our countrymen. In the
entire military history of the world :hcrc
is nothing to he compared to that martial
enthusiasm Of Il nation. The ccle-
bratcd uprising of the French people in
1898, and that of nearly a century later
in their war with Germany, sink into
insigniicance when compared with the
tide that moved southwark and north
ward to join the armies of the Union and
Confcderacy. 1t is the boast of Germany,
the greatest military nation of modern
times that with a population of41, 900, 900
she can in time of wal furnish un army
of $50, 600 men; but in the war of the
Rebellion the North, with Il population
of only %, 600, 600, had in actual service
at the close of that contest more than
1000, 900. The hero of Appomattox,
during the campaign of 1864 and 'G5,
commanded more soldiers than any other
general since the fall Of the Roman EN-
pirc. We are accustomed to think of
Waterloo as the greatest battle of modern
times, but in six engagements of the
war of the rebellion the loss upon one
side or the other was greater han that
of Wellington and the allied forces at
Waterloo. The loss of the Union army
in the battle of the Wilderness nearly
equalled the entire loss of both armies
on the field of Waterloo. No battle has
ever been fought on the continent of
Europe with greater determination or
with as much loss as that of Gettysburg.
But the sacrifice of blood kept pace with
that of treasure. Our war expenses dur
ing the last year of the Rebellion OK
ceedcd 81, 900, 900, 900. The expenses
of the great war between France and
England during the career of Napoleon
and the French Revolution bore no COM
parison to that of u war. The great
est sum of money expended during q
single year was by Great Britain in 1915,
"1lCu IL diuOulIcu 10 TlO1, OUU. UUU, OF,
less than two-thirds of the expenditure
of the North during the year ending
1865. X X x For half. u century
Waterloo has stood in history, song
and story without a parallel. 1t was re-
served to the descendants of the men
who fought under the Duke in that
famous engagement to convince the
world that courage and tcnacity had not
degencrated since the days of Waterloo.
Gettysburg may fairly be said to DC the
greatest battle of modern times. The
numbers engaged exceeded those of
Waterloo; the duration of the battle
longer, and the loss greater. More than
one-third of the Union army, and nearly
onc-half of the Confederates, were killed,
wounded, or missing in that engage
ment. The famous charge by Pickett
on the third day, and its subsequent re-
pulse, will live for all time in military
history. The famous .'Old Guard"
veterans in the service of France, victors
on many a hard fought field, possessing
the courage and spirit peculiar to their
nation and race, wavercd before the
first volley from the English batteries at
Waterloo, and ut the second fell back in
confusion. But Pickett's division at
Gettysburg, with less men than com
posed the sold Guard, advanced a mile
under the CALLING fire of our batteries,
it's lines unbroken, the living stepping
into the places Of the dead, and engaged
our forces I'M hand-to-hand fight fort the
possession of Cemetery Ridre.