The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-07-18
Magnitude of the War.

In the four years of war the sold
iers of the Union marched over a
country far larger than that travers-
ed by the legions of Caesar and re-
.,ained larger area than any nation
ever took by conquest. They fought
in 2,2G5 engagements, large and
small, in seventeen states and two
territories. in $50 of which engage
ments the Union losses exceeded 100
each. From the firing of the first
shot mot counting that aimed at the
Star of the Vest to the last, the
time was four years and thirty
days, and the distance between the
two places over I, 200 miles "as the
crow flies"
From the most easterly to the
most westerly battlefield the dis
tance was over ! 800 miles, and from
the most northern to the most south
ern nearly as far-the shortest prac-
ticable road in each case being near
1000 miles. From Sumpter to Pal
metto Ranch there was an average
of eleven battles and skirmishes per
week, and of pitched battle in which
the Union loss exceeded 100 there
was an average of one every four
and one-half days. On one day,
July 3, 1888, there were two consid-
erable battles, one great historic
conflict and n dozen noteworthy
skirmishes besides the capitulation
of Vicksburg.
In 1861 there were thirty-five bat
Ties which seemed of appalling mag
nitude to the people, who then drew
their comparisons from the Mexican
war in 1862 there were eighty four
battles, Mt least twenty of which
made the engagements of 1861 seem
trihing in 1863 the regular pitched
battles amounted to 40, of which
six or seven dwarfed most of those
that went before. In 1864 there
were seventy-three regular engage
ments, and in the last year twenty
eight. Yet n million and half
Union soldiers survived the conflict,
and the best estimates place the sur
vivors to-day at near 700, 900. Verify,
it was n great war.
Excluding all re-enlistments and
all employed merely in the subsis-
tance and transportation depart
ments, the actual soldiers of the
Union probably numbered about
100000 of whom 100000 were
alive Mt the close. There is no meth
cd of computing with accuracy the
number still living, but it is certain
ly not less than 100000. 1t may
even reach 900, 600. This conclusion
is drawn from certain well known
facts. The soldiers were generally
young, many regiments maintain or
carnations which show their yearly
losses, and the records of the pen
sion Office are valuable guides.
The average age of the soldiers
was "A years, and with rare excep-
tions the leading officers were com
paratively young men. This has
been the rule in all wars. Alexander
the Great died ut 30 Frederick the
Great was famous at 3D. Caesar be
gan the conquest of Gaul at 40. Ma
poleon and Wellington fought their
last battle mt 46 Washington took
command of the army ut 43, and
Lafayette was major general at 20.
Won Moltke, Gems. Taylor and
Scott, and Marlborough were bril-
liant exceptions. Grant was Al
when the war closed Sheridan, "a
Sherman, 40, and Mcclellan, 80.
Mckenzie, Custer, Ames and Kill
patrick were generals at 26 Nc
Pherson fell at 80 Reynolds at 43
Burnside was already famous Mt 81
Schofield Mt 33, and Slocum Mt 80.
A column might be filed with the
names of those who became generals
between % and 80. Corse held Ala.
toona Pass at 30; Rawlins was
Grants chief of staff at 81 John
Beatty was brigadier at 80, and
Nelson A. Miles at %, having enlist
ed rs n private but three years be
fore. Setting the number of sur.
vivors at 100000, and considering
that they are those of greatest vi
tality and now average about 90
years counting from the average
at enlstmenD, we may draw the
cheering conclusion that there will
be an army of veterans in the first
decade of the twentieth century.