Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-10-11


10 them it is impossible that we
rive at anything like truthful
ate of the magnitude of our civil
Detached parts Of the story, such
oants Of its greatest battles, al
impress us; any one of the histo-
the struggle, however imperfect
reliable, easily convinces that it
he very largest war of modern
!: still, something is lacking, even
those who took part in it, to show
great, how bloody, and how costly
That it lasted four years; that
fought over an area equal to
The continent of Europe; that it
d questions which statesmen had
struggled with for more than
years-these are facts which the
|lboy can tell you. But what is
It shows in striking way that it
The greatest conflict of arms that
lobe has seen in this century?
is this question that 1 have set out
swer, and in answering it I hope
able to show that figures may be
led in such a way as to be both i'm
live and entertaining. The vete-
will certainly like to have it
ght forcibly home to them what q
btic struggle they were honorably
ged in: the new generation, the
(ren Of the veterans, to whom the
is but tradition, will surely like
reserve information Of this kind to
TO their stock Of knowledge Of their
country and its history.
be study is a fascinating one; and
Ugh l have burrowed deep in facts
figures, [ shall only have room
TO present the most striking ones.
far is the most expensive luxury
any people can indulge in. The
is simply frightful. During the
lest part of the time from April,
|, to April, 1865, the United States
BIT round million of dollars day.
|nk Of it, A million of dollars each
for nation to keep itself in ex-
(nce.
pn the first of February, 1866, when
war expenses had substantially
IN paid, and the account was taken,
fas found that this country had a
Pt amounting to $2,716, sos, 1852. The
Be part of this had been incurred to
by on the war. The figures are
ggering. 1t is not easy to compre-
nd them. A thousand is large
mber, yet it requires a thousand Of
'usands to make million. When ii
mes to thousand millions our heads
gin TO wander-we feel like taking a
1t. But the figures stated as the ma
nal debt are two and one-half times
thousand millions-and some hun
eds of thousands over.
We find that on July l, 1861, when
+ government had become convinced
ut it had war on hand, it's whole
zee under arms was 1861 men. On
ly l, 1865, when the fighting was all
er, it had SIG soldiers more than a
lion. Between those dates the
ltea States had q vast number OF
m in its armies; just how many
obably, never can be accurately de-
mined. 1T is known that there was
those four years the enormous total Of
j5G, 500 enlistments. But these figures
ilude q great number of double
lstments-cases where the soldier
wed out his term. was discharged
ID then enlisted again; and also al
e detailed men in hospitals and OF
nous non-fghting duties, and many
ousands who enlisted and went a.
as the military rendezvous, ant
ere there discharged without seeing
" service. Estimating and deduct
6 for these classes, it is safe to sa.
lat the Government had during thes'
ur Years not less than one million
ID half of men under arms, fight
9, Or in a position to fight, whe1
iled ON! Yes-one million and
Ut! 1t sounds large enough, state!
lat way: but when we learn that TN
a.nber virtually embraced one-elghtl
The entire population of the loya
'aa'es, it is something startling.
VI the actual soldiers in the sery1c
" ! the Union side, as above stated
'n,o91 We're blacks.
Turning to the losses of men on tn
=, mon side in those dark and sorro"
Il lou: .'ears, we get some sad hgures