The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-08-28
THEY SAVED THE NATION
How the Proud Legions Went
Down In the War.
A ROLL THAT MEANS SOMETHING.
Some Startling Figures of the Calamities
of Camp and Field-What the Soldiers
Passed Through-About One Out of Ev-
cry Two Killed or Injured In the Conflict.
Copyright, 1851

cry Two Killed or Injured In the Conflict.
Copyright 1851
The Warnings and those who with them
consider it an impertinence for spokesmen
of the Grand Army to say, "We saved the
nation" have thus far failed to enlighten
the liberal public rs to who did save it.
Waring brought out one echo which declar-
cd that ut the outside there are not moro
than so, 900 veterans alive who took part
in tho fighting. 1t is often asserted that
there are more pensioners on the rolls
than there were soldiers in the army at
any one time, and so on to the end of a
long category of reasons assumed for not
recognizing soldiers claims. 1t is also
stated that there arc more pensioners on
the rolls than thoro are survivors, hence
many must be i1npostors, and that the SOL
diers who performed but little service are
on the same plane as those who bore the
brunt of the fighting. In point of fact,
there are about 400, 600 surviving veterans
not now upon the roll, a number large
enough to include all the men whose serv-
ices were so trivial as to give them no
claim to pension. The disability laws
make no distinction as to length Of service.
The pension is for disability. 1t may
have occurred during the first day of o SOL
diers term or at the end Of four years
hard service. Only graded service pen
sion could reduce the inequalities which
exist with respect to amount of allowance
for terms served by the pensioner. The
side Of theEoterans can hardly b. set forth
with adequacy and still keep within the
,,l
went to the war voluntarily when the ma
ton was in danger, and it was the nation
which spread abroad at that time, with
striking emphasis and display, the idea
that all who suffered for the cause would
be showered with benefits at the end.
Nothing was too good to say to tho volun-
teers then; nothing too much to promise.
The nation was saved, and it is a startling
commentary upon the result if the people
today are unable to recognize its saviors.
Historians and descriptive writers have
labored to impress upon this generation
the services of leaders Of certain armies
and Of heroes of certain battlefields Yet
with all that has been written and re-
counted ut the flreside, the risks taken, the
deeds of valor performed, the sufferings
every man in them and the daring expo
sure Of life and limb for the glory OF the
flag are but little understood and apprecl-
ated by those who at heart wish to do
full honor and justice to the veteran SOL
diers. There were about 1000, 900 individ-
uals in the war, and it is not too much
to say that every mar who enlisted had
but one chance in two of escaping the hor-
rible evils of war. There were 359, 600
deaths in all during service, while tens OF
thousands died Of the effects of service i'm
mediately after discharge. There were
also 25O, 900 men wounded SO severely as to
be sent to general hospital for treatment,
and there were 6,000,0 900 cases of disease
treated in the hospitals. If half Of the men
in the whole army entered tho hospital,
every ono victim to six diseases ,''1ring
his confinement there, it would not be sur
prising. The war was long one, and the
Union soldiers were wholly unprepared by
nature to endure the exposure to southern
climes. Of the victims sent to hospitals
about 240, 900 died, and it is reasonable to
suppose that at least as many more were
brought almost to the point of death by
disease, and that they left the service
marked for life. Of those hit in battle
there were moro than twice as many re-
coyeries as deaths reported, and no doubt
it would be fair to estimate the very dan
gerously sick who recovered at 4OO,0 600
men. There were over 10000 men re-
ported missing or captured. OF course
those known to have died are included in
this report. They numbered 30, 900 among
the prisoners, leaving 1900 survivors,
most of whom brought back from captivity
the evil effects of confinement and priva-
ton. Taking the four classes of casualties
to which every individual was exposed,
there were over l.lillion, as follows:
Dootbs all causes 859,OOO
-S..,,o.o5 0S0 OO0