The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-09-13
THEY SAVED The NATION
How the Proud Legions Went
Down In the War.
A ROLL THAT MEANS SOMETHING.
Soms Startling Figures OF the Csismities
of Camp aud Field-whst the soldiers
Passed Through-About One Out Of Ev-
cry Two Killed or Injured In the Conflict.
lCopyright. 1895.

Copyright. 1895.
The Warnings and those who with them
consider 10 an impertinence for spokesman
of the Grand Army To say, I'VE saved the
nation, have thus far failed To enlighten
the liberal public ~ to who did save it,
Waring brought out one echo which declar-
ed that at the outside there are not more
than 80, 900 veterans alive who took part
in the fighting Ii 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 IL
long category of reasons assumed for not
recognizing soldiers claims. 1t Is also
stated that there are more pensioners on
the rolls than there are survivors, hence
many must be impostors 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, 900 surviving veterans
not now upon the roll, number large
enough to include all the men wkose 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 a sol
dier's 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 the veterans can hardly be- set forth
with adequacy and still keep within the
bounds of self respect and modesty. They
went to the war voluntarily when the ma
ton was in danger, and il 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 IL Is startling
commentary upon the result If the people
today are unable to recognize its sayiors.
Historians and descriptive writer's 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 at the fireside, the risks taken, the
deeds of valor performed, the sufferings
that fell to the armies universally and TO
every man in them and the daring expo
sure OF life and limb for the glory of the
flag are but little understood and appreci
ated by those who at heart wish to do
full honor and justice to the veteran sol
diers. There were about ?, 600, 900 individ-
uals in the war, and it is not too much
to say that every man who enlisted had
but one chance in two of escaping the hor
rible evils Of war. There were $50, 900
deaths in all during service, while tens OF
thousands died Of the effects of service i'm
mediately after discharge. There were
also $50, 600 men wounded SO severely as to
be sent to general hospital for treatment
and there were g. 600, 900 cases of disease
treated in the hospitals. If half of the men
in the whole army entered the hospital,
every one victim To six diseases during
his confinement there, it would not be sur
prising The war was a long one, and the
Union soldiers were wholly unprepared by
nature To endure the exposure to southern
chimes OF the victims sent TO hospitals
about 240 600 died. and il 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 more than twice as many re-
,coveries as deaths reported, and no doubt
il would be fair to estimate the very dan
gerously sick who recovered at 400, 900
men. There were over $50, 900 men re-
ported missing or captured. OF course
those known TO have died are included in
this report. They numbered 80, 900 among
the prisoners, leaving $50, 900 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 million, as follows
OnO