The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-06-24

! conception!
This is a stupendous fact that is
likely to escape you, unless you keep
it constantly in mind.
1t is hard work for even those who
went through the long struggle to
keep before them clear conception of
its immensely, and we appreciate
the difficulty that you may have in
understanding its proportions.
In the first place, it is very hard for
the mind to grasp that there were
something over 100000 fighting men
on the union side, and over 100000
on the rebel side.
1t is impossible for any paaiifsS to
thoroughly realize what 50 large a
number as $500, 600 means, but it may
assist the conception to remember
that it is a great many more than
/ there were of men, women and child
rem in the thirteen colonies at the
time they won their independence.
Then, if it is recollected that these
. 2,GO0, gGn men on one side and 1900, 600
on the other went al each other with
all the deadly weapons that human
ingenuity could devise, that they
kept it up without let or cessation for
four long years, it will be easy to un-
derstand that they filled the land
with the dead and manned and Grip
,,IaS rTba oStoniS bno1t soon I,o.O,n,g
not that there are so many on the
pension rolls but that there are not
more there.
The mind cannot grasp the fact
that there were actually 1000 COO
combatants under one flag and 300
600 under the other.
1t cannot realize that the line of
battle was 1900 miles long.
In cannot comprehend that it was
a frequent occurrence to have several
thousand men killed in a single day,
. and four or five times as many woun-
ded.
Every figure connected with that
gigantic struggle has a startling vast
ness.
For example, the terrible strains,
hardships and casualties of the long
struggle are testified to by the fact
that there were G049, 64S cases of sick
ness, injuries, accidents, and WOUNDS
treated by the surgeons in the Union
hospitals.
The malariOus swamps of the Mis-
, sissippi and the seacoasts sent 1885
316 cases Of fever to the hospitals, of
, which 10S,58S resulted fatally, and 81,
SS2 men were so wrecked as to necessi-
tate their discharge from the army as
, incapable Of further service.
The terrible strains OF battle and of
anxious nights and fearful days sent
10, 032 cases of nervous diseases to the
hospitals, Of which 5,257 resulted in
DEATH Besides these, there we've 25,
10G cases of heart disease, resulting in
, 2,195 deaths, and 1O,79S discharges
from the service.
The pelting storms, the freezing
sleet, the drenching rain were respon-
sibIe for 504, 1872 cases of disease of the
throat and lungs, resulting in 24,10O
! deaths, and the discharge of 20, 995
wrecks from the service Also, for
1887 cases Of rheumatism, of which
u, COB became so hopeless as to com
pei the discharge of the sufferers.
Bad and insufficient food and
polluted water sent to the hospitals
563, 239 cases of diseases of the stomach
and bowels, of which A, 559 proved
fatal and 1886 were discharged as
incurable.
Apartial report of the wounds treat
ed i'll hospitals brings the total up to
2SO, 04O, of which 49, POS resulted fatally,
and "a, 209 were so serious as to com
pei the discharge of the manned men.
let any man whose mind is troubled
by the number on the penson-rolls
devote little time going over these
immense figures, pencil in hand, and
his surprise will soon be that there
are no more on the pension-rolls than
there are.
All those men who suffered those
wounds, hurts, disablements. and dis
eases were at this time young. vigor-
our and energetic. Many of them re-
recovered, or seemed to recover. from
the severest shocks to their systems
To-day, with the forces of life waning
these shocks reassert themselves. with
interest gathered during the long
years they have been held in abev-
| ance.
Take, for example, the appalling
fact that, in addition to those who
died, there were 2S5,245 men so
wrecked by their service that thew
had to be discharged as unfit for fur
ther duty. This is larger army than
ever appeared on any battlefield in
history. 1t it more than the entire
British army ever numbered.
Then consider that the miasma sent
1868, OBJ cases to the hospitals and ac-