Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-12-16
The Magnitude Of Our Civll War.


| vile, Tenn, has published some very
interesting statistics compiled from the
war records. They sustain, OF course,
the general belief that the South was
from start to finish greatly outuum-
bered. In total enlistmeuts this dis
] proportion was over four to one. and
even these figures do not convey an
idea of the the immense superiority Of
the North in strength. Indeed, it is
hard to understand. now, how the
South, with its inadequate organiza-
tion, industrial and military, and its
100000 white population to the
North's $4,000, 900, hoped to win.
This, of course, is no disparagemeut
to the Union soldiers. No part of this
world has a monopoly of courage. And
if the hot blooded Confederates showed
more dash, there were battles like
Fredericksburg, where the Federal
soldiers marched to certain death with
heroism that can not be surpassed.
The truth is, both armies fought,
marched. bled and suffered as no other
armies ever did or probably ever will.
The mortality was simply horrifying.
Instead of the usual losses of two or
three per cent, the Federals lost near
ly five and the Confederates nine.
Judged by mortality, by ground COW
cred, battles fought, or number of COM
batants, our Civil War stands in rela-
tion to the great wars of Europe as
those wars to the petty conflicts of
South America. The 'late unpleasant
ness, !" as it is sometimes lightly called,
was.indeed the most stupendous contest
in history.
Perhaps the most significant feature
of the ''Confederate's" statistics, how
ever, is the showing in regard TO pris-
ons. Where the mortality of Confed-
crates in Northern prisons was II per
cent, the loss of Federals in Southern
prisons was only per cent. These
tigures, taken from Secretary Stanton's
report at that time, are unimpeachable,
and demonstrate conclusively that in
justice of the charges made against the
Confederates in regard to prisons.
As matter OF fact, neither side has
reason 10 be proud of this part of its
work. While neither was guilty ofin-
territorial brutality, the captured from
both armies Jared poorly. Yet, it
should not be forgotten that the North
ern prisoners estimated their own suf-
ferings by comparison with their SUI
perior army fare. while the Southern
soldiers, barefoot, ragged and half
starved, were really not better situated
when in the field than the Federals in
Southern prisons.
The bitterness of the war has long
since passed away. We can now dis
cuss such matters without feeling. And
to US all comes home the pathos OF that
terrible struggle between men of the
same blood and nationality. Perhaps
it was necessary TO settle the mooted
constitutional question OF secession.
Possibly it ought to have come a half
century earlier and been less gigantic.
Yet the war is already history. We
have paid tremendous price, in blood
and bitterness, for united nation, but
1t was we'll worth the cost. Henceforth
we have only to remember that the
its integrity is best conserved by recog-
nizing the existence of but one people,
with the same patriotism, and with
equal readiness to sacrifice themselves
for principle.-K. G. Times