Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-10-06
AN APT COMPARISON.
Death Rate From Disease in the Last
War Only One-third What IL
Was Under Almost Exactly
Similar Circumstances In the
War of the Rebellion.

is the Home Guards, called out
in April, 1864, for guard duty during
the closing months of the war, and
known as "hundred. day
men,"
They We're, like the volunteers today, |
raw men, fresh from civil lite and sub
ject to ali the dangers of disease which
are incident to camp and garrison duty.
a much greater proportion of them
saw active service than has been the
case with the volunteer troops in this |
Spanish war. OF the furty-two regi- |
ments furnished by Ohio, sixteen were
i'll skirmishes, in which each lost from |
one to thirteen men killed.
Iwenty-six of the forty-two Ohio
regiments, however, were used strictly
i'll guard and garrison duty, and were
III some Instances quartered i'll regular
barracks at points like Washington and
Baltimore. The term of service was
not as long as that which has already
been served by the men who went out
Oh the first call in the present war, yet
the number of deaths from disease was
vastly greater. In all, Ohio furnished
30. 1892 of these Home Guards, of whom
766 died OF disease before they were
mustered out at the end of the lOO-day
period, fifty-five were killed and l16
wounded in action, and 1874 died in
rebel prison.
The total number of deaths from dis
ease in the regular and volunteer army
since the beginning Of the present war
has been between 1900 and 1000, ana
there has been on an average approx.
mately 100000 men under arms for
four months. In other words, the dea til
rate has not exceeded, ii it has reached,
Sper 1000. The death rate from dis
ease for the 100 day troops from Ohio
at the close Of the civil war was 90 to
the 1000 Yet nothing was said in the
public press or by the men about the
Incompetence OF neglect OF their
officers, nor were the men held up as
martyrs for their sickness and suffer
ing. All that was then taken us II
matter OF course because the people
had had enough experience 10 Know
that that is war.
MORTALITY THREE TINES AS GREAT.
LII other words, at the close OF Il long
war in which Tie United States had
had experience in camps and in caring
tor troops, green men sent out from
home at the same time of year as our
present volunteers and placed under
The radically different conditions winch
obtain In camp life as compared with
home surroundings, suffered Il mortal
Ivy from disease three times as great
as that which has raised Il storm vi
sensational stories in regard ~ the
management of the military camps
within the past few months. What is
more, the majority vi these hundred
day men" were posted in small camps,
varying in humble: from few hundred
to two OK three regiments, and their
mortality can not be charged to the
unsanitary conditions Of great camps.
Even more striking is the cOmpari-
son between the death ,ate OF these
hundred day men" with that OF the
troops encamped at Chickamauga park.
The death rate at .Chickamaiga park
was about to the LOCO, or barely one
fourth of that which was sustained by
the Home Guards at the close of the war.
This comparison is one of the falrest
that can be made. 1t is true the coun-
try had had long experience in caring
for troops and should have been able
to take better relative care of the men
who went out at the close OF the war
than the nation could at the beginning
of the present struggle, after Il long
period Of peace when we were without
experience in HE building and man
agement OF large military camps. In
this respect the death rate should
have been less, if anything, in 1864,
with the "hundred-day men, thai 1t
has been today.
FURTHER PROOF OF GOOD MANAGE
MENT.
The "hundred. day men" were called
out late in April, the date of che call
being April %. The first Ohio regi-
ment was mustered in May 5, and the
last May II, 1864, and they went for
ward 10 their stations almost immedi-
ately. They were, for the most part,
young men, in good health, mechanics,
farmers and professional
men. They compared favorably man
for man with the young men who went
out last April and May. Moreover,
many of them were stationed for
months where they had the protection
of nermanent buildings i'm bad weather.