The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-13
LOSSES IN THE
CONFEDERATE WAR
The Figures Speak Well for the Sur
geons on the Southern Side.
COMPARISON OF DEATH RATES
Shows That the Deaths of Federal Sol
diers in Confederate Prisons Were
Ten Per Cent. Less Than Those
ofOurs in Northern Prisons.


self. has been sent to all Confederate
camps with instructions that they be
handed to Confederate surgeons.
Office Of Surgeon General.
! United Confederate Veterans.
623 North Lafayette Square,
New Orleans. La. June 80. lSgS
! To the Survivors Of the Medical Corps
OF the Army and Navy OF the Coniede-
rate States:
Comrades,-The eighth annual reunion
| OF the United Confederate Veterans Will
| take place on the 10Th. 2lst "a and 23d
| Of July 1895. at Atlanta. Ga-that his
toric. patriotic Southern city which was
] subjected TO the torch after being cap
| tured by the Federal army under General
Sherman, her helples women and child
rem and non-combatants made homeless
and sheltered by refugees, in "A land
SCARED and desolated by more than two
thousand bard fought. bloody battle
| fields. and whose territory, almost TO a
| foot had felt the thunderbots OF a most
cruel and destructive war. The great
majority not only Of the patient ana
patriotic and humane surgeons cOnsti-
tuting that peerless medical corps but
the great majority likewise Of the pure
and valiant men comprising all the other
great departments of the Confederate
government and It's matches army and
navy. have preceded as acros he rive
OF Time. and are now resting under the
shade Of the trees awaiting our coming
on the eternal plains in the vast inn
penetrable Beyond.
As survivors Of that Christian-hearted,
distinguished corps Of Confederate sur
geons who knew no enemy in their pro-
sfessional work, is there not a high and
pressing important duty remaining 20 he
done and due, not les to ourselves than
to our departed and immortal comrades
OF the same service-a responsible duty
to collect and systematic for reference,
the correct professional facts. relating
to our work i'm field and hospital and
military prison i'm connection with the I'M
euqalled worldwide involving Southern
Constitutional Cause that the coming
historian may with readiness and with
truthfulness record them for future gen.
erations 10 read and appreciated
STRIKING FACTS.
Let me here briefly and tersely recite
a few historic facts, from Ohi,ial data
In my possession. of interest TO stimu-
late our further research: OF the "a
States and Territories only II seeded.
In these II States the men OF military
age-from is TO A. years-numbered Loot
193-inclusive OF lame, halt, blind, etc.
On the Union side the same class num-
bered 4,55g, S12-Over 4 TO without est-
mating the constant accessions from the
world al large augmenung monthly the
Union side.
The United States in enlisted men num-
bered 2.S65. OPS against not exceeding Co.,
600 on the side Of the COnfedcracy.
with the States Of Kentucky, Missouri.
Maryland. West Virginia, Tennessee and
the remainder Of the Southern States.
the remarkable facts presents that the
South itself-the slave States-gaye ex-
ceeding 10000 TO the Union side-more
than half as many soldiers as comprised
the entire Confederate army These
facts, derived from the war records, show
that there were four armies IN the field.
each one Of which was as large as the
entire Confederate army, without includ-
ing the more than 10000 contingent from
the South.
In numbers the Federal loss was g.
05S killed and BOP died Of wounds total
1000 OF the Confederates the like total
was 7.52i The COnfederates had 53. T3
killed outright and 026 wounded on the
field Of battle. More than one third of the
600 900 Confedrates were therefore con-
iided 10 the Confederate surgeons for
battle wounds. For the nineteen months
January. 1862. TO July. 1853, inclusive
over 100000 cases OF wounds and sick
ness were entered upon the Confederate
field reports and over 10000 cases OF
wounds upon the hospital reports. 10 is
estimated that each Of the 100000 Con-
federates We're on an average disabled
for greater or lesser periods. by wounds
and sickness about six times during he
war. The heroic. untrng important
part thus borne by the skillful Confede-
rate surgeons I'm maintaining In the field
an effective army Of unexampled Con-
federate soldiers must challenge particu-
lar attention.
TRIBUTE TO SOUTHERN SURGEONS.
The des truction by fire OF the medical
and surgical records Of the Confederate
States. deposited i'm the Surgeon Gene
rails Office, In Richmond, Va. I'm April,
1865, renders the roster OF the medical
corps somewhat imperfect hence the
need Of concerted action on the part OF
the survivors 10 bridge this hiatus. The
official list OF the paroled officers and
men Of the Army OF Northern Virginia
surrendered by General Il. +. Lee April
9, 1850, furnished 80 surgeons and as
sistant surgeons. In my first report.
presented at the Richmond reunion, 1
showed that the medical roster for the
Army Of Tennessee had been preserved
In duplicate I shall offer in a more de-
tailed report data to prove indsputably
important facts relating TO the prisoners
of war upon both sides with the pur-
pose of establishing the death rate re-
sponsbility in the premises. IL will suf-
fee 10 mentiin here that the report of
Mr. Stanton, Secretary Of War. on the
18th Of July, 1866. exhibits the fact that
Of the Federal prisoners In Confederate
hands during the war only $50 died,
while Of the Confederate prisoners in
Federal hands e. 436 died. This report
does not set forth the exact number of
prisoners held by each side respectively.
These facts were given more in detail
by a subsequent report by Surgeon Gen
eral Barnes, OF the United States army.
The the whole number of Federal pris-
iners captured by the Confederates and
held IN Southern prisons from first TO last
during the war was. in round numbers,
go. 600 while the whole number OF Con-
federates captured and held in prisons
by the Fsderals was in like round num-
bers only 220 900. From these two reports
II appears that. with $1,000 more prisoners
I'm the Southern stockades. or other modes
OF confinement. the deaths were nearly
1000 Less According 10 these figures.
the percentum Of Federal deaths in South.
ern prisons was under 3 while the per-
centum of Confederate deaths I'm North
ern prisons was over L. These mortuary
statistics are Of no small weight In de-
termining on which side there was the
most neglect cruelty and inhumanlty
proclaiming as they do. a loss OF more
than per cent. of Confederates over
Federals in prisons. while the Federals
had an unstinted command OF every