The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-25
More Men Killed By Disease Than
BY Bullets.
252 KILLED IN BATTLE
WHILE THE WOUNDED NUMBER
1,496.
Proportion of Deaths From Disease
Will Be Greater Than In the
Civil War, When It Was So Per
Cent-Losses In Battle Remark
ably Light.

New York, Aug. PA special to the
Tribune from Washington says: The
list of casualties in the army during
the war with Spain has not been care
fully compiled, and, in fact, it cannot
be completed for months to come, for
in it must be included the deaths in
camp from disease, which will far out
number those from the bullets of the
enemy. The proportion of deaths from
disease will probably be larger than in
the civil war. In 1885 an effort was
made to ascertain what that proper
ton was, which resulted. in showing
that the aggregate number of deaths
among the Union troops was 359, 52S.
The number of officers and men killed
in action was 67,05S, and the number
who died from wounds received in ac-
ton was 1902, making total of no.
G70, or fraction over 80 per cent of
the aggregate. 1t appeared that 224, $50
officers and men, or more than 62 per
cent, died of disease. The remainder
of the deaths were due to various
causes. No fewer than LOG officers and
1888 men were drowned, while 242 Of
ficers and. 1872 men died from acct
dental causes other than drowning
According to official and semi-officiaI
reports, which are still subject to re-
vision and correction, the number of
officers and men of the army killed in
action since the outbreak of hostilities
against Spain has been 2S2, and the
number of wounded, 1,496, making
total of LIS. 1t is probable that ad-
dit1onS will be made to the list of killed
by subsequent reports. OF course, most
of the casualties occurred in the fight
ing around Santiago, but even that
number was not excessively large, con-
0r~fw IL
Tense, and the fact that infantry not
backed by a sufficient amount of ar
tillery, was led against the enemy, who
was strongly entrenched. Most of the
lighting was with small arms, and few
men, in the American army, at least,
were killed or wounded by shells.
The Spanish troops generally were
armed with the Mauser rifle, a weapon
of long range. They used smokeless
sition and local knowledge, and made
the most of them. According to all
theory the mortality among the
American troops ought to have been
much heavier. In fact one might have
supposed that superiority of weapons
alone, as compared with those used by
infantry hundred years ago, or even
81 years ago, would have produced the
result
The battle of Breeds Hill-popularlv
called the Battle of Bunker Hill-was
fought in the days of the fiintlock mus
ket, when smokeless powder was I'M
known, but the casualties on both
sides were relatively much heavier
than in the battles around Santiago.
The Americans did not have more than
1,5OO men actually engaged, and the
British about twice as many. The
American loss was 145 killed and 3O4
wounded, and the British 226 killed and
S2S wounded. Us 90
AT the battle of New Orleans the
American strength engaged was about
$500, and the loss only eight killed and
Is wounded. while the British loss
with about 10000 men engaged, was 700
killed and twice as many wounded-a
much heavier total loss than that of
Skaters army before Santiago. At
New Orleans the British infantry at
tackled an entrenched position, as it
also did at Breeds Hill.
At the battle of Belmont. in 1861. the
number Of the Union troops actually
engaged was 1,500. and the number of
confederates, between 1000 and 5000
Neither side fought behind entrench-
ments. The Union loss was G42 killed
wounded and missing. Smokeless DOW
der had not yet been invented. and
understanding guns were used by both
Gil -