Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-08-26
.OSSES IN THE WAR
iAuSER BULLETS KILL FEWER THAN
SICKNESS.

Remark able Shn'irg nf the Battle of
antiago-Comnnrisou with Battles of
our FORMER Wars-The Revolution and
the Civil War.
Washington, Aug. 23.-The list of
casualties in the army during the war
With Spain has not yet been carefully
compiled and, in fact, cannot be COM
.,bleted for months to come because in it
must be included the deaths from disease
n camp and hospital, which will far out
humber those from the bullets of the
Rnemy. The proportion of deaths from
disease will probably be larger than in
he Civil War.
In 1885 an effort was made to ascertain
What that proportion was. 1t resulted
Il showing that the aggregate number of
leaths among the Union troops was
59,52S. The number of officers and
men killed in action was g. 05S, and the
humber who died from wounds received
n action was 1902, making a total of
1000, or fraction over 30 per cent of
he aggregate. 1t appeared that 224 $50
bfficers and men, or more than 62 per cent,
lied of disease. The remainder of the
leaths were due to various causes. No
ever than LOG officers and 4,S3S men
we're drowned, while 142 officers 1872
men died from accidental causes other
han drowning.
According to official and semi-ofiicial
eports, which are still subject to revis-
on and correction, the number of Off
cers and men of the army killed in action
lnce the outbreak of hostilities against
Spain has been 2S2, and the number
wounded, 1896, making a total of LIS.
is probable that additions will be
made to the list of killed by subsequent
reports. OF course. most of the casual
7 ties occurred in the fighting around
Santiago, but even there the number
was not excessively large, considering
he stubbornness of the defence, and the
act that infantry, not backed by suf-
icent amount of artillery, was led
gainst an enemy which was strongly
ntrenched. Most of the fighting was
with small arms, and few men, in the
American army at least, were killed or
wounded by shells.
. The Spanish troops were generally
asrmed with the Mauser rifles, weapon
( of long range. They used smokeless
powder, and had the advantages of po-
. .ition and local knowledge. aud made
+ he most of them. According to all
. theory, the mortality among the Ameri-
. Ian troops ought to have been much
heavier. In fact, one might have sup
posed that superiority of weapons alone
As compared with those used by infantry
L hundred years ago, or even thirty-five
years ago, would have produced that
|esult.
The battle of Breeds Hill-popularly
called the battle of Bunker Hill-was
Fought in the days of the flintock
|nusket, and when smokeless powder
was unknown, but the casualties on
both sides were relatively much heavier
han in the battles around Santiago.
3Ihe Americans did not have more than
800 men actually engaged, and the
British about twice as many.
The American loss was l4j killed and
i Boa wounded, and the British 22G killed
, ,and SIS wounded. At the battle of New
Orleans the American strength engaged
was about 1900, and the loss only eight
killed and l3 wounded, while the British
z loss. with about 10000 men engaged
was 700 killed and twice as many
wounded-a much heavier total loss thar
that of Skaters army before Santiago
. At New Orleans the British infantry
attacked an intrenched position, as i
+ also did at Breeds Hill. At the battle
( of Belmont, in 1851, the number o.
union troops actually engaged was
! ?, 800, and the number of confederate
between 1000 and 5000. Neither sidC
fought behind intreuchments. The
union loss was 4S5 killed, wounded anC
missing, and the confederate loss wa
+ GAP killed, wounded and missing
Smokeless powder had not yet been in
vented, and muzzle-loading guns werC
used on both sides.
OF course, at Belmont, as at Breed
Hill and New Orleans, the fighting wa
at short range. If either side haC
possessed modern lOngrange rifles anC
smOkeless powder the other side woulC
have been annihilated before it coulC
have been brought into action, unless i
had possessed the same kind of weapons
and ammunition. But then, as now
it was the man behind the gun whit
settled the fate of the day. The person
al equation has not yet been eliminated
from warfare, and it seems to be no les
important factor now than it was
hundred years ago, in the days Of tn
Queen Anne musket and black powder.
County and Local Fairs.
Addison, Middlebury, Aug. 30, 81 ant
September /.
Caledonia, ST. Johnsbury, Septembe
1915.
Champlain valley, Burlington, Septen
Der 60.
Dog River valley, Northfeld, Septen
Der 1916.
Franklin, Sheldon Junction, Angus
81 and September 2.
Rutland, Rutland, September 1915.
Ryegate and Wells, South Ryegat'
September 2l-22.