The herald., 1898-08-25
LIST OF WARS LOSSES
NOT YET COMPILED By ARMY
OFFICIALS
Including Deaths From Disease the
Number Of Dead Will Not
Be Large

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 yet been care
fully compiled, and in fact 1t cannot be
completed for months to come because
included in it must be the deaths from dis
ease in camp and hospital, which Will
far outnumber those from the bullets OF
the enemy. The proportion of deaths from
disease will probably be larger than in
the civil war.
In 1856 an effort was made to ascertain
what the proportion was, which resulted
In showing the aggregate number of deaths
among the Union troops was 359,52S The
number of officers and men killed in ac-
ton was 67,03e, and the number who died
from woundsf received In action was 43,O12.
making total of 10000, or a fraction over
thirty per cent of the aggregate 1t ap-
peared that 2245S6 officers and men, or
more than sixty-two per cent, died OF
disease. The remainder of deaths were
due to various causes. No fewer than
l06 officers and 4,S3S men were drowned,
while 242 officers and 2,972 men died from
accidental causes other than drowning.
According to official and seml-offlcial
reports which are still subject to revision
and correction, the number of officers and
men Of the army killed In action since the
outbreak of histilities against Spain has
been 2s2, and the number wounded 1,496.
making a total Of LIS. 1t IS probable that
additions will be made to the list OF killed
by subsequent reports OF course most Of
the casualties occurred in the fighting
around Santiago. but even there that num-
Der was not excessively large, considering
the stubbornness of the defense and the fact
that infantry, not backed by a sufficient
amount Of artillery, was led against tho
enemy, which was strongly entrenched.
Most of the fighting was with small arms
and few men in the American army. at
least were killed or wounded with shells.
The Spanish troops generally were armed
with the Mauser rifle, a weapon Of long
range. They used smokeiess powder and
had the advantage of position and local
knowledge and made the most Of II. Ac-
cording to previous knowledge the mortality
among the American troops ough; to have
been much heavier. In fact one might
have supposed that superiority OF weapons
alone, as compared with those used by
infantry a hundred years ago, or even
tharty-five years ago, would have pro-
duced that result.
The battle of Breeds Hili-ropuiar.y
called the battle Of Bunker Eill-was fought
In the days Of the f1int-lock musket, when
smokeless powder was unknown, but the
casualties on both sides were relatively
much heavier than In the battle around
Santiago. The Americans did not have
more than 1900 men actually engaged and
the British about twice n many. The
American loss was 145 killed and 306 wound
ed, and the British, 226 killed and 1928
wounded.
In the battle OF New Orleans, the Amer
lean strength engaged was abou. 5000 and
the loss only eight killed and thirteen
wounded, while the British loss, with about
10000 men engaged. was 100 killed and twice
as many wounded, a much heavier total
loss than that of Skaters army before
Santiago. At New Orleans the British In
fantry attacked an entrercbed position, as
It also did at Breeds Hill. At the battle of
Belmont In 1861, the number of Union troops
actually engaged was 1900 and the num-
Der of Confederates between 1900 and 5000.
Neither side fought behind entertainments.
The Union loss was 642 killed. wounded and
missing. Smokeless powder had not yet
been invented and Misunderstanding guns
were used on both sides.