The National tribune., 1898-01-06
A STATISTICAL LIAR.

Some writer, who does not dare give
bis name, has furnished the Associated
Press with batch of the latter, which
is now running through all the papers
in the country. He makes a parade of
figures, scarcely one Of which is correct,
and all the errors are to the scandal
and prejudice Of the men who fought
for the country. For example:
The writer recalls the case of thousands of
these who had been assigned to regiments
under Gen. Sherman's command. When
they reached Nashville it was discovered that
they could not join their commands by that
route, as Sherman had cut loose from Atlanta
and was marching through Georgia.
These Summer soldiers are all pensioned now.
These recruits for Sherman's army
were organized by Gen. Thomas into
provisional regiments, brigades and d.
visions, and did good service from Chat
tanooga to Nashville. Brig.-Gen. Cruft
commanded a Provisional Division
largely made up of these, and about
5000 of them Joined his division as
late as Dec. II, four days before the
battle of Nashville Brighten. Benz.
Harrison, late President of the United
States. commanded brigade in the
division. Lieut.-Col. Chas. Fl. Gros-
venor, now Representative from Ohio,
commanded another brigade.
Again;
The records of the War Department show
that one man in every 10 became deserter,
210.G00 having deserted during the war
The records of the War Department
show nothing of the kind. Provost
Marshal General James B. Fry reported
to the Secretary Of War, March II,
1866, that there had been 199,045
deSertions during the war. This was
subsequently, corrected by eliminating
from the number those who had been
killed, wounded or taken prisoner, and
enormously reported as deserters; those
who had been detailed or detached by
proper authority, but not properly re-
ported, and other similar just deductions,
and the total was made 121 1896. That
is, there were only that number Of de-
sertions in a grand total of 2,778,304
enlistments- Any school-boy will at
once show that this means that there
were only 4 per cent Of assertions.
That is, of every 100 men who enlisted
about SO served faithfully through,
while but little over four proved false.
This small percentage of assertions is
one Of the most glorious tributes to the
patriotism and courage of the American
soldiers. 1t is something wholly with
out precedent in the history of the
worlds wars.
Still another:
Sixty thousand Union soldiers were either
killed upon the field of battle or died from
wounds, and $40, 600 died of disease during
the four years struggle.
Mr. j. W. Kirkley, the Statistician Of
the War Department, states that the re-
ports so far collated show that G7,058
men were killed in action, and 1902
died Of wounds, making a total of no.
070, or nearly double the number given
by this manufacturer of bogus statistics
A still more fragrant faIsehood:
-Four out of every 10 men who enlisted in
the Union army either did not leave the
States IN which they were enrolled or did not
get south of Mason and Dixon line. They
never saw a Confederate flag or an armed
rebel.
A very few figures will show the glar-
ing fals;ty Of this AS near as can be
ascertained, 100000 different men
served in the army during the war. We
have seen above that 110,070 were ac.u-
ally shot to death on the field of battle.
The reports show that 275,175 more re.
ceived wounds that wc-c not immedi-
ately fatal, and that 183,287 more died
in the camps and hospitals, and prison
pens Of the South. This makes total
Of 568,532, or more than one-four,h
the total number who were killed
wounded or died south of Mason
and Dixon's Line, and in the pres
ence Of the enemy. Tia. is, out OF
every four men who carved. mo