The record-union., 1898-08-25
CASUALTIES OF OUR WARS.
DISEASE KILLS MORE THAN DO
BULLETS
The Proportion Of the Late Con-
fict Will be Larger Than
During the Rebellion.

NEW YORK, Aug. 24-A special to the
Tribune" from Washington says: Inc
list of casualties in the army during the
war with Spain has not yet been care are
fully complied, and, in fact, it cannot be
completed for months TO come, because
Included in it must be the deaths from
disease in camp and hospital, which will
lar outnumber those from the bullets OF
the enemy. The proportion OF deaths
from disease will probably be larger than
In 1885 an effort was made to ascer-
tam what that proportion was, winch re-
suited in showing that the aggregate
number of deaths among the Union troops
was 359,528 The number of officers and
men killed in action was 6I0oS, and the
number who died from wounds received IN
action was 43,012, making a total OF No.
0I0, or a 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 4,S38 men were
drowned, while 242 officers and 1872 men
died from accidental causes other than
According to official and semi official re-
ports, which are still subject to revision
and men of the army killed in action since
the outbreak of hostilities against Spain
has been 282 and the number wounded
/ 1876, making a total of LIS. It is prob
able that additions will be made to the
list of killed by subsequent reports. OF
course, most of the casualties occurred in
there that number 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 the enemy, who was
strongly intrenched Most of the fight
ing was with small arms, and few men in
the American army at least were killed OF
wounded by shells.
The Spanish troops generally were
armed with the Mauser rife, weapon OF
long range. They used smokeless pow
and local knowledge, and made the most
of them. According to all theory, the
ought 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 years ,i;c ago
produced the result.
The battle of Breeds Hill-popularly
CALLED the battle of M Bunker aiinwas
ket, when smokeless powder was un
known, but the casualties on both sides
were relatively much heavier, than il
the battles around Santiago. The Ameri
cans did not have more than 1,500 mer
actually engaged and the British about
twice as many. The American loss was
Jas killed and S05 wounded and the Brit
ish 226 killed and S2S wounded. AT the
battle of New Orleans the American
strength engaged was about $500 and th'
loss only S killed and II wounded, while
the British loss, with about $500 and tho
gagged, was ZOO killed and twice as many
wounded-a much heavier total loss thar
that of Skaters army before Santiago
AT New Orleans the British infantry at
tackled an intrenched position, as it also
did at Breeds Hill. At the battle of Bel
mont in 1861 the number of Union troops
actually engaged was y 500 and the mum
her Of Confederates between 1000 and 5000
Neither side fought behind intrenchments
The Union loss was 642 killed, wounded
and missing. Smokeless powder had not
yet been invented, and muzzle-loadins
guns were used by both sides.