The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-05

by the victors exceeded all bounds, and
at last. driven to desperation. the citi-
zens rose in revolt. md. with scarce
any other weapons than stones and
clubs, In "a hours of furious retribu-
tion killed in she streets. like so many
rats. 5000 trained and fully armed
Austrians. Nothing quite like this is
recorded elsewhere in history.
Americans nave always regarded the
battle Of Bunker Hill as a victory. and
there Is a good deal Of fairness in this
point of view. A force of 5000 English
regulars. well covered by the fire of the
men-of-war i'm Boston harbor. were
pitted against half their number with
fowling pieces and scantily supplied
with ammunition. Yet these provin-
Gals repulsed the fierce assaults, and
My abandoned their hastily con-
structed earthworks when their pow
der was exhausted. The English slain
and wounded was i'm excess of 1000.
while the Americans lost less than 800.
With the perfection OF drill and dis
cipiine. and the Ease these give In
handling great armies. disparity in
numbers is more of a handicap han
formerly. Yet some of Napoleon's
most important victories were won
against great odds. At the battle of
Austerlitz the French numbered S.. 900.
while opposed to them were 90. 200 Rus
slams and Austrians. So complete was
the defeat of the allies. however. hat
IL was only with the utmost difficulty
that the emperors of Russia and Aus
tria effected their escape. Twenty
thousand prisoners were taken. and a
like number Of dead and wounded were
left upon the field of battle. The loss
attending the flight of the army was
even more horrible than the slaughter
attending the actual conflict. In at
tempting to escape across some frozen
ponds. the Ice gave way beneath their
weight. and numbers of the Russians
were drowned. General L~ongeron.
who saw the battle. says: Il had pre-
viously seen some lost battles. but /
had no conception of such a defeat"
At Essling 5000 French held their
ground against 100. 900 Austrians, re-
pulsing assault after ssault.
The battle of New Orleans was won
in the face of odds. Twelve thousand
English veterans, fresh from their vic
tories over the French. were routed
with a loss of 1000 of their number by
5000 Americans under General Jack
son. 1t vas the sure ain OF the men
behind the uns Southern and West
ern frontiersmen, who sent their
death-deaiing bullets through the
ranks of their enemies, that decided
the day.
We may count the defense of the
Alamo a partial victory at least, as
Traves, Crockett and Bowie and 40
Texans held 10 for two weeks against
an army of 1000 Mexicans. Refusing
to surrender. they calmly let pass ev-
cry opportunity to escape. while they
held the invading army i'm check that
their comrades without the walls
might have time to rally in defense of
their homes.
When their ammunition was almost
spent the Mexicans. who had been re-
inforced by 1000 fresh troops. made
the last assault upon the battered
walls. This was at dawn, Sunday.
March 6. 1899. The struggle was rom
cluded in three hours, but only when
the last Texan had given M his life.
''The ~Thermopylae had its messenger
of defeat this Alamo had none"
This victory cost the Mexicans $50
men on the last day. while during the
preceding two weeks their number in
killed was 1000.
The so-caIled siege of Delhi. in the
dark days of the indian mutiny, re-
suited in a remarkable victory. Delhi,
a well fortified city. was taken by as
sault by a force greatly inferior in
point of numbers to the defenders.
Within the city were 30. 900 native
soldiers all of them we'll armed and
many of them well trained. Yet 5000
Englishmen carried the city by storm.
1t was a bitterly contested victory.
however. Even after The outer de
lenses were won there were six days
of fierce fighting in the streets.
1t will be seen hat mere numbers
have not always determined victories.
It's the fighting temper of the soldiers
that decides who shall keep the field.
and il may be that our present war
with Spain is not such an unequal
struggle after all. The odds Spain
must face are Insignificant in compari-
son with those that confronted Japan
in her recent wal with hin