The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-05
THE INTELLIGENCER.
WHEELING, MAY 5, 1890.
Concerning Deaths in Wars.

Deaths from all causes during tho
SPANISH war were Gs9 Of ~ per cent Of
~ per cent of deaths in the army during
the first year of the civil war. 1t must
be remembered, however, thut but COM
paratlve handful of the total in the re-
cent spanish war were engaged In actual
fighting, or. indeed, were out OF this coun-
try. Yet, despite this fact and the i'm
provement In methods over thirty years
ngo. the number who died OF disease and
neglect and eInbalmed beef in peace camps
on our own soil were ten times as many
as were killed N battle or died OF
wounds.-Register.
1t Is not unusual in wars that much
greater losses occur in the camps from
disease than occur in battle. or from
wounds received in battle. The stalls
tics Of wars show this to be true. II Is
not strange that. under our system of
maintaining small army, the percent
age OF deaths from and cases of disease
in camps were very large. not only in
the beginning OF the late Spanish-Amer-
lean war but in the civil war of 1s61-'65.
The United States has maintained from
the beginning a very small standing
army and. in case Of war, volunteers
have always formed the great forces
necessary for defense. These volun-
teers were made up largely of young
man, who were without any training
whatever in army life and the require
nients OF campaign. and we're sudden
ly summoned from home life
Those who have been members Of the
National Guard In this country are
drilled in tactics. and have had their
few days each year In camp. surround
ed by all the comforts that the state
provides. and none of the discomforts of
the crowded camps of thousands of
troops. with oil the dangers of bad san
itary conditions that are so hard to
combat before the men are. disciplined
and made to realize that the camp OF
an army division, which may last for
many weeks while the men are being
trained for actual service, Is not the
summer camp Of 4 militia regiment or a
brigade for u week or ten days. from
which the men are returned TO their
homes bright and fresh from their out
ing.
In other countries. where large stand
Ing armies are maintained. an emer-
Eency Is always met with we'll equip
ped force Of trained and disciplined
men, ready at moments call. and the
volunteers and reserves are not taken
from the shops and stores and the
clerks desks. unseasoned. undisclplined.
and without due appreciation of the
rules that govern camp life and the ne
cessity Of strict observance OF sanitary
rules, and hurried to the front. The
point Is well illustrated by the stalls
tics OF many wars. which show that the
peace camps of the volunteers until the
men fresh from private life are sea-
soned and thoroughly disciplined. fur
nish many times more cases OF sick
ness and death from disease than the
camps Of the regulars who have been
In the service for years. 1t has been
true here as in Europe.
During the entire civil war. the num-
Der OF troops killed in battle on the
Union side In four years was. 67.65S;
those who died from wounds numbered
4S,012, while the number dying from dis
case in camp amounted to total Of
$780, nearly double the number dying
from actual fighting" as the Register
calls It. The number dying from dis
ease In southern prisons aggregated
10000. and from accidents. &C., 10000.
The percentage OF deaths during the
first year of the civil war. was nearly
three times greater than the number in
the entire Spanish war. and
the percentage that died OF disease In
camps was great deal larger.
There Is no point to be made IN max
Ing unjust comparisons. The statistics
OF oil wars that have come suddenly.
and where the vast majority OF men are
fresh recruits taken from civil life. un-
trained and unused to the hardshIps OF
camp life ana the health requirements
will demonstrate that the mortality of
camps is greater than that OF the bat
te-feld.
--latest New York Sensation.