The National tribune., 1899-05-25
MEMORIAL DAY.

the stupendous facts of the war of tn
rebellion.
The first is that about 100000
young men of the North struggled des
perately for four long, sanguinary year
with about 100000 young men of th'
South for the rescue of the Nations life
This is about rs near the actual number
of the combatants as will be evel
known
Beginning with the firing on For1
Sumter, April II, 1861, and ending
with the surrender of Kirby Smith, May
26, 1865, there were 1906 days, on
every one of which the vicious crack Of
the rifle and the sullen roar of the can.
non resounded somewhere on the Ion Q
line-of battle, which stretched half way
across the continent.
In all 2,261 skirmishes and battles
were fought, ranging from casual en-
counters where but a man or two was
wounded to gigantic battles in which
the slain on either side we're numbered
by thousands and the wounded by
myriads.
The flower of the loyal young man.
hood of the Nation donned the blue
and fought for National salvation.
Kansas sent to tie field 1S.S per cent.
of her population, or nearly one fighting
man for every five of her Teople. Hi.
nois sent 15.1 per cent; Indiana, 14.6
per cent: Minnesota, 14.5 per cent;
Ohio, 1876 per cent. The average for
the Western States and Territories was
1876 rer cent. The average for the
loyal States was 1916 per cent. When
we reflect that this means that every
where one fighting man was furnished
for every eight of the population-in-
Guiding men, women and children
the magnitude of the peoples offering
begins to be comprehcndcd. 1t took
more than the lands first born. His
Younger brethren followed him to the
blazing front.
Out of the 100000 men in the
Union army about 125,000 were actu-
ally killed in battle, 2SO,04O we're
wounded, 1S4,791 were missing or cap
tured, more than 100000 died of dis
ease, and 223,535 were discharged on
account of wounds or disease rendering
them incapable of further service. The
frightful death-roll does not include tens
of thousands who died Immediately after
their discharge, or who were killed, but
missing. Ont of every five
men who enlisted during the war one was
dead at It's close.
More Union soldiers were shot dead
on the field of battle than England has
had killed in her 500 years Of National
life, and she has been fighting continu-
ously, and in every part of the world.
More men fell in four years fighting
for tie Government than have fallen in
all the wars of Europe for the past
three-quarters of century.
The details that make up this
ghastly total speak eloquently of the
and bloodiness of the pro-
tracted struggle. Single regiments lost
more than were killed in the whole of
the recent Spanish-American war.
The dead numbered more than the
whole number enrolled for the Spanish
American war.
The number of wounded was greater
than the total enrolment for that war.
The number of broken-down men dis
charged as incapable of further service
was nearly as great as the total number
Of enlistments for the Spanish-American
war.
OF the total of 2,104 regiments organ
lied for service-60 days, three months,
100 days, six months, nine months, one
year, two years, and three years-300
lost 10 per cent. or more of their total
enrolment killed in battle. The 1st
MINI. lost 50 per cent. killed and
wounded of the men it took into
the battle of Gettysburg. The 18th
Mass. the same proportion Of those it
took into Antietam. The Iron Brigade
lost As per cent. of its number at Man.