The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-10

Mississippi Confederates will read
with deep interest the following facts
and figures extracted from the report of
DR.. C.. II, Tebault, of New Orleans. He
is surgeon-general United Confederate
Veterans, and has been engaged for
several years in compiling data relat-
ing TO the medical service of the Cou-
federacy. This work has been rendered
difficult by the destruction, in April,
1865, of the medical asd surgical records
deposited in the surgeon-general's Of
fee in Richmond.
The report from which these figures
are taken is the ole submitted by DR..
Tebault at the Atlanta reunion, 1898:
OF the thirty-four States and Territories,
only eleven seeded. In these eleven States,
the men of military age-from Is to 45
years-numbered l,064, 1893, inclusive of
lame, halt, blind, etc. On the Union side
the same class numbered 4,559,s72, over
four to one, without estimating the con
slant accessions from the world at large,
~augmenting constantly the Union side,
The United States, in enlisted men, num-
bered 1855, OPS against not exceeding 6O0,-
900 on the side of the Southern Confederacy.
With the States of Kentucky, Missouri,
Maryland, West Virginia, Tennessee and
the remainder of the Southern States, the
remarkable fact appears, that the South
itself-the Slave States-gave exceeding
800, 1000 to the Union side, more than half
as many soldiers as comprised the entire
Confederate army.
In numbers the Federal loss was g. ,05S
killed and 43,012 died of wounds; total,
1l0,050. OF the Confederates the like total
was 74,524. The Confederates had 80, 1913
killed outright and 1871 ,026 wounded on the
field of battle. 1t is estimated that each of
the 100000 Confederatss, were on an
average, disabled for greater or lesser
periods, by wounds or sickness, about six
times during the war. The heroic, untir-
ing, important part thus borne by the skill
full Confederate surgeons in maintaining
in the field an effective army of unexampled
Confederate soldiers, must challenge par
ticular attention.
The report of Mr.. Stanton, as secretary
of war, on the 10Th of July, 1866, exhibits
the fact that of the Federal prisoners in
Confederate hands during the war, only
q, $50 died; while of the Confederate
prisoners in Federal hands, 26, i36 died
This report does not set forth the exact
number of prisoners held by each side re-
spectiveiy.
The whole number OF Federal prisoners
captured by the Confederates and held in
Southerns prisons from first to last, during
the war, was in round numbers go 900,
while the whole number of Confederates
captured and held in prisons by the Fed
erals was in like round numbers only 22O,-
600. From these two reports it appears
that with $4,000 more prisoners in Southern
stockades, or other modes of confinement,
the deaths were 1000 less. According to
these figures, the percentum of Federal
deaths in Southern prisons was under nine
while the perceutum of Confederate deaths
in Northern prisons was over twelve.
These mortuary statistics are of no small
weight in determining on which side there
was the most neglect, cruelty and in
humanity, proclaiming as they do a loss by
death of more than 3 per cent. of Confed-
crates over Federals in prisons, while the
Federals had an unstinted command Of
everything,
The whole number of Confederates sur
rendered from the 9th of April, 1861, to the
26th of May, 1865, the date of final sur
render, under Gen. f.. Kirby Smith, was,
according to the muster rolls, little under
$4,000. This embraces quite a number,
who from disease and wounds were not
actually in the field at the time. The whole
number of Federal forces then in the field
and afterward mustered out of service, as
the records show. amounted, in round
numbers, to l,050,00
The total loss of killed and died of wounds
in the Franco-German war was 81 per
cent. that of the Austrians in the war
of 1866, &c per cent. that Of the Allies in
the Crimea, 80. But in our war the hemor-
rhage was far greater, for the Federals lost
A. per cent, and the Confederates over 9
per cent, the heaviest loss of any modern
army. that fell around its standard. ] have
here arranged a skeleton of facts, which
with united and earnest purpose we can
fill out to its full and perfect professional
contour to the honor and credit of our
Southland,