Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-19

themselves on going into battle with
the thought that at the worst they
have nine chances out of ten In favor
Of escape from bullets. But 1t Is not
necessary to go further than our civil
war to find many battles where the In
dividual had but four chances out of
five.
1t really depends upon what is con-
sidered real warfare, this matter of
bloody battling. Some battles are sim
ply slaughters. At Marathon 10000
Athenians killed 5000 Persians out
right on the field and lost but 102 In
their own ranks. Arminius, ON the
banks Of the Lippc, slaughtered the
legions Of Caesar, leaving a legacy of
horrible names holding to this day, like
Bone Lane" Bone Brook" and
slaughter Kettle" valley. 1t was
this frightful event which led Caesar to
wall, addressing the vanqulshed gen.
eral, Bring back my leglons, varus"
Out Of the 60,O00 Normans led to vic
tory at Hastings by William the Con
queror 5000 were killed, and at Blen-
helm. field Of famous victory" where
Louis XIV staked the prize of univer-
sal dominion, the vanquished French
lost 1900 killed, while Marlborough
lost but 5000.
These examples are taken from the
days Of battleax and club and spear.
Since the Introduction of gunpowder as
a factor In warfare records have either
been better kept or more sought after,
and a fairly good average of percent
ages may be given to support the claim
of any battle for honors In ghastliness.
In the seven greatest battles of the sew
enteenth century, when the masses car
ried muskets and pixies, the average
casualties were &c per cent, SO that
each man stood but four chances in
five of escape. The figures given for
casualties may include prisoners, but
In those days heavy surrenders were
not common. The exceptionally bloody
battles Of the period were Lutzen, 1852;
Rocroy, 1643, and Seneffe, 1914. At
Lutzen $1,000 imperialists lost 1000,
and 10000 Swedes lost 1000, total
of $4,000 out OF $1,000, or IS per cent.
At Rocroy $4,000 French lost 1000,
while 27000 spaniards lost 1900, be-
ing totally defeated by the great Con.
de. At Seneffe, Belgium, In a battle
between 10000 Dutch allies and $4,000
French under Conde the total losses
were $1,000, or "a per cent.
In this period belongs Marston Moor,
where the casualties, all told, were
1900. The civilians said that they
buried 1000 bodies on the field. Lut.
zen was a victory for Gustavus Adol-
phus over the great Wallenstein, but
he was killed, and one Of his regiments,
called the "Yellows," lay dead on the
ground in the order where they had
stood In fighting. Wallenstein left
5000 dead on the field, half of the 49,
600 casualties of the day. At Rocroy
out Of $4,000 infantry the defeated
Spanlards lost 1900 killed In the ranks.
"How many of you were there before
the battle?' French officer asked
Spanlard. "You have only to count
our dead and prisoners"
In the middle OF the seventeenth CEN
fury the bayonet superseded the pike.
There were 23 great battles fought
with the smoothbore musket and
bayonet from Fontenoy, 174b, to Wa.
terloo. 1915. .Napoleon's loss at Wa
terloo has never been officially com.
puted, but the estimates adopted make
the loss "a per cent, including prison
ers. Borodino. 1912, was long consid-
cred the bloodiest battle of modern
times, the loss being apparently SO per
cent. but 1t has been shown that the
figures are deceptive. The average Of
the period Of smoothbore and bayonet
was about 20 per cent in the % great
battles. Prisoners are oftan included