The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-17
TUESDAY, JANUARY Il, 1890.
LOSSES OF THE CONFEDERATE
ARMIES

There Is in the Records office OF the
War Deartmeut at Washington man
named Leslie J. Perry who was Union
soldier during the war. Mr.. Perry unui
reccntlv was very bitter in his express
sions about the Southern people out
since the Confederate soldiers showed up
so manfully for the United States gov
eminent In the Spanish war, ana since
the President uttered such liberal ana
honorable sentiments I'm his trip SCUM
Mr. Perry has softened down very great
X and his utterances are now far more
IN keeping with our feelings than they
formerly We're. lie IS an indeiatlgaDie
investigator and copious writer and
we hear much less now Of Rebellion
and ORATORS" than of old. The Con
federacy" and the Confederate solder
are much more common with him now
than they used TO be and truly, 10 read
his latter day productions one would be-
gin to think that the lion was seilhs
ready to lie down with the lamb.
The Presidents suggestion that tine
government should take care OF the
graves OF Confederate soldiers has put
Mr.. Perry TO investigating the war Re-
cords to determine what they show as
20 the number Of Confederate dead and
he has a most interesting article upon
the subject in last Sundays New York
sun. At the outset he tells us that the
records of Confederate killed. who died
of wounds and who died Of disease, are
imperfect. almost all the rolls for Ala
bama. for instance. being gone. But he
gives the following as what the Official
records In Washington show, as far as
they go:
Confederates killed in battle 1854 died
of wounds 2i579. died Of disease 5s2g7 or
13s. $50 This is surely wonderful tesu-
monial to the grit perseverance, tenac-
lily and enthusiasm of the people Of the
South. For one hundred and thirty-three
thousand men to cheerfuny lay down
their lives under the terrible and long
stress that pressed uon the Confederate
soldier, for principle only, and be-
cause they would not submit 10 being
coerced into doing what their consciences
condemned, is as fine n tribute TO
small nation as the records OF the world
can show In all time
But great as is this aoss OF life 1t Is
obviously so incomplete as 10 be practi-
cany valuelcss. We know that this great
number laid down their lives, but we
know also that many more did so. Take
the case of Virginia, for instance. The
number Of Virglnians is given as fol-
lows: Killed IN battle. 5.S$; died of
wounds. 25l9. died OF disease. 69i7, or
1904. while North Carolina is shown TO
have lost in killed 1852. died of wounds
6.f5i, died OF disease 20ooe, or 4O2io-
Now North Carolina may have lost more
men than Virginia-it Is probable the
losses Of the two states were about the
same-but II is absurd 10 say that North
Carolina lost 1915 while Virginia lost
only 1861. The records, in other words
testify most eloquently to the heroism
and patriotism of the people OF the South
bat they utterly fail 90 describe what
that patriotism actually embraced.
Mr.. Perry tells us that the result of all
the Investigations OF Union losses-and
they are quite complete-show that the
Union army lost lO9.e3s men killed or
died from wounds, and 22i JSG died OF dis
ease. That also testides I'm mute but
powerful language 20 the heroism OF the
Confederate soldier lie was conquered
Il il true but ne had left his conQueror
a memento that was likely 20 endure.