The age-herald., 1900-02-18

or did mot exist, and when the opportunity to kill in battle was much greater than it is at the present time. Edward III and Philip VI. tilted with each other at Crecy August 26, 1S46, and the killed and wounded and prisoners amounted in all to 1000 men, The English, although victorious lost 12- 000 This right royal fighting and would nave given war correspondents re- markaIble material for bloody dispatches At Hohenlnden December 8, 1S00 the French loss approximately was 5000, while the Austrfans in killed and wounded lost 5000 and 12000 prisoners were taken. Thus the killed and wounded of that one day equalled the total losses of the Transvaal war on both sides in 120 days. One might infer that the craftsmanship of 1899 and 1900 was of poor quality. This is not true. The fact is that armies meet less in hand to hand conflicts today than ever before. At Marengo June 14, 1S00 the French loss was 1000 and the Austrian loss between 10000 and 12,000, or 1900 in all, which fig ures for a single twenty-four hours of fighting make the battling at the Tugeia and Modder rivers seem like skrmish. But greater carnage than this has been recorded. At Charlottesville May 2, 3 and 4, 1863, the union loss was 16, ,030; the confed- crate loss, 122S1. In other words, 2S.300 men were put out of active service In three days. At Chickamauga September 19 and 20, 1863, the union loss was 15,S51 and the confederate loss 7,S04 an average of about 17,000 a day. Still human life is of more value in 1900 than 1t was in 1S63 The work value of a man is greater today than it was then, and it Is said to be law of tAe Fates that work value increases the mortality wrought in warfare decreases. Which may or may not be so.
 
 July l. 2. and 8. 1863, at Gettysburg the Union loss was: killed, 2,S34: wounded, 13,- 109 missing, 6643. and the Confederate loss 21 fo1 n thnrta an, dou on that battlefield of + 900 men. At An- tdetam September 1T, 1862, the Union loss was 12, ,469 Confederate loss 9,000 to 1000, or a total of at least 21, 300. The second Bull Run was fought August 29 and 30 1862. The Union forces lost 1000 men, and the Con- federates S.4O0. In the battle of the Wilder ness May and 6, 1864, the Union side was crippled by the loss of 1S.000 men, and the Confederate by a loss of 900 men. The Germans and French did equally as we'll at Mars-la-Tour August IS, 1870. The Ger man loss in killed and wounded was 16,000. The French loss in killed wounded and prisoners was 17.000. One regiment lost forty-nine officers and 1,736 men, but this Tegimental loss does not compare with the Union loss at the time of the first discharge of the Confederate batteries and musl1etry at the battle of the Wilderness when 1t is estimated that in five minutes 5000 Union soldiers were wounded and killed. Crave lotte August IS, 1870 was carnage to be | remembered. The Germans left upon the field 20159 dead or wounded men. The French lost between 12,000 and 15,00o.
 Plevena situated in the snows of Bull garian mountains was a battlefield in July, 1877, where the mountain streams of blood and Turk and Museovite dfed with their teeth fixed in each others flesh. The total Russian losses in ten days fighting were 32 900. The Turkish losses have never been accurately known. They were esti- mated at 20,000
 Last but not least of the fierce battles of the world where life was treated a bau- ble comes Waterloo. June IS. 1915. The loss of the English and Prussians was 22,000 and of the French 350a0 Wellington's army could not have survived the ravishes of the French guns but for the support of the allies, and England empire has never come so near annihilation the field of battle as 1t did at Waterloo. President Kruger is said to have promised that before England reached Pretoria the loss of life In her army should be 10000, and unless in- ternal treachery weakens his forces 1t is reasonable to suppose that near the gates of Ladysmith or somewhere within the con- fines of the Transvaal there will yet be a royal battle in which the dead will he strewn thickly upon the field as they were at Peach Tree Creek years ago wher, the infantry crossed the waters upon the bodies of the slain
 H. l. CLEVELAND.