Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-03-15
Saint Nafg's Beacon,
THE SLAIN IN BATTLE.

palgn, says the Onlcago lines
Herald. The forces of England in
South Africa are rapidly approach
ing 100000 in number. The high
est estimate placed upon the size of
the Transvaal army is SO, 600. Eng
lishmen and Beers have confronted
each other in battle since October
II. The number of English killed,
wounded and missing or taken pris-
oners does not yet exceed 10000.
In all probability, owing to their
intrenched positions and mountain
battlements which surround
them, the Beers have not lost over
two.thirds this number. 1t is fair
to suppose that the total losses on
both sides in 100 days Of fierce
campaigning do not exceed $4,000
men. The killed on both sides do
not number 1900. This is a mer-
ciful war, so far as taking human
life is concerned, just as all war is
beneficial in its destruction Of waste
forces and vitalizing power upon
the best which survives. The words
Carnage" and "slaughter" have
no real place 80 far IN the Trans
vaal fighting. Why, Kitchener, on
one day alone-September 2, 1893
destroyed at Omdurman $4,000
deryishes miserable, ignorant, IA
natics, who thought they had right
to live. That is slaughter.
Let us see how many men killed
each other in the past when fire.
arms were not modern or did not
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 2G, 1916, and
the killed and wounded and prison
ers amounted in all to AZ, 900 men.
The English, although victorious,
lost $1,000. This was right royal
fighting and would have given war
correspondents remarkable material
for bloody dispatches. At Hohen-
linden Decent Der 3, 1900, the French
loss was approximately 5000, while
the Austrians, in killed and wound
ed, lost 5000 and II, 900 prisoners
we're taken. Thus the killed and
wounded of that one day equaled
the total losses in the Transyaal
war of both sides in 1870 days. One
might infer that the marmanship
Of 1899 aid 1900 was Of poor quail
ity. This is not true. The fact is
that armies meet less in hand-to-
hand conflicts to-day than ever be-
fore. At Marengo, June II, 1900,
the French loss was 2, 200 and the
Austrian lose between 10000 and
$4,000, or 900 in ali, which zig.
ures for a single twentY.four hours
fighting make the battling at the
Tugela and Modder rivers seems
Ike q skirmish. But greater car
mage than this has been recorded.
At Charlottesville. May 2, 3 and
4, 1868, the Union loss was l6, 030,
the Confederate loss Il, 28l. lu
other words, 28, 800 men were put
out of active service in three days.
At Chickamauga, September / 0 and
20, 1868, the Union lose was 10 ,5S1
and the Confederate loss Z, SG4, an
average Of about II, 900 a day. Still
a human life IS Of more value in
1900 than it was in 1868. The work
value of a man is greater to-day
than it was then, and it is said to
be q law of the Fates that as work
value increases the mortality
wrought in warfare decreases.
Which may or may not be so.
July /, 2 and 3, 1868, at Gettys-
burg, the Union loss was, killed
1884, wounded 3,709, missing
6,843, and the Confederate loss 81
CPL, so there was an average loss
per day on that battlefield Of IL
900 men. AT Antietam Septem Der
II, 1862, the Union loss was 49,
400, Confederate loss 1000 to 49,
600, or a total of at least II, 500.
The second Bull Run was fought
on August 30 and 30, 1862. The
Union forces lost Is, 900 men and
the Confederates 8,400. In the
battle Of the Wilderness, May 5 and
6, 1854, the Union side was Grip