Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-26
PRAISES HIS OLD FOES
GEN. WHEELER EULOGIZES VALOR
OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS.
Presents Some Interesting Statistics
Regarding Losses During War
Between the States.

The reunion exercises Of the Society Of
the Potomac at Fredericksburg. Va. yes
terday were continued at night in the opera
house. where addresses were made by a
number Of the veterans, including Gen. Joe
Wheeler. who said:
The history of the Army Of the Potomac
presents features which are very distinctive
in their character. 1t maintained its organ
ization from the firing Of the first gun in
1851 to the close Of the great struggle in
1865. It's operations were confined princi-
pally to the small area Of territory lying be-
tween the cities Of Washington and Rich
mond. Its record considering the numbers
engaged and the sanguinary character of
| the battles, presents a picture of martial
prowess unsurpassed by any army of mod
times.
The magnitude of the operations in which
the Army of the Potomac engaged can be
best appreciated by instituting a comparison
between them and other campaigns and
battles. Among the many great battles in
which the Army of the Potomac engaged
We recall Seven Pines May 3l-June l. 1862;
the seven days battle, June 26 to July l;
second battle Of Manassas, August 30; An
tietam, September II: Fredericksburg, De-
cember Is: Charlottesville. May l to 4.
1863; Gettysburg. July l to 3: Wilderness.
May to I, 1861; Spottsylvania, May to Is:
Cold Harbor. June l to Il. and the various
engagements around Petersburg and Rich
mond from June 10 to the close of the war.
The Feature of the Losses.
1t would be impossible on this occasion to
discuss all these great battles even in the
briefest manner. and I shall only alude to
feature which shows the determined
character and indomitable courage Of those
v no We're engaged, a feature which, " bile
creditable to the Army of the Potomac, is
equally creditable to the opposing forces.
Cen Grant took command of the army in
March, 1s'A and fought his first great bat
tie in Virginia, called the battle Of the Will
dcrness, May to T.
Phssterers Statistical Record states that
the casualties of Grants army in that bat
tie Were 5.597 killed, 81 465 wounded TO-
67I missing making a total of 81. 49,.
These new figures tell with more force OF
the courage and devotion of American SOL
diers than volumes could describe.
To make this more comprehensive, we
must remember that the largest army conn
manded by Washington in any operation
during the of the revolution was,
think at Yorktown, his force at :ha: place
being about 1000 and his losses being but
- killed and 20I wounded.
The losses of the federal army in the bat
tie of the Wilderness were, therefore, more
than three times the number of the entire
American army engaged at Yorktown, and
more than a hundred times as great as
Washington's losses in that battle.
I believe the largest number of men en-
gagged in any battle in the war of 1912 was
at New Orleans on the memorable Sth of
January. 1S15 Gen. Jackson reported his
force at 5,69s, and his loss at IA killed and
30 wounded. The largest number COM
rnanded by Gen. Scott in any one battle in
the war with Mexico about 1900, which
was the strength of his army at Chapulte-
pee and the City of Mexico. and his losses
in those two engagements were 100 killed
and 7O4 wounded.
Striking Comparison.
These facts show the magnitude of the
operations Of the Army of the Potomac;
but to make the comparison more marked
and general let me recall that the records
of our government snow that the killed
and wounded of the armies of the United
States in all the battles Of all the wars
fought by Americans prior to 1861 and
since 1860 are less in number than the cas-
ualties of the Army of the Potomac in one
battle Of the Wilderness.
Another comparison occurs to me which
illustrates the magnificent qualities of the
officers and soldiers Of the Army of the
Potomac. The losses in killed and wound
ed sustained by any army in battle may be
taken as fair Indication Of the persistency
and determination of Its soldiers. Meas
ured by this standard the record of the
Army of the Potomac challenges the APP
plause Of all who admire genuine heroism.
In some Of the battles in which this army
engaged nearly third of its officers and
soldiers either killed wounded,
while in the great battles of Europe the
losses seldom exceeded one-seventh. and in
many of the European battles which his
tory describes severe and sanguinary
the killed and wounded were only from
to 10 per cent of the force engaged. At
Austerlitz. one of Napoleons greatest bat
ties. his loss was less than IA per cent; at
Wagram. another of his great battles, his
loss less than per cent, and at Ess-
long his loss was per cent At Waterloo
Wellington's entire loss was less than IL
per cent. At Magenta and Selferino, 1859,
the loss of both armies was less than per
cent.
AT Konigrath. in 1865. the loss was per
cent, while the average in the various bat
ties between France and Germany in 1870
was less than - per cent.
Our War With Mexico.
In the war with Mexico our victories
were signal, but the enemy seldom stood
sufficiently long to infiict great losses on
our troops.
The entire loss of the American army. in
Guiding all the battles in the campaign of
Scott and Taylor, was 1.049 killed and died