Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1900-04-26
SLAIN IN GREAT BATTLES.
Loss of Life Not Heavy In the
Transvaal War
A RUNNING COMPARISON
Kitchener Destroyed $1,000 Human
Souls In a Day-A Comparison Of
the Fiercest Battles of the World
The Matter of Workmanship.

Souls In a Day-A Comparison Of
the Fiercest Battles of the World
The Matter of Workmanship.
In proportion to the number of men
engaged upon both sides there have
been practically no marked losses of
life in the Transvaal campaign, says
the Chicago Times-H Herald. The forces
of England in South Africa are rapid.
ly approaching 100000 in number. The
highest estimate placed upon the size
of the Transvaal army is $4,000. Eng
ishmen and Beers have confronted
each other in battle since October -
The number of English killed, wound
ed and missing or taken prisoners
does not yet exceed 10000 In ali prob
ability, owing to their intrenched posi-
tions and mountain embellishments
which surround them, the Beers have
net lost over twothirdS this number.
1t is fair to suppose that the total
losses on both sides in 100 days of
fierce campaigning do not exceed IT,
900 men, The killed on both sides do
not number $500. This is merciful
war so far as taking human life Is
concerned, just as all war is beneficial
in it's destruction of waste forces and
vitalizing power upon the best which
survives. The words carnage" and
slaughter" have no real place so far
in the Transvaal fighting. Why, Kit
chener, on one day alone-Septembe
2, 1S9S-destroyed at Omdurman, IT,
COO dervishes-miserable, ignorant
fanatics, who thought they had right
to live. That is slaughter.
Let us see how men killed each 9TH
er in the past when firearms were not
modern or did not exist, and when
the opportunity to kill in battle was
much greater than 1t is at the present
time. Edward III and Philip vi tilted
with each other at Crecy August &c,
1916, and the killed and wounded and
prisoners amounted in all to $4,000
men. The English although victori-
ous lost 10000. This was right royal
fighting and would have given war
correspondents remarkable material
for bloody dispatches. At Hohenlin
den December 8, 1900, the French loss
was approximately 5000, while the
Austriahs in killed and wounded, lost
5000 and 10000 prisoners were taken.
Thus the killed and wounded of that
one day equaled the total losses in
the Transvaal war Of both sides in 100
days. One might infer that the marks
manship of 1899 and 1900 was Of poor
quality. This is not true. The fact is
that armies meet less in hand-to-hand
conflicts to-day than ever before. At
loss was 1000 and the Austrian loss
between 10000 and 10000, or 10000
in all, which figures for a single TWEEN
fy IF oh al Il a ha \.
Ting at the Tugela and Modder rivers
seem like a skirmish. But greater car
mage than this has been recorded At
Charlottesville. May 2, and 4, 1868,
the Union loss was 5000 the Confed-
crate loss 12,2S1. In other words 2S,-
800 men were put out of active SER
vice in three days. At Chickamauga,
September 10 and 20, 1863, the Union
loss was 1851 and the Confederate
loss 1884, an average of about H.
600 day Still human life is Of moro
value In 1900 than 1t was in 1868. The
work value of man is greater to-day
than it was then, and it is said to be
a law of the FateS that as work val.
ne increases the mortality wrought in
warfare decreases. Which may or may
not be so.
July l, 2 and 8, 1853, at Gettysburg,
the Union loss was, killed 2,83l,
wounded 1900, missing 6,634, and
the Confederate loss 81 ,621, so that
there was an average loss per day on
that battlefield of $1,000 men. At An
tietam September II, 1862, the Union
loss was 12469, Confederate loss 5000
to 10000, or a total Of at least q, 500.
The second Bull Run was fought on
August 20 and 80, 1862. The Union
forces lost $4,000 men and the Con.
federates S,400 In the battle of the
Wilderness, May 5 and 6, 1864, the
Union side was crippled by the loss
Of $4,000 men and the Confederate by
loss of 1000 men. The Germans
and French did equally as we'll at
Marsla-Tour August 16, 1870. The
German loss in killed and wounded
was 10000. The French loss in
killed wounded and prisoners was IT,
600. One regiment lost 40 officers and
l,736 men, but this regimental loss
does not compare with the Union loss
at the time of the first discharge of
the Confederate batteries and musket.
ry at the battle of the Wilderness,
when it is estimated that in five min.
utes 5000 Union soldiers were wound
ed and killed. Grayelotte, August IS,
1917, was carnage TO be remem-
bered The Germans left upon the
field 90 59 dead or wounded men. The
French lost between 1900 and $4,000.
Plevna, in the SHOWS of the Bull.
garian mountains, was battlefield
in July, 1877, where the mountain side
ran streams of blood, and Turk and
Muscovite died with their set teeth
fixed in each others flesh. The total
Russian losses in ten days fighting
were $4,000. The Turkish losses have
never been accurately known. They
have been estimated at 10000.
Last but not least of the fierce bat
ties of the world where life was treat.
ed as bauble comes Waterloo, June
IS, 1876. The loss of the English and
Prussians was $4,000 and of the
French $4,000. Wellington's army
could not have survived the ravish-
es Of the French guns but for the sup
port of the allies, and England as an
Empire has never come so near an.
Inhalation on the field of battle as it
did at Waterloo.