Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-10
Of SOUTH AFRICAN WARS
BY MA1oR-cDnSnRAL NELSON A. MILES, COMMANDING THE UNITE
% STATE s ARMY
STATE s ARMY

In considering the subject Of modern
Warfare it might well to make a few
comparisons in order to show the chang
ed conditions resulting from the use Of
modern Notwithstanding the
fact that those now in use are far more
powerful than any before invented or
used by man, the loss Of life in battle
has gradually diminished as the use
Of l%ong-range weapons has become gen.
eral. Greater distances are maintained
between the lines of hostile forces and
great masses of troops are not exposed
to fire. The firing lines are not such
conspicuous targets, being formed Of men
in single or double rank, who can Occa-
sionally resort to cover.
The theater of war covers a more ex-
tensive territory. n yet, with all the
changes, the same principles Of strategy
and grand tactics prevail now as thou
sands of years ago, and victory or dis
aster depends just as frequently upon
the skill Of the commanders.
The losses in battles of modern times,
as compared with the times of Frederick
the Great and Napoleon, are considerably
less.
WAR LOSSES GROWING LESS.
The ancient battles of the Romans were
the most ~sanguinary in history, the fight
ing being hand to hand, resulting usual
ly in humiliation of the defeated army.
1t the battle of Cannae. in which 1900
Romans were engaged, $4,000 were killed
or wounded and Is. 600 were taken pris-
oners. while the loss Of the Cathagenians,
who were victorious, was only 5000.
At Lundy's Lane. the severest engage
ment OF the war Of 1872, the Americans
lost 1900 men out of 5000 GO per cent?
and the British 900 out of $500 (32 per
cent ;at{ -
The two great battles of the age in
point OF loss are Waterloo and Gettys-
burg, and between them there is a re-
markahle similarity both in number en-
gagged and extent of casualties. At Wa
terloo the French numbered O,C00 men
and 252 guns; the Allies numbered 1000
men and 1856 guns. At Gettysburg the
Union army numbered 1000 men and
300 guns: the Confederates 10000 men and
$50 guns. At Waterloo wellington's
army lost 23,1S5. or 80 per cent: at Get
tysburg Meade's army lost %, 1908, or %
per cent.
In the Crimean war the British loss
in killed and wounded in the battle of
the Alma was 2,012 out Of a total force
engaged of 81 500. h percentage being g.,
and they lost 1887 men out of 7,464 en-
gagged at the battle Of Inkermann, or a
percentage of 81.
During the great Civil war, from 1861
to 1866. there We're enlisted in the Union
army over $3.50. 900 men. and there were
killed in action 4.142 officers and 81, 916
enlisted men (total 81. 058): died of wounds
received in action. 1929 officers and 49,
7S9 enlisted men (total 43.012); died of
disease, 2.795 officers and 221, 791 enlisted
men (total 224, 1857
II the present war in South Africa the
British loss has been great in killed,
wounded and prisoners.
LINES OF COMMUNICATION.
In a campaign much depends upon
keeping Open the lines of communication
over which those most necessary supplies
for every army, food and ammunition,
must be transported. During the great
communication We're the following:
Louisville to Chattanooga via NASH
vile, $40 miles: Chattanooga to Atlanta.
140 miles; average distance traversed in
~maneuvering from Chattanooga to At
lanta. 17S miles: Atlanta to Savannah.
2s7 miles; Savannah to Goldsboro, APO
miles: Washington to Richmond. 116
miles,
In South Africa at the present time
the important British lines of communica-
ton are: For Lord Methuen's column,
from Cape Town to De Aar Junction, up
ward of 500 miles: for General French's
command, Port Elizabeth to Colesburg,
go miles: for General Gatacre's command,
East, London to Orange river, 225 miles,
and for General Buffers army, Durham
to Frere, 1870 miles. These columns are
still within the British colonies and have
not vet reached the territory of the South
African republics.
From Pretoria, Durham is more than
400 miles distant; Port Elizabeth and East
London more than 600. and Cape Town 900.
The territory of the Transvaal Is as large
as Massachusetts. New York, New Jer-
sey and Pennsylvania combined; and
from Pretoria 1t extends about 100 miles
to the westward. 230 miles to the east
ward. $50 miles to the northward and 80
miles directly southwark.
The campaigns during the Civil war
in our W country between 1861 and 1868
illustrate the results of the operations Of
two contending forces. equal in enter
prise. energy and fortitude. and both un-
der skillful generalship. The use Of long
range weapons gives the greater advan-
tage to the force acting on the defensive,
and this advantage can only be overcome
by overpowering numbers on the side of
the opposing force.
There are some new implements Of
warfare, the use Of which affords great
aid to an army, NC as the wireless
telegraph, the heliostat. the TELEPHONE and
the telegraph, and whichever Of two con-
tending armies is without these imple.