The state herald., 1900-01-12
BATTLES OF HISTORY
WHICH MAKE THE PRESENT
ONES APPEAR TAME.
Lord Methuens Description of the
Modder River AFFAIR Ridiculous When
Compared with Real Batties-soms
Civil War Fatalities.

Lord Methuen. in sending word to
the London war office of the engage
ment at Modder river, South Africa.
threw the English people into conster-
nation by describing 1t as the bloodiest
battle Of the century. When the de-
tails were received 1t was found that
the British loss was 73 killed, S72
wounded and II missing-a total of 452
In an army Of 1000 r<en. The Beers
suffered as much with force OF IL 900
In a defensive position. so. all told. the
losses were less than ! 900 men. This
loss makes the Modder river affair an
anair Of outposts compared to real
battle of this century. At New Or
leans, where the contending forces were
less than those engaged in this African
encounter, 2,100 men were killed and
wounded. At Cold Harbor, Va, $500
federal troops were killed and wound
ed In an assault lasting twenty min
utes upon the Confederate fortifca-
tons. At Spottsylvania and the Will
derness, In Virginia, 57,335. At Gettys-
burg 53lS6 were killed and wounded.
At Stone River 36,57S men were sacri-
feed. At Chickamauga the sacrifice
was as much as at Stone river. At
Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. 25,000 rep
resents the loss. At Charlottesville,
10000; at Antietam, 26.000. Turning
to the old world. we find bloody en-
counters that make the end of the
century fighting very tame affairs. The
battle OF Albuera. Spain, was the most
terrible of the peninsula war. 1t oc-
CURED on the 10th of May. 1911, when
10000 French under Soult advanced
on The heights held by the English and
Spanish under Beresford. In the face
OF heavy artillery. the French succeed
ed in carrying the heights occupied by
the Spaniards. Then the English at
tempted to force them back. but were
several times repulsed. The fusiliers,
however. came to the rescue and won
the day for the allied armies. In four
hours Of fighting $4,000 men were
slain-s.0O0 of the French and 1000 Of
the allies. The battle of Aspern. May
20. 1909. took place at the village OF
that name on the Danube. Both the
Austrian and the French armies were
100000 strong. The Austrians lost 81
officers and 1900 privates killed and
$4,000 wounded. while the French un-
der Napoleon suffered a loss of 30 900.
At Austerlitz. Dec. 2. 1905. the
French had 10000 men in the plain.
while 10000 Russians and Austrians
were strongly posted In the heights.
The French gained the heights at ter
rible cost, the Russians and Austrians
fleeing across n body of frozen water.
The cannons were turned to play on
the Ice with the result that thousands
were drowned in the lake The French
loss was 1900 and that OF the allies
was $4,000. Bautzen. May 20 and 81.
1913, was won by the French, who had
an army OF 100000. against 10000 Rus
sian and Prussian troops. Each side
lost 1900 men. At Borodino. a vii
lage In Russia. Napoleon fought one
Of the bloodiest battles in his march to
Moscow, Sept. z. 1872. The two op-
posing sides were nearly equally
strong. the French having $4,000 and
$50 cannon. while the Russians num-
bered 1872. 900 and had $40 pieces OF ar
tillery. The Russians had 5000 men
killed and 10000 wounded. The French
lost 10000 killed and had $4,000
wounded-a total OF $4,000 casualties.
Dresden was the scene OF frightful
battle. Aug. &c and "a. 1913. The
French lost 10000 men. while the al
lied armies sustained loss OF 30 900
killed. wounded and taken prisoners.
Al Eylau, In Prussia. Feb. s, 1907. the
French had 10000 troops and the Rus
SLAMS $1,000. The armies fought In an
open field. close together. where artil-
lery and rife fire was frIghtfully dis
astrous. The total loss was 10000 men.
each side sustaining an equal loss. Oct.
Is. II and is. 1913. were terrible days
at Leipsig. The armies OF Napoleon
lost 10000 men and those OF the al-
lies $4,000. The losses Mt the siege OF
Sebastopol. although II lasted some
10000 men: the French 10000: the
Turks. 1000: the Sardinians. 1000; the
Russians. 81. .000-a total OF $4,000. In
the battle OF Waterloo Napoleon lost
10000 and the allies 81 900 men. Grave
lotte. the decisive battle OF the Franco
Prussian war, resulted In loss OF 30,-
900 men to the French and 10000 to the
Germans. Al Ligny the French los,
5000 and the Prussians 1900. Jena,
Oct. II. 1906, resulted In the Prusslans
losing 10000 men and the French
1900. Al the battle OF Sedan. Sept, /,
1870. the Germans lost 5000 killed and
wounded. while the French losses were
1900. July 3, 1866. was the date OF
the great battle of koniggratx. or. as
II is often called, Sadowa. The Prus-
SLAMS. numbering 22i 900. defeated the
Austrlans. who had numerical
strength OF 100000. The Prussians los,
10000. while the Austrians suffered the