The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-03-03
LOSSES IN BATTLE.

Notwithstanding the fact that the
theory Is advanced almost every day,
of late. that losses in battle keep
pace with improvements in the inn
elements of warfare, this theory is
completely shattered by carefully
compiled statistics and by the
records of history. 1t is somewhat
amusing to read the British accounts
of "bloody battles" IN South Africa.
fierce lighting" and "dreadf"l can
nonading." The battles in South
Africa are only skirmishes compared
10 some of the great conflicts OF
Earope and of the Civil War IN the
United States.
Although there has been a vast
Improvement IN rapid firing and re-
peating small arms since 1865, the
proportion in killed and wounded
has decreased. The same is true OF
field artillery. The Introduction of
breech-load,ng rapid fire guns, in-
stead of increasing the death rate,
has diminished it This is due to
the fact that celebrity of fire has taken
the place of accuracy of aim. Be-
sides, armies fight cash other these
days at long distances with long
range modern guns, which has les
seped very much the effectiveness of
the fire.
| In the civil war there were 600,-
600 men enrolled IN the Confederate
service. 400, 900 of whom were en-
gagged in active hostilities. The
loss in killed and MORALLY wounded
was 53,733, and in wounded 1884,
026, making total of BAT, 759.
The loss of generals was 25 per cent.
At the battle of Gettysburg more
men were killed on the confederate
tside alone than the Americans and
English combined have lost in their
operations against the Filipinos and
| Beers. Modern guns, both OF In
fantry and, cavalry. have never IN
fiicted such losses as were inflicted
Iby the French light batteries al
Wagram, Borodino, Friedland and
other battles, to say nothing Of
Austerlitz and Waterloo.
General Methuen recently made
the claim of having fought "th'
bloodiest battle Of the century" II
South Africa, when IN fact his los
was not over per cent Of his fore
engaged. The Daily States has
list of statistics of the mortality a
the battle of Getty sburg, which
shows that Lord Me,huen's "blood.
battles" are Insignificant compares
to that famous struggle. The State
says:
i At Gettysburg, the 26th Mort
Carolina regiment " ent into actio
: with 500 men and lost 55s in kille
is and wounded over 63 per cent
is This regiment went INTO Longstreei
f assault with 2l6 men and came on
with but so. Company E. of thl
regiment, went into action with
officers and 80 men. Every man
X the rank aud file was killed c
4 wounded.
Capt. Tu,tle's Company of III
> same regiment went into action wit
D. 8 officers and "a men. All the Oh
Is GERS and SO of the men were kliie
il or wounded.
On the same day Company I
lIth North Carolina regiment, lo
q officers and "a men out of tot
ID Of 3S.
all At the battle Of Seven Pines ii
n 18th North Carolina regiment 10
469 ont of 59o-nearly 90 per cen
y AT Chickamauga the 18th Unite
u States Infantry went IN with IA OF
be GERS and 262 men. The loss was
I'd officers and l58 men.
The 18th United States lnfantl
went in with 10 officers and 29s me-
The loss was IA officers and II
men.
e. In the same battle, the 4th Lou
y, lana Battalion carried in $50 men,
IS. lost IS per cent and came out una
y the command of second lleutenar
The 9Th and goth Louisiana re!
Oh ments consolidated los, 43 per ce
elk of the men carried into acno
I'd The 10th Louisiana regiment lost
I'M per cent. The 25th and 18th lie
,re isiana regiments consolidated Il
81 per cent. as did also the
Louisiana.
-" These statistics show that mode
Il