The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-05-29

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engaged In any battle In the war OF
1912 was at New Orleans on the NJ m
orable Sth Of Jsnuary. 1916 General
Jackson reported his force at 8, 69S d
his loss at IA killed and 80 wounded.
The largest number commanded by
General Scott In any one battle In the
war with Mexico was about 800. which
was the strength Of his amy al
Chapultepec and the City Of Mexico,
and his losses In those two engagements
were l90 killed and 704 wounded.
These facts show the magnitude Of
the operations OF the Army Of the Poto
mac but to make the comparison more
marked and general, let me recall that
the records Of our government show that
the killed and wounded Of the armies
Of the United States in oil the battles
Of all the wars fought by Americans
prior to 1861 and since 1866. are less in
number than the casualties Of the Army
Of the Potomac in one battle Of the
Wilderness.
ALyner comparison oocurs 10 me
which illustrates the magnificent quail
ties Of the officers and soldiers Of the
Army Of the Potomac. The losses in
killed and wounded sustained by any
army in battle may be taken as q fair
indication Of the persistency and de.
termination Of its soldiers. Measured
By this standard and record the Army
Of the Potomac challenges the applause
Of all who admire genuine heroism. In
some Of the battles in which this army
engaged, nearly q third Of its officers
and soldiers were either killed or
wounded, while in the great battles Of
Europe the losses seldom exceeded one
seventh, and in many Of she European
battles which history describes as severe
and sauguinary the killed and wounded
we're only from to 10 per cent Of the
force engaged. At Austerlitz. one Of
Napoleon's greatest battles. his loss was
less than IA per cent; at Wagram, an
other Of his great battles. his loss was
less than six per cent, and at Esslong
his loss was per cent. At Waterloo,
WelliDgton's entire loss was less than
10 per cent. At Magenta and Solferino,
1859, the loss Of both armies was less
than 8 per cent.
At Konigrath In 1865 the loss was 6
per cent, while the average In the
various battles between France and
Germany in 1870 was less than 10 per
cent.
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
including all the battles in the cam.
paign of Scott and Taylor. was 1,049
killed and died Of wounds. and 3. 928
wounded and recovered.
The loss in the war Of 1919 was 1,877
killed and died Of wounds, and S.7S7
wounded and recovered.
The losses In the seven years Of the
Revolution were about 2. 200 killed and
8 600 wounded.
Now If we deduct from the casualties
of the battle Of the Wilderness the num-
Der reported as missing, many Of whom
M doubt we're killed or wounded we still
have loss Of 81, O60 killed and wound
ed. Therefore in the battle Of the Will
derness the killed and wounded we're
five. and .a-half times the killed and
wounded In all the battles of the war
with Mexico, almost five times the
killed and wounded In the war Of 1912
to 1914, and more than three times the
killed and wounded in the war Of the
Revolution.
The enormous number Of casualties
sustained by the Army Of the Potomac
shows that when the Americans were
opposed to each other in battle, the
killed and wounded were three and
sometimes four times as great in mum.
Der as the average killed and wounded
In other armies In the battles Of modern
times.
The fearful casualty list Of both con-
tending armies in the Civil war was
-oaussd By the-detsrmIned courage Of the
army which attacked, and the stubborn
resistance ofthose who met and resisted
the assaulting columns. X was THIS
heroic conduct which brought to their
fullest MEASURE the splendid Qualities Of
American soldiers Il cannot be contend
ed that these great casnaIties' were
due to the pss Of superior weapons
because Of 'the Prussisn and Austrian
! war Of 1855 the Franco Prussian wsE
IN 1870 the Turoo. Rnssian war ~