The San Francisco call., 1904-07-06
Losses ~ Great Battles.

the casualties Of a beaten army in a
hotly contested battle were apt to be
the final losses. The wounded were usr-
ally taken prisoners or slain. Few men
hurt seriously escaped the fierce and
close pursuit of the victors.
Even the winning side had a far
smaller proportion of losses which were
merely temporary or technical than
armies suffer in these times. when
every man hit by a rife ball figures in
the list Of casualties, and nine out Of
ten reported wounded recover soon and
rejoin their commands. In modern war
the so-called losses published after 4
battle can be cut down to % or 80 per
cent Of the official numbers in ascer-
tanning the permanent diminution Of
the forces engaged.
In this respect, however, battles diff
fer widely. Sometimes actions fought
at close quarters under peculiar condi-
tions. as, for instance. in cases which
involve the stOrming Of strong works
defended by heavy artillery, the proper
tion of casualties which mean death
may rise TO something like the terrible
mortality rate Of medieval wars.
When the Russians flung themselves
upon the French and Sandman lines
at the Tehernaya River before Sevas-
topol in the summer of 1855 they left
about $500 dead upon the field, and their
wounded seemed TO number only about
half that number. But these proper
tions are so remarkable that it must be
taken for granted that many slightly
wounded Russians were sent to the
rear and never reported as hurt in rec
Ords which the allies had the means of
comparing with their own casualties.
Keeping in mind, then, the broad
fact that losses in battle may mean
anything from death to slight hurts,
and the temporary absence from roll
cali OF troops which rejoin their colors
later and remembering that all rec
Ords Of casualties in war are disputed
by opposite sides and open to more or
less doubt il is extremely interesting
at this time TO look over a list of
losses. as the figures have gone into
history. in some OF the more famous
battles of modern wars.
The following shows how greatly
the fighting which has taken place so
far in the Russo-Japanese war falls
short Of the havoc which has marked
many notable battles Of the last 200
years:
Borodino-Frenchl loss. 10000; Rus
sian. 10000.
waterloo-French loss. $1,000; al
lies. $4,000.
Austerlitz-French loss, 7soo. al
lies. $4,000.
wagram-French loss. 10000: Aus
trian. $4,000.
Friedland-French loss. 5000: al
lies, $4,000.
Eylau-French loss. 10000; allies,
$4,000.
Hoheninden-French loss, 5000;
Austrian, 10000.
Dresden-French loss, 5000: allies,
$4,000.
Deipsic-French loss. $1,000; allies.
$4,000.
Jena-Auerstadt-Fre loss, IA, 600;
Prussian, $4,000.
Blenheim-French loss. 10000; al
lies. $4,000.
SAIslplaquet-French loss. 10000;
allies, $1,000.
Rosebach-Prusssian. 500: allies,
75eo.
Zorndorf-Prussian, 1900; Rus
sian. 5000.
Kunerdorf-Prussian, 1880; al
lies. $4,000.
Msgsnta-French-sa 1000:
Austrian, 1900.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, $4,000:
Austrian. 10000.
sadowa-Prussisns. 5000; Austrians,
$4,000.
cravelOtte-German. $1,000; French.
$4,000.
Sedan - German. 5000: French.
ss.eeo.
Inkermsnn-Russian. 5000: allies,
$500.
The Alma-Russian. $500: allies,
$500.
sevastopol ChnaI)-Russian, CO;
allies. 10000.
Plevna - Russian. 10000; Turk
ish. $1,000.
Gettysburg-Federsl. 2s,1ss; Con-
federate. 1851.
Antietam-Federal. 1881; confed-
crate. s1,62L
Chickamauga - Federal, 1881;
Confederate, 1904.
ChanceIlorsviIle - Federal, $4,000;
Confederate. 12.sz1.
wilderness-Federal. I2,4es; Con-
federate. 1881.
Seven days before Richmond-Fed-
ersl, 15,24s; Confederate, 1883.
Stone River-Federal. 1l,s7s; Con-
federate, 25,560.
Petersburg-Federsl. 1856; Con-
federate, %.
shilOh-Federal. ls,s7s: Confederate.
10000
spottsyivania-Federal. 1881; Con-
federSte 5000.
Cold HarbOr-Federsl, 1881; Con-
federste, 100.
Fredericksburg-Federal. 1883: Con-
federate, 4756.
chsttsnooga-FederaI, 5s1s: Con-
federate, S6S4
Bull Run-Federal. 1852: Confederate.
IT5l.
A little explanatory comment is re-
ouined- BorOdino was the bIoodiest