Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-07-18
MODERN
WARFARE
LOSSES
Are Not as Heavy as In Ancient
Times

ANAR ~ $500
and mediavel conflicts, not only in the
weapons used, but in the percentage
of the wounded who survive a battle.
In the days of the h%and-to-hand fight.
ing with pike and sword, battleax and
dagger, the casualties of a beaten
army were liable to be total, The
wounded were usually taken prisoners
or slain. Few men escaped the close
pursuit of the victors.
Even the winning side had a larg.
er proportion of losses, merely tenn
porary of technical, than armies suf.
fer in these times, when every man
hit by a rife ball figures in the casual
ties, and nine out of ten reported
wounded recover and rejoin their com
mand. In modern war the losses pub.
lished after a battle can be cut down
to twenty-five or thirty percent of the
official numbers in ~ascertaining the
permanent diminution Of the forces |
engaged.
In this respect, however, battles diff
fer widely. Sometimes in actions
fought at close range under peculiar
conditions, as, for instance where the
storming of strong works defended
by heavy artillery is involved, the
proportion of casualties which mean
death may rise to something like the
terrible mortality of mediavel airs.
When the Russians flung themselves
on the French and Sandman lines at
the Tchernaya River, before Sebasta'
pol, in 1865, they left about 1890 dead
on the field, and their wounded seem
ed to number only about half that
number. These proportions were so
remarkable that it must be taken for
granted that many wounded Russians
were sent to the rear and never re-
ported as hurt.
The following shows how greatly
the fighting in the Russo-Japanese
war falls short Of the havoc which
has marked many notable battles Of
the last 200 years:
Northumberland loss, 10000; Rus
sian So, 900.
waterloo-French loss s1,OO; allies
$4,000.
Austerlitz-French loss, 1900; allies
5000.
wagram-French loss, 10000; Aus.
%trians, $4,000
Friedland-French loss, 5000, allies,
10000; Eylau-French loss, 10000
allies, $4,000; H~ohenlinden-
French loss, 5000; Austrian, 90
900.
Dresden-French loss, 5000; allies,
27 900.
Lepsic-French loss, $4,000; allies
5 $1,000.
na-Auerstadt-French loss, $4,000
Prussian, $4,000.
Blenhiem-French loss, 10000; al.
lies, 1900,
Malpalquet-French loss, 10000; al
lies, Is 600.
Rossbach-Prussian, 500; allies,
$500.
Zorndorf-Prussian, II, 900; Russian,
1000.
Kuenrdorf-Prussian, 1880; allies,
10000.
Acknowledgement. Sandman, 1000;
Austrian, 1900.
olferino-Frenc Sandman, $4,000;
Austrian, 20 900.
sadowa-Prussian, 5000; Austrian,
$4,000.
I Graveloee-German, $1,000; French,
$4,000.
sedan-German, 5000; French, 49,
900.
Inkermann-Russian 5000; allies,
$500.
The Alma-Russian. $500; allies,
1900.
sebastopol (inal)-Russian, %; al
lies, 10000.
Plevna-Russian 10000; Turks, So,
900.
Gettysburg-Federal, 1880; Con.
federate, 25,900.
Antietam-Federal, 23,1s6; Confede-
rate, $4,000.
Chicamauga-Federal, IS, S51; Con
federate, II, 1914.
Observation-Disclosures. 10000;
Confederate, 1881.
wllderness-Federal, 12,469; Con
federate. II. 400.
Seven Days Before Richmond-Fed
eral, 1 5.249; Confederate, 1883.
Stone River-Federal, 1873; Con
federate, 25.56O.
Petersburg-Federal. 1886; Con
federate CD.
.n - - -1a. H--aaao.ota II