The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-08-03
LATTER DAY BATTLES ARE LESS BLOODY
More Deadly the Weapons the FEWER Fa'aii''eS' AZ
the Battle of Chalons in 45l, "A. d. the hllleo
and Wounded Aggregated 100000 Men
From the New orleans .Picayune.

arms did not come into general use In
wars until after 100, when the flint
lock musket became the regular weap-
on. The first great battle OF that
period was fought at Blenheim, Ba-
varia, 1904 by the English and Dutch
under the celebrated Marlborough,
against the French under Marshal Tai
lard The Allies had Sc, 900 men and
the French $4,000. The French were
defeated with total loss of killed and
wounded of &c, 200, while the Allies lost
!ll.OOO The aggregate percentage Ot
loss was 26, more than one-fourth OF
all the men engaged, which shows
heavy fighting.
/ In an entire century of European
wars, that is, from 100 to 1900, the
ONLY other battles which figured up to
the standard of Blenheim in percent
age of losses were ZorndOrf in 1853, be-
| tween Russians and Prussians, the
later under Frederick the Great, when
! the Prussians were victorious, the
total percentage of loss being 38-32,
600 men having been killed and wound
ed out of 81, 900; Runnersdorf in 1859,
when the Russians defeated the
Prussians, the total percentage of loss
being q, and Rivoli in 1897, when Ma
poleon defeated the Austrians, the per-
centage of loss being 30.
| Napoeon's bloodiest battle was that
of Eyalu in 1907, when he defeated the
Russians, the total percentage of loss
being &c. His next battle in point of
bloodshed was that of Borodino in 1912,
when a total of $4,000 men, or s per
cent, were killed and wounded out OF
PCS, 900. At Albuera, in Spain, in 1911,
the French defeated the English and
Spanish forces, the percentage OF total
loss %. At Waterloo, in 1915, the AL
lies had 100000 men and Napoleon TO-
600. The Allies lost 10000 andl the
French $4,000, an aggregate of $4,000,
or total percentage of "A. Napoleon s
army was driven in panic from the
field. and that was the end of his re-
markable career.
There was no great slaughter in the
Crimean war in 1854, hOr in that OF
Napoleon III, with Austria in 1859.
Next came the American civil war OF
lS6l-65. At Bull Run, or Manassas, in
1861, $4,000 confederates actually en-
gagged, defeated and routed in wild
panic from the field $4,000 federals, the
total percentage of loss having been 8.
At Perrvville, XIV, in 1862, the feder'
IL laFanToA Ia mn
confederates, the total percentage Of
loss being IL. At Shiloh, in 1862 $4,000
federals fought 10000 confederates
with total percentage of blOodshed OF
20. At Second Manassas and at An
tietam, or Sharps burg, the percentage
for each was II.
At Chickamauga, in 1868, II 1000 con.
federates defeated $1,000 federals.
The confederates lost $4,000 and
the fe1erals l7,l00, making an aggre.
gate OF IS 1000, or q per cent. At Get.
Uys burg. in 1863, 10000 confederates at.
tackled SO 900 federals IN an intrenched
position. The cOnfederates lost Is, 900
and the federals 10000 making an as
gregate of 81 900 or "A per cent.
The next great war was the Franco
German. which was fought with maya
ziue rifles aud machine guns. 1t was
in 1870. At the battle of Woerth the
Germans had 10000 men and the
French $4,000. The aggregate losses
were 8642, or 13 per cent. At Ora
velotte, where 100000 Germans ant
ZOO French were engaged the losse;
were 20, 900 Germans and 10000 French
an aggregate of 10000 or 9 per cent
At Vionville the Germans had 10000
and the French $4,000. The Germans
lost Is, 800 and the French 1900, max
= ing an aggregate of $4,000 or 10 pei
= cent.
In the war between Russia and Tur
KEY in 1877, at Plevan, 10000 Turks
= and 10000 Russians fought with tOta
r percentage of loss of %. Another bat
tie at Plevna scored total loss of II
per cent, and still another of II pei
cent. The Boer war entailed some
. sharp fighting: but no detailed reports
: are at hand, and as for sthe war nov
going on between Russia and Japan
, nothing definite is known of losses.
The figures given above show tina
there has been steady decline in the
distructivenes in land battles as weap
ons have been improved and become
more deadly. The reason is that the
armies fight separated by constantly
increasing distances The closer TO
gether, the easier it is to hit the man