Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-04-13
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING "REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.
Graphic Account of Stirring Scene,
Witnessed on the Battlefield and In
Camp-Veterans of the Rebellion Re-
cite Experiences of Thrilling Mature.


many men did your regiment lose i'll
action? Generally the reply will be
something like this;
we went into the field 1900 strong.
and when we came back there were
only 81 of us left
The questioner will not dispute the
old man; in fact. usually believes him;
for was he not there, and surely he
ought to know.
Aud the story of the soldier is gen
orally true so far us it goes, hut the
differences are invariably wrong SO
few are aware of the many causes
which deplete regiment that these
missing men are considered as for the
most part dead \ better way for the
veteran to reply would be to state,
that in round numbers his regiment
lost 100 men killed, 200 by disease, 400
by discharge for sickness or wounds.
100 IL desertion, that lOO were absent
in hospital or on furlough, and so oaly
100 remained at the muster out. OF
course. there are many regiments
whose brilliant record would require
a different statement. but as regards
three-fourths of the troops in the late
war it would fairly approximate the
truth
OF the two thousand regiments or
more in the Union Army, there we're
only forty-five in which the number of
those killed and died of wounds ex-
ceeded two hundred CrhiS estimate
does not include heavy artillery organ
izations-l
Such statements must not he re-
garded as derogatory or hFlittliEg, for
the simple facts are such az need no
exaggeration. and the truth oaly need
| TO be told TO furnish heroic records I'M
rivaed in military history.
There is fortunately one trustworthy
/ source of information as 10 lie mum
Der of men in a regiment who We're
Eilled in action. and thar is the regi-
mental muster ont rolls. one copy OF
| each Of which is on file in the War
| department ut Washington These
rolls. together with other information
obtained by twenty years of close Off
cial investigation. ar reliable means
| for asccrtaining the r. alive losses OF
every regiment and battery in the
Northern army.
The maximum losses possess the
greatest interest. and so invite atfan-
! ton first The greatest loss in batue
! of any one regiment in The late war
! fell to the lot of the First Maine Heavy
Artillery, in which 423 were killed or
/ died of wounds, out Of 2,202 men en-
rolled. lust here ii Should he stated
| and remembered, that while an infau-
! try regiment consists OF 1000 men
with 80 line officers. the heavy artjL
! lery organizations has 500 men. with
! 90 line officers there being twelve
companies of 100 men each. with a cap
| tain and four lieutenantS 10 each com
| pany The mention here OF 2.202 men
as enrolled Indicates that about 40l
recruits were received during it's term
/ Of service. The heavy artillery regi.
ments saw no active service while on
duty in that line. They left their for
! tifcatIons near Washington, and took
! the field in 1864. being armed with
| rifles. and being drilled and maneu-
we're, the same as infantry. the only
| difference being liz larger organization.
! In their assault 81 PETERSBURG. .fune
| IS, 1864. they lost g. Killed and
wounded liz less than twenty minutes,
| out of about 900 engaged, This regi-
/ ment sustained not only the greatest
numerical loss. bur its percentage OF
! killed rs based upon its enrolment Is
/ also among tho highest =. 202 enrolled:
49, killed or died Of woundS--l92 per
| cent This matter of percentage IS an
important factor in the subject OF regi-
mental loss especially 20 as claims To
| gallant conduct are very apt 10 be
| based upon he size OF the casualty lis
! In many regiments the losses are ap-
! parently small when nh examination
of their enrolment shows that their
/ loss was really heavy in proportion to
their numbers
The next largest number of killed is
found in the Eighth New York Heavy
Artillery The muster o'It rolls show,
2,257 enrolled. 3G1 killed. or died or
wounds-14 per cent. Besides this.
! there died Of disease accidents. etc.
302. and the loss by disease includes
1O2 deaths in moderate prisons.
There We're oniv a few regiments in
the heavy artillery service. The regl-
ment which stands next in point o.
numerical loss is an infantry com
mand. The infantry constituted the
bulk of the army. more than four
ffths of the troops belonging 10 that
arm Of the service. The infantry regl.
mcnt which sustained the greatest loss
IN battle was The Fifth New Hamp-
shire. and its record gathered from
the muster out rolls. stauds thus: Orig
inal roll. g76. OF whom i75 were killed
in action-179 per cent Second of
the infantry regiments in regard 10
numerical loss is the Eighty-thlrl
Pennsylvania. II went out with the
usual ten companies and 1000 men,
but as its ranks became epleted II re-
ceived recruits until from first TO last
over 800 men were carried on it,
rolls. With these. however. were in
cluded the uoa-combatants. the sick.
wounded and absentccs. The muster
ont roll Of this gallant command shows
its record, sos enrolled: 49, killed
1J.5 per cent
There were other commands that
sustained remarkable losses during
their terms Of service. but space will