The National tribune., 1904-06-30
NOT AT ALL LIKE STONE RIVER.

The Associated Press dispatch from the
East says:
'"The battle of Vafangtien almost exact
ly resembled the battle of Stone River.
near Murfreesboro, Tenn, in 1862-1863,
during the American civil war. The Rus
slams abandoned their guns and the Jap
anese pursued them for IL hours,
bivoua cking at nightfall in the position
held by the Russians on the preceding
day"
Nothing could be more unlike than the
two battles. unless possibly in the numbers
engaged. The Associated Press dispatches
say that there were AZ japanese battaIions
to A Russian. What the strength Of the
battalion is ON either side is very uncer-
tain, but as both armies are, to certain
extent. modelled upon the German plan, and
both comparatively fresh in the war, we
may assume the strength of the battalion
to be about 800 men. This would give
SO, GOO and 35.2OO, which, with the artil-
lery, cavalry, etc, would make somewhere
in the neighborhood Of 10000 men on each
side.
The history of the Army of the Cum
berland, by Van Horne, says that Gen.
ROsecrans moved from Nashville with
about 47,OOO men, and fought the battle
of Stone River with an aggregate Of 49,
400 men-37, ,97z- infantry, 1920 cavalry
and 2,223 artillery. Gen. Bragg, with the
invariable habit of the Confederate Gen
erals to minimize their forces to the ut
most, especially after a defeat, reported
his strength to have been $4,000 men, Of
whom 10000 We're infantry and artillery.
Here the resemblance ends. The Rus
slams were attacked in strong position
by the japanese, and after two or three
days fighting were driven from every point
and pursued for miles, losing, it is now
said, about $500 in killed, wounded and
prisoners, and IA guns.
The battle Of Stone River opened at
O'Clock on the morning OF Dec. 81, 1862,
with furious attack Of the massed rebel
left upon our, thin right flank, which, after
a bitter and sbloody contest. was forced
back two miles,. with loss Of 80 guns.
Every step was savagely contested, and
the next day the two strained and battered
armies lay confronting each other, feeling
one another from time to time to see if
there were any fight left in them. The
third day, Breckinridge, on the rebel right,
who had not been heavily enga ged, made a
fierce attack upon our left, which had been
diminished to 0sassist our right, oyerwhelm-
ing it and driving it back to the river,
where he came nnder the concentrated fire
Of SO guns, which in 25 minutes tore the
soul out Of his division. The next day
Bragg c0ncluded he had had enough, and
gathering his army together moved off
unmolested by u.s. who had also had quite
enough.
The slaughter on both sides was simply
fearful, and the little Army of the Cum
berland lost 81 officers killed and 3S4
wounded;. ], AL enlisted men killed and
$500 wounded, with about $500 missing;
making a total Of 11,577, or nearly four
times the Russian loss. In addition to
Brig. Gems. Kirk and Sill, there were
killed Lieut. Garescehe, Rosecrans's
Chief of Staff; eight Colonels, five Lieu
tenant Colonels, and five Majors. More
| than 20 per cent Of the men who had en-
| tered the battle were killed or wounded.
Gen. Bragg reported that he had lost four
general officers, two of whom were killed
Brig. Gen. James E. Rains and r. W.
Hanson-and 1900 killed and wounded
with 1000 missing.