The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-17
CASUALTY STATISTICS INACCURATE.

Names on Muster Roll-Examples in Con-
trast.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The writ
er enlisted July IA, 1861, when II years
of age, as a private soldier, serving four
years continuously, in the same company,
tain, being then but q years old. He was
in the hospital once for short time. The
regiment to which he belonged was under
fire probably $50 times, but it would be
impossible to count. The most of his serv-
ice having been in the ranks as a matter
of course most of his sympathies are there
also.
The writer has seen many so-called his
tories of the civil war; of campaigns, bat
ties and Generals, but he has yet to see q
history of the common soldier, and has
been for number of years, off and on,
trying to get up such a history, always
realizing his incapacity for the great work.
because of his limited education. But
somebody must do it before the enlisted
men all die.
1t will show the incompleteness and in
accuracy of official returns of casualties in
battle; will show the actual numbers in
action, which will bring the per cent. of
loss much higher than that given by Col.
Fox in his "Regimental Losses" These
are not mere assertions, for statistics will
be given to sustain them.
The writer has drawn more largely on
his own command than any other for this
material, as coming under his observation.
Not that his command was better than
others: it will be given as common to all
veteran regiments" as all were alike, un.
der like conditions and circumstances.
At the close of the war the Adjutant-
General of Indiana sent books to the diff
ferent companies for the purpose of hay
ing roll of honor made, giving a history
of every member Of each company. After
rocaivfpn fhic honI r oil uJ ~ fbo
pany officers up, and we went through the
Descriptive Book, making notes opposite
each mans name, as we remembered him.
This was laborious work. Wemade truthful
notes on the Descriptive. Book, without re-
gard to former red tape official reports.
companies at the close. of the war, who
came from the ranks, knew more about
soldering than they did about tying red
tape, and were glad to get rid of all work
in that line. r. 81
gard to how they should report certain
wounds, but had not been So reported by
the Surgeons, the officers had gone to the
would be: "You are not supposed to know
anything about it. Go according to Off
cial reports" II we had no reports, oil
we knew Of them, officially, was, that they
"CbS cCIt W LAC AOCpIkNA OA dSNOuuL Va
wounds.
In regard to the wounded, many Of
them were not reported To illustrate In
the battle of Pea Ridge two brothers were
killed, the third, and brofher-in-law,
wounded. The two wounded men would
saying 1T will be a hard enough blow to
our family to read of the two killed, with
out reading Of us being wounded" Thos.
Thatcher was wounded in four different
engagements, twice quite severely, but
never left his company, and l think
was never reported as wounded. 1t was
very common in the veteran regiments,
may have been. unless he was sent to the
rear he was not SO reported, unless he re-
quested it.
A great injustice has been done the vet
eran regiments in regard to their enroll
ments. Col. Fox says that the company
230. l was long time in figuring out
how this could be, as could find only 185
names on the Descriptive Book, viz:
Original enrolment (including off,
Officers transferred from other COM
- pan!es ....s.........
Recruits up to commencement Atlanta
Campaign ................... -
Total ................... 1872
Drafted and substitutes near close of
Total during war .1S5
Veterans re-enlisting Dec. %, 1868. 80
Mustered out and mustered in on pro-
motloli, times I3
I defy any man to find more than 1856
names for this total of $50.
After the war had actually ended and
the command was encamped in North
Carolina, number of recruits from other
Indiana regiments were turned over to us,
for whom We were to make out discharges.
/ do not know the number of these, as
their names are not on our books. How
ever, 40 fictitious enroIments above shown
could not have come from these, as there
were not that many of them.
The writer is able to give the name of
every man who ever belonged to his COM
pany; also, the name Of every man who
was wounded, or killed, or died Of wounds,
with date and place of such casualty
ferent engagements, and, Of course, are
counted each time in the casualty list.
Some were wounded and afterward killed
Each time, of course, they are counted.
Bear in mind, that all that is here stat
ed concerning my company is taken from
cial. have no doubt these conditions OBJ
tanned and existed in every veteran organ
ization.
In regard to the casualties, the per cent.
Of loss should be based npono the numbers
actually under fire. 1t sWould be just as
reasonable to count those who never saw
an army, as to count those who were not
on the firing line, but whose names happen
to be on the muster roll. issaf
Descriptive Book Of Go. 3, 22d Ind
Vet. Vols. 81
Total enrolment from beginning to end
OF war .-.... 1SO
Total under fire, includingb0 drafted
men and substitutes /. lib ..e........ 50
Total killed and died ofrwounds. 49,. %
Total number Of wounds. (other than
above), from the 08. .fs. ...... 81
Number of casualties from the 90 under
Veterans. 103. Underline, 10; killed,
% ga per cent? wounded 68 (93 per
cent? casualties, 1923 pei cent.
Recruits. 90. Under iire, is; killed, 3
(18 per cent. j; wounded, 10 Isl per
cent? |; casualties, 100 per cent.
Conscripts, 90. Under fire, o; killed, O;
wounded, 4; casualties, IL per cent.
Total, 1876. Under fire, O8; killed, %
(28 per cent wounded, 50 (83 per
cent /; Casualties, 112 per cent.
The missing are not given, as most of
them were killed or wounded. and so re-
ported.