Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-20
ABSURD PROPOSITION
OPINION REGARDING FATEFUL
IMPORT OF NUMBER 10.
Col John McElrx aSs Into History
to Dispro a Popular
supeHtaQn.

Col. John McElroy. who has a record as
war statistician and author of war stories,
said today:
'Of all the silly superstitions. the very
silliest is that there is some fateful conpec-
ton with the number Ii. This absurd no.
tlon which prevails to a great extent in
Europe. is Of comparatively late growth in
this country, and is confined to those who
would be exceedingly foolish over someth ng
else II they were not over this. 1t Is an
noyingly in evidence, just now, in the tire
some chatter about the coming republican
national convention being the thirteenth in
the history Of the organization.
During the war we fortunately heard
nothing of the Ill luck attached to IL,
though that was a time when fates and
portents received unusual consideration.
Had we given any thought, then, to the
absurdity, the organization of regiments.
battalions, etc, with the designation ID
would have been difficult Yet we never
heard Of any man hesitating to go into such
an organization on account of Its number,
nor Of any regiment, battery or battalion
showing the slightest reluctance to receiv-
ing the designation. OF course every man
who went into the army dared fate to the ut
termost, and challenged Ill luck to do its
worst. Every state that raised more than
twelve regiments or batteries numbered
them consecutively without the slightest
thought Of any Importance attaching to
the mineral following IL.
What the Records Show.
IAN examination Of the records Will show
that the number 10, so far from being an
unlucky mineral. was rather the reverse, as
the following citations will show:
1.-The 18th Maine had a total loss from
killed in action, died of disease, in prison,
etc., CT 1876. while the 18th Maine lost from
the same causes 291. and the 14th Maine
41s.
The 18th New Hampshire lost a total Of
1s1 where the 18th New Hampshire lost
$50 and the 14th lost 232
The 18th Vermont lost &c where the 18th
Vermont lost 81 and the 14th 20.
THE 18th Massachusetts Battery lost rs
where the 18th Massachusetts Battery lost
% and the 18th Is.
THE 18th Massachusetts, Infantry lost
161 where the 18th Massachusetts Infantry
lost 278 and the 14th. which was changed
to the LIST Massachusetts, Heavy Artillery
lost 4S4.
Rhode Islands infantry ended with the
18th.
..The 18th Connecticut lost 2O4 where the
10Th Connecticut lost 27s and the l4th Se7 IN
The 18th New York Cavalry lost 129
where the 18th New York Cavalry lost 2O9
and the 14th 15S.
THE 18th New York Heavy Artillery lost
151 where the next regiment in numerical
order below it, the 10th New York Heavy
Artillery, lost 20. and the next one above
the 18th, the 14th. lost SGT.
THE 18th New York Cavalry lost 129,
while the loss of the 18th was 2J9 and that
of the 14th New York Cavalry 15S.
THE 18th New York Battery lost %,
while the 18th New York Battery lost -
and the 14th lost o.. oo
The 18th New York Infantry lost 100.
while the 18th New York Infantry lost l2i
and the 14th came pretty close to the 18th,
having loss of 103.
The 18th New Jersey lost 11S, while the
18th New Jersey lost 276 and the 14th 257.
1.-The total loss of the 18th Pennsylvania
Cavalry was go, while that Of the 18th
Pennsylvania Cavalry was 142 and OF the
14th 335.
The 18th Pennsylvania Reserves lost 80
the 18th lost ISL and the nth Pennsylvania,
which was numerically the next to the re-
serves, lost At.
ginia was 100; that Of the 18th West Vir-
gnia was 190 and of the 14th 245
THE 18th Ohio Cavalry lost III, while the
18th lost 1874. ------..
THE 18th Ohio Infantry lost 221, the 18th
ITO and the 14th 1872. --.
"The 18th Kentucky Cavalry lost "a, while
the 18th lost 23S and the 14th so.
The 18th Kentucky Infantry lost 40,
while the 18th Kentucky lost 259 and the
14th 2O1.
The 18th Indiana Cavalry lost 142 while
the 18th lost III, and the next on the list
below the 13th-the 1st Indiana Heavy Ar
tillery-lost 800.
1.-The 18th Indiana Battery lost %, the
18th Indiana Battery, "a. and the 14th. y;
18th Indiana Infantry. 29o, and the l4th
90
1.-THE 18th Illinois Cavalry lost 3s5, the
10Th. 234. and the 14th. 215.
The 18th Illinois Infantry lost 192, the
18th Illinois Infantry, 2S0, and the 18th. 223
1.-THE 18th Michigan Infantry lost 1888
where the 18th lost 42s and the 14tb 24G
The total loss of the 18th Wisconsin In
fantry was 1913. while that of che 18th Wis
consin was 1913 and Of the 14th $40.
THE 18th Iowa lost 329, tine 18th, 34s
and the 14th, 2O3.
THE 18th Missouri Cavalry lost 80, the
18th 263. and the 14th, Sc.
THE 18th Kansas lost 100, the 18th. 1876.
while the next above the 18TH the 18th,
lost but f.
1.-The 18th United States Infantry lost 1856
where the 18th lost 319 and the 14th 374
1.-The 18th u. s. c. T. lost 355 where the
next in numerical order above it, the 10th,
lost 293, and the next one below it, the 9th,
lost 315.
The Total Losses.
THE total loss of the thirty-one regi-
ments and batteries bearing the designa-
ton 10 was 5,5O4; that of the same num-
Der of regiments and batteries numbered u
was 6,775. or .261 more; while that of those
numbered IA was 1919, or 1875 more
THE average loss Of the thirty-one regi-
ments and batteries numbered ~ would be,
therefore, 21Sk; the average loss of those
numbered IA would be 22S 1-3: while that
Not a regiment or battery bearing the
number 10 had any special i'll luck, while
most of them escaped with small loss.
Gould there be more convincing dem
onstration of the absurdity of the silly
superstition?
There is not the slightest breath of hoo
doc on the thirteenth republican national
convention"