The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1905-11-18
WAR NOT so DEADLY
CASUALTIES IN MODERN TIMES
- COMPARATIVELY FEW. -,
Battles Of To-day Fought at Greater
Distances and With More Humane
Weapons facts Of Some
Great Conflicts.

In the annals of the American Acad-
envy Gen. T. H. Bliss, discussing the
important elements in modern land
combats arrives at the conclusion that
the tendency Of modern warfare. is to
become less deadly. He gives a table
of the principal battles fought from
the beginning of the Seventh Years.
War, in the eighteenth century, up to
and including the battle of Mukden,
in the twentieth. He summarizes the
results as follows: ."
In the twelve principal battles of the
Seven Years War the average losses
were-victors IA per cent, defeated 10
per cent.
During the Napoleonic epoch an av-
erage of twenty-five battles gives vic
tors IL per cent loss, defeated 10 per
cent.
The average loss in four principal
battles Of the Crimea was for the vic
tors 10 per cent, for the DEBATED II
per cent.
The average of four principal &C.
tions in the Franco-Austrian war OF
1859 gives for the victors 8 per cent
loss, for the DEBATED 8.5 per cent.
In twelve principal battles of the
civil war the losses of the Union Army
amounted to 1877 per cent and of the
| confederate armies to 1876 per cent.
The average of six principal actions
! in the Austro-Prussian war of 1866
gives for the victors per cent, for the
| defeated per cent.
The average of eight actions of the
| first period of the Franco-Prussian
war of 1870 gives for the victors 10
per cent for the defeated per cent.
| The average of three principal actions
in the second period of the Franco.
German war gives for the victors rs
per cent for the defeated 3.5 per cent.
| In fourteen battles in the Russo.
Japanese war Excluding the siege Of
Port Arthur) the average loss for the
Russians 9.5 per cent, for the JAP
anese 4.6 per cent. =. S.. s.z
p question he COM
cludes that there is steady tendency
to decrease in the battle percentage
of loss. This diminution in the dead
Illness of war is traced CD to the grad
ual disappearance of the individual
| duel. In ancient battles no man play
ed his part properly unless he made
a hit on the body of his antagonist.
In modern battle it requires the CON-
bined efforts of many men through
| long days fight to make hit upon the
body of one antagonist He notes ~
that there is tendency in increasing
concentration of energy on the battle
| field, as shown by increased number
| of cCmbatants. and this increase in
concentration is one of the causes of
decrease in loss. It was the disper-
sion of the combatants over vast ex-
| tent of country that made the Ameri
can civil war so much more sanguin-
airy. co Modern wounds are more
frequently healed. The modern bull
let is humane. (4) Theeo firearm at
| close range, against close formation,
was naturally more deadly than the
more rapidly fired gun of to-day dis
charged at great distance against
| extended formation. 50 In olden bat
| ties, as at Waterloo, only mile part
| ed Wellington from Napoleon. Defeat
meant immediate pursuit and greater
loss. Now, at Mukden, the opposing
commanders were from twenty-five to
thirty miles apart, and before the re-
serves of the victors could begin pur.
suit the vanquished could ar
range fairly orderly retreat. 60
Formations are now adapted to the
enemy's weapons.