Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-29
Z he Civil War
j At a Glance.
y y -
By WALTON WILLIAMS.

HE American civil war was the
greatest conflict at arms in the
history o. the human race. The
American Revolutionary war,
which lasted nearly twice as long, was
Il series of mere Skirmishes compared
with the struggle of the early sixties.
Battles were fought during the civil
war. now known only TO the mustiest
of historians or to local tradition or
recollection, which exceeded in the
forces engaged and surpassed in the
carnage resulting some of the most i'm
pOrtant actions during the struggle for
independence The number of battles
fought greatly exceeded the number
incident to any single European war.
The firing line was Il thousand miles
long. Nearly 100000 men were en-
gagged Mere than 100000 men were
killed in action or died from wounds
OF disease In practically every re
spcct the war of lS6l-65 was the big
geSt and hloodiest of MI time.
This stupendous struggle embraced
so many qualifications OF incident that
complete history of tho whole is ut
tcrly impossible. Historians have been
able only to hit the high spots" for
want of space and lack of time and
endurance to sirt and chronicle all the
interesting facts.
We do not know even how many bat
Ties were fought. This can I've only APP
proNimatcd IN the governments
Acknowledged List of Battles" the
number. exceeds 200. Eut the bureau
of pensions has an alphabetical list of
ENGAGEMENTS. including skirrisheS and
such other minor actions as were deem
| ed sufficiently important to note. This
! list contains more than G.S0O engage
mCnts.
About 100000 Union soldiers were
| enlisted during the war. The Confcd-
| crlt" records are very incomplctH,
mary OF them having been lost or de
! strpynI. 1t Is cstiHntcl that the mum
! boz; engaged ON That side of the con
| fict were not far short of 100000 men.
! These figures 10 not include the con
I siderable numbers of irregular com
| hatautS on each side, many of whom
| wcra not officially enrolled.
War department records show $50
! 52N deaths from all causes in the Tn
! ion armies during til" war. In proper
! ton u strength of forces engaged the
| Confederate losses were equally Sc
we're. In the ahSCnc" of definite record,
any estimate, however. must be a mere
| guess. In the Union armies GT.O5>
| mcn were killed in battle. t3.012 dieG
| Of wounds received in action. and 80 /,
| 5NG died of disease incident 10 service
Of those killed in battle lilo wer,
| commissioned officers. The number o.
Union men who died while prisoners
of war was -. i9S. United States mil
itary authorities executed 26T men an,
would have executed many more bu
for the humane Intervention of Ahra
| ham Lincoln. The Confcderates exc
cutod four officers and sixty men o
the Union forces.
1t is Il most remarkable fact that il
the -four years of this mighty conilic
only one man was executed for ''polit
ical' reasons by 4 Union general. II
New Orleans man named MumfOr,
pulled down Il flag of the United State
after the city had been captured. bu
before it was occupied by the Fedora
forces. ~GcncrAl Benjamin +. Butler
who was in command of the Occupyin!
force, caused Mumford to he hanged.