The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-04-27

formed battle array along the line OF
northern Virginia, the dogwood was in
bloom, the violet lifted her head in the
| sylvan woods, the azaleas spread gor-
geous patches of coloring over hill and
dale, and in the far south cotton was
-------y-s- sII~E1KI<5ITvIOrTo6
and be home again before cotton pick
ing time.
F1ty years Of verdure in spring and
snow In winter have mantled over the
graves of more than one million of
| those youths, most of them under
twenty-five, and we of today have al
! most forgotten that three and a. half
million men were marshaIIed in hostile
armies; that over $4,000, 900, 900 of
money and property were sacrificed In
the hercest struggle Of modern times:
nave forgotten the burning Of cities
and the upheaval of institutions which
followed in the wake Of that conflict.
IL Is well, let it pass! but as it passes
from mind in the call of the future. II
is but fitting we pause for a while each
spring to drop a tear over the graves
OF fresh young lives laid on the altar
OF their country, and place a wreath of
immortelles over the tombs of the he
roes Of that war.
Nearly all of those BOYS are pone
The few survivors are grizzIed mon
and their children and grandchildren
are standing around monuments of the
hatlof's dead today to hear patriotic
words concerning the great rupture
winch sent brothers to fight brothers
on many field of blood.
Inc war which began in 81 was one
OF the most desperately fought of all
wars In modern times. The loss of
lie and money surpassed anything the
world had ever seen. The north put
nearly three million men in the field:
the south, about 100000 men under
arms, and 674,62S men were killed |
mortally wounded or died before the |
war closed.
Inc Confederate army had 325, 900
men, half of the enlisted strength
buried before the close of the war. The
north buried 359,52S men. There were
over 5000 battles fought.
european armies lost three per cent
m battle, the Union army lost five nar
cent, while the Confederate army lost
zen per cent. In the battle of Gettvs-
ourg 45,444 men were killed and
In that battle alone one
'eglment, the First Minnesota lost
'lghty-two per cent in killed. wounded
ma missing, and one Confederate regi- '
nent' the twenty-sixth North Carolina {
ost 'eighty-seven per cent.
AT waterloo the loss was ten nor
emf. AT Marengo, fourteen per cent
II the wilderness and Spottsylvanis l
ne loss was forty per cent. '
seventy officers out of the Confsd- h
rate and fifty officers out of the a
orthern army were killed.
Ohe northern survivor named KieFer Fl
avs: On my arrival at the bosni+oI z,
bout p. m. I was carried through q
q entrance to a large tent, on each 9
de OF which lay human legs and
ms, resembling piles Of stove wood C.
le oIood only excepted. All around ii
ere dead and wounded men, many of et
e latter dying. The surgeons, with
sometimes bloody knives m
Id instruments, were busy at their If
ork. 1 was soon laid on q rough
ard operating table and chloro- "
rmed." -
writer says: The morning
fore the battle of the Wilderness the m
over was waving beneath a gentle fo
eeze. the birds were singing sweetIv
d nature was in her sunniest mood fo
e oaltie' the heId was blue DIR
[ with the gentian, the blue of an tIe
mn hower' but with our boys"