Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-12-27
DEATH TOLL OF FORMER WARS
Comparative Figures on some of
HistOry's Famous
Battles.

The heaviest loss in the battles of the
eighteenth century was at Kunersdorf,
fought August II, 1859, where 5000 Prus-
SLAMS met 4, 900 Russians and Austrians.
and the total casualty list numbered S,-
$40 killed and wounded; 434 per cent for
the Prussians and al per cent for the
allies. At Zorndorf, fought a year earlier,
August %. 1858, the forces engaged were
smaller and the total casualties fewer but
the percentage of casualties greater. num-
bering 42.9 per cent for the 1900 Rus
slams, and 1873 per cent for the 5000
Prussians.
The principal battle of the nineteenth
century was leipzig, October 10, 1913, the
Battle of the Nations" where Napoleon
with III, 900 men met and defeated the al
lied army numbering SOl,5oo. Napoleon's
casualties numbered 5000 and those of
the allies 5000, but in percentages the
losses told heavily against him, 96.3 per
cent to 1862 per cent for the Russians,
Prussians and Austrians.
At Aspern May 21, 1909, $1,000 French
lost 1900, or 46.s per cent, and 5000 Aus
TRANS lost 1850, or 30 per cent. At Boro-
dino, September T. 1912. the French lost
1850, or 1874 per cent of their 10000. and
the Russians 1850. or 81 per cent Of Ill.,
900 men. These are the figures of Otto
Berndt In die Zahl i'm Kriege," Wien,
1897. Fox I'm his "Regimental Losses of
the Civil War" gives figures for Water
loo which do not agree with those of
Berndt, but they are sufficiently near
not to disturb the interesting compare
son Fox makes between Waterloo and
Gettysburg.
At Waterloo the French numbered
5000 men and $50 guns; the allies num-
bered 72.0Oo men and 1856 guns. At Gettys-
burg the union army numbered 5000
men and 800 guns; the confederates. 10000
men and $50 guns. At Waterloo yelling
tons army lost 2.1s5; at Gettysburg
Meade's army lost 2SO0a.
The loss Of the French at Waterloo has
never been officially announced, but has
been estimated at $500; the confederate
loss at Gettysburg. as officially reported
oy the confederate surgeon general, was
O44s' to which must be added TOT
wounded and unwounded prisoners whose
names are omitted from his lists but
appear on the records at Washington.
In short. the battles of Waterloo ana
gettysburg were fought with from 70. 900
to 5000 men on each side. and the com
natants lost about 1900 men each.
In the Franco-Prussian war the great
est loss occurred at the battle OF Grave
lotte' where the Germans lost 4.44s killed
unciuding the fortally wounded). 1879
wounded and ass missing; total. 9O,577, out
OF l4e'OVo troops engaged. exclusive OF
oo'oOo reserves. At Gettysburg Meade's
army sustained greater loss with half
the number engaged.
he
Prussian war was. comparatively. Of
brief duration. and hence a comma ,isor
Of the aggregate casualties cannot prop-
erly be made. But in the American civil
war, during six months following NAV A
1854 the various Union armies SUSTAINED
greater loss than the German armies aid
during the whole Franco Prussian war
The total loss OF the German ARMY in
that war was 2s2U killed or MORALLY
, wounded; IS. 4S2 wounded. and 14.lsS miss
ing; total. 1887.
The Casualties at Borodino, one of the
bloodiest battles since the use Of gun
powder, have been variously stated. The
I Encyclopedia Britannica puts the Rus
sian loss at 1000 as killed. wounded and
prisoners. and the French loss at CON
siderably above 1000" Allison gives the
losses at Borodino In round numbers only,
placing the French loss at 5000 and the
| Russian at 5000. The most creditable
statement Is found IN the journal OF the
London Statistical society. which places
the number OF killed and wounded in the
French army at Borodino at 2s.0S5. out OF
$4,000 troops present on the field. The
Russian army numbered ls2,OO0 at that
battle. and there IL nothing 10 show that
its loss was greater than that OF its an
tagonist. Although the number OF killed
and wounded at Borodino was greater,
numerically. than at Waterloo and Get
tysburg. the percentage OF loss was very
much less.-Army and Navy Journal.