Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-10-29
BLOODY BATTLES
OF THE PAST

In view OF the Wlue-Spi eau
sion and the still wider speculation
anent the casualties suffered by the
various participants in the greatest OF
all wars now pending, the subJoineo
data, dealing with the more important
conflicts of former years, is taken frola
Army and Navy Journal:
The heaviest loss in the battles OF
the eighteenth century was at sun
+ ersdorf, fought Augusta, l759, Whefe
AZ 1000 Prussians met 1900 Russians
and Austrians, and the total casualty
LIST numbered 35,37C killed and wound
cd. 43.4 per cent. for the Prusslans
and 22.1 Der cent. for the allies. Al
Zorndorf, fought a year carrier, Au-
gust 25, 1853 the forces engaged were
smaller and the total casualties fewer
but the percentage OF casualties
greater, numbering 1919 per cent.
for the $4,000 Russians and 1913 per
cent. for the $4,000 Prussians. The
principal battles of the nineteenth
century was Leipzig, October IS, 1878,
the "Battle of the Nations" where
Napoleon with 171,O00 men met and
defeated the allied army numbering
301,5OO. Napoleon's casualties mum.
bered $4,000 and those of the allies
$4,000, but in percentage the losses
told heavily against him. 26.3 pei
cent. to 1872 per cent. for the Rus
slams, Prussians and Austrians. AT
Aspern, May p, 1909, 10000 French
lost $4,000, or 1913 per cent, and To-
600 Austrians 22,520, or 80 per cent.
at Borondino, September Z, 1872, the
French lost 24,500, or 1874 per cent.
Of their 100000 and Russians 37,50G
or 81 per cent of 121,00G men.
At Waterloo the French numbered
$4,000 men and 252 guns; the Allies
numbered $4,000 men and lS6 guns.
At Gettysburg the Union army num-
bered $4,000 men and 800 guns; tie
Confederates, 10000 men and $50
guns. At Waterloo Weiiington's army
!. lost 23.1S5; at Gettysburg Meade'9
army lost 23,003.
The loss Of the French at Waterloo
has never been officially announced,
but has been estimated at 26,300; the
Confederate loss at Gettysburg, as Of
fically reported by the Confederate
Surgeon General, was 20,44S, to which
must be added 1917 wounded and un-
wounded prisoners whose names are
omitted from his lists, but appear OF:
the records at Washington.
In short. the battles Of Waterloo
and Gettysburg were fought with
from 10000 to $4,000 men on each
side. and the contestants lost about
$4,000 men each.
In the Franco-P russian war the
greatest loss occurred at the battle
Of Gravelotte, where the Germans
lost 4 LAO killed (includinc the mortal
~ wounded), $3.50 wounded and 939
missing; total 2G,577. out of 1A6,09C
troops engaged. exclusive Of G5 coo re-
serves. AT Gettysburg Meade's arm!
sustained gGeater loss with hall the
number engaged.
In the American Civil War during
the six months following May 4, 1865
the various Union armies sustained
greater loss than the German arr1ie;
did during the whole Franco-Prus-
sian war. The total loss Of the Ger
man army in that war was 2S,277i
killed or mdrtally wounded, S5,4S2
wounded and 14,138 missing; total
1887.
The casualties at Borodino, one OF
the bloodicst battles since the use Of
gunpowder have been variously stat.
ed. The Encyclopedia Britannica puts
the Russian loss at 10000 il killed
wounded and prisoners and the
French loss at considerably above 20,
600. Although the number Of killeC
and wounded at Borodino was greater
numerically, than at Waterloo anc
Gettysburg. the percentage Of loss
was very much less.
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