West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-10-21
Losses on Battleields of Old.

Losses on Battlefelds Of Old.
While the losses that are sustaine,
by the great armies that are contest
ing the issue i'm the war i'm Europ,
are appalling. and far greater in ac
tual numbers than were ever know
in any war in the past. i'm the percent
age OF losses to the number engaged
some OF the great battles OF the pas
exceed materially the estimates-fol
only estimates are available-of IN,
| losses sustained in conflicts OF tn,
| present war.
The heaviest loss i'm the battles O,
the eighteenth century was at Kuners-
dorf. fought August II. 1859. where
$4,000 Prussians met Il 900 Russians
and Austrians. and the total casualty
list numbered 35,370 killed and
wounded; 43.4 per cent for the Prus-
slams and 22.1 per cent for the allies.
AT Zorndorf. fought year earlier.
August 25, 176S. the forces engaged
were smaller and the total casualties
greater, numbering 42.9 per cent for
the $4,000 Russians and 1873 per cent
for the $4,000 Prussians. The prin-
cipal battle OF the nineteenth century
was Leipzig. October 10, 1913, the
Battle OF the Nations" where Napo-
leon with III 900 men met and de-
feated the allied army numbering
SOl 800. Napoleon's casualties num-
bered $4,000 and those OF the allies
$4,000. but in percentage the losses
told heavily against him, 26.3 per cent
to 1872 per cent for the Russians. the
Prussians and Austrians. At Aspern.
May 2l, 1909. 10000 French lost 42.-
OSO, or 46.S per cent. and $4,000 Aus
trans 22,520, or 30 per cent. At Boro-
dino, September z, 1912, the French
lost 24,500, or 1874 per cent OF their
10000 and the Russians S7.500, or
81 per cent of 121 900 men.
At Waterloo the French numbered
$4,000 men and 252 guns, the allies
numbered 10000 men and 1SC guns.
At Gettysburg the Union army num-
bered $4,000 men and $50 guns. At
Waterloo Wellington's army lost o.
1856, at Gettysburg Meades army lost
23,OO3.
The loss of the French at Waterloo
has never been officially announced
but has been estimated at &c 300; the
Confederate loss at Gettysburg. as
officially 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 on
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 lots about $4,000 men
each.
In the Franco-Prussian war the
greatest loss occurred at the battle OF
Gravelotte, where the Germans lost
4,449 killed including the mortally
wounded), 1919 wounded and 939
missing; total 2O,577, out of 10000
troops engaged, exclusive of 65 900 re-
serves. At Gettysburg Meade's army
sustained a greater loss with half the
number engaged.
1t may be suggested that the Fran
co-Prussian war was, comparatively.
OF brief duration. and hence a com
parison OF the aggregate casualties
canot be made. But in the American
Civil war during the six months fol-
lowing May 4, 1864, the various I'm
ion armies sustained greater loss than
the German armies did during the
whole Franco-Prussian war. The
total loss of the Germany army in that
war was 2S,277 killed or mortaIly
wounded, S5,4S2 wounded and 14.13S
missing, total, 127,S97.
The casualties at Borodino, one of
the bloodiest battles since the use of
gunpowder, have been variously stat
ed. The Encyclopedia Britannica puts
the Russian loss at 10000 killed,
wounded and prisoners and the
French loss at considerably above
10000" Allison gives the losses at
Borodino in round numbers only, pIac-
ing the French loss at $4,000 and the
Russian at $4,000. The most credible
statement is found in the Journal Of
the London Statistical Society, which
places the number OF killed and
wounded I'm the French army at Doro-
dino at 2S,O85 out of $4,000 troops
present on the field. The Russian
army numbered 10000 at that Dattle.
and there is nothing to show that it's
less was greater than that of its an
tagonist Although the number of
killed and wounded AZ Borodino was
greater, numerically. than at Water
loo and Gettysburg, the percentage OF
loss was very much less Huntington
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