Modern Battles in which a Great Number of Men were Killed.

Evening Star, Issue 7405, 28 December 1887, Page 3

Modern Battles in which a Great Number of Men were Killed.

It is not uninteresting to state what have been the bloodiest battles of the last hundred years, that is, to compute the percentage of loss to tho numbers engaged. Within tho allotted time the Napoleonic battles come first. The battle of Lodi, Bonaparte's first brilliant suocess, was simply the daring passage of a brigade, and does not enter into the computation. Areola was the most sanguinary struggle of the Italian campaign. The forces engaged numbered about 70,000j and the loss about 25,000, or about 35 per cent. At Rivoli there were SO.OOO men engaged, and tho loss was 40,000, but 20,000 of these consisted of Austrians who surrendered to Napoleon, so that the real loss was only 25 per cent. After Bonaparte'a, return from Egypt he fought battle of Marengo. In its results this was one of the most momentous engagements in history, but all accounts agree that it was the worst planned and worst fought pf all Bonaparte's victories. There were 60,000 men engaged, and the loss was 17,000, or' about 29 per cent. At the battle of Austerlitz, whioh by many is considered Napoleon's most brilliant victory, the Frenoh and Austro-Russian armies numbered 210,000 men, and the loss was 40,000, or about 18 .per owt. At Jewa-Auerstadt. there were 325,000 men, engaged, and the loss was 40,000, or about 12 per cent. At Borodino, there were 170,000 men in battle, and 80,000 Wens killed and wounded, amounting to mora than 47 pjaneent.; At Leipsio there were,

500,000 men in the battle, wliich lasted three days, and the loss was IIOjOOO, or 22 per cent. At Waterloo; 14O,#0ijBieji_wcre engaged, and the Tote Was 40{000, /pr ,24 per cent. In the»° Crimean«W*r there were 125,000 men at the battle of Inkerman, and the casualtlexiamounted to 25,000, or 20 per cent. A b Magenta there were 225,000 men ; the loss was 11 per cent, or about 25,000. At Sqlfenijp.there were 250,000, and the loss was or 16 per cent. At Sawdowa the hostile forces numbered 425,000, and 70,000, or 16 per cent., were killed and wounded. At Gravelotte there were 450,000 men in the encounter, of whom 35.000, or about 8 per cent., were killed and wounded. At Shiloh the armies numbered 90,000, and the loss was 30,000, or one-third. At Fredricksburg there were 180,000, and the loss was 20,000, or 11 per cent. At Antietam there were 150,000, and the loss was 20,000, or about 13 per cent. At Chickamanga there were 105,000, and the loss was 30,000, or 29 per cent. At Chancellorville there were 150,000, and the loss was 30,000, or 29 per cent. At Gettysburg there were 160,000, and the loss amounted to 57,000, or 39 per cent. Thus the figures show that Borodino was the bloodiest battle of modern time, with Gettysburg in the second place.—' Louis ville Courier.'