Speeches, Addresses, and Occasional Sermons, Volume 1 (of 3)Parker, Theodore
Religion
Speeches, Addresses, and Occasional Sermons, Volume 1 (of 3)
Parker, Theodore
Sermons, American; Unitarianism
Such is the American loss. The loss of the Mexicans we cannot now
determine. But they have been many times more numerous than the
Americans; have been badly armed, badly commanded, badly trained, and
besides have been beaten in every battle; their number seemed often the
cause of their ruin, making them confident before battle and hindering
their retreat after they were beaten. Still more, they have been ill
provided with surgeons and nurses to care for the wounded, and were
destitute of medicines. They must have lost in battle five or six times
more than we have done, and have had a proportionate number of wounded.
To "lie like a military bulletin" is a European proverb; and it is not
necessary to trust reports which tell of 600 or 900 Mexicans left dead
on the ground, while the Americans lost but five or six. But when we
remember that only twelve Americans were killed during the bombardment
of Vera Cruz, which lasted five days; that the citadel contained more
than 5,000 soldiers and over 400 pieces of cannon, we may easily believe
the Mexican losses on the whole have been 10,000 men killed and perished
of their wounds. Their loss by sickness would probably be smaller than
our own, for the Mexicans were in their native climate, though often ill
furnished with clothes, with shelter and provisions: so I will put down
their loss by ordinary diseases at only 5,000, making a total of 15,000
deaths. Suppose their number of wounded was four times as great as our
own, or 20,000. I should not be surprised if this were only half the
number.
Put all together and we have in total, Americans and Mexicans, 24,000
men wounded, more or less, and the greater part maimed for life; and we
have 30,000 men killed on the field of battle, or perished by the slow
torture of their wounds, or deceased of diseases caused by
extraordinary exposures; 24,000 men maimed; 30,000 dead!
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