The Medical History of the Confederate States. 115
the officers of the Medical Corps of the Confederate Army during the civil war of 1861-1865. The figures, of course, do not indicate that the Confederacy had in the field an army approaching three millions and a half. On the contrary, the Confederate forces engaged during the war of 1861-1865 did not exceed six hundred thousand. Each Confederate soldier was, on an average, disabled for greater or lesser period, by wounds and sickness, about six times during the war.
LOSSES OF THE CONFEDERATE ARMY, 1861-1865.
Confederate forces actively engaged during the war of
1861-1865 - 600,000
Grand total deaths from battle, wounds and disease 200,000
Losses of Confederate army in prisoners during the war on account of the policy of non-exchange adopted and en- forced by the United States 200,000
Losses of the Confederate army from discharges for disa- bility from wounds and disease and desertion during the years 1861-1865 100,000
If this calculation be correct, one-third of all the men actually engaged on the Confederate side were either killed outright on the field or died of disease and wounds ; another third of the entire number were captured and held for indefinite periods prisoners of war ; and of the remaining two hundred thousand, at least one-half were lost to the service by discharges and desertion.
At the close of the war the available active force in the field, and those fit for duty, numbered scarcely one hundred thousand men.
The great army of Northern Virginia, surrendered by General Robert E. Lee on the gth of April, 1865, could not muster ten thousand men fit for active warfare. Of this body of six hundred thousand men, fifty-three thousand seven hundred and seventy-three were killed outright, and one hundred and ninety-four thousand and twenty-six wounded on the battle-field. One third of the entire Con- federate army was confided to the Confederate surgeons for the treat- ment of battle wounds ; and, in addition to such gigantic services, the greater portion, if not the entire body of the six hundred thousand men, were under the care of the medical department for the treat- ment of disease.
Well may it be said that to the surgeons of the medical corps is due the credit of maintaining this host of troops in the field. Such
