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40]
In addition, mention should be made of the loss of officers in the heavy artillery at certain battles.
The First Maine H. A. lost 12 officers, killed or wounded, at
Spotsylvania.
May 19th, of whom 6 were killed or mortally wounded; and at
Petersburg, June 18th, the same regiment lost 32 officers, killed or wounded, of whom 10 lost their lives.
In the Eighth New York Heavy Artillery, 9 officers were killed at Cold Harbor.
But the large number of extra officers allowed these regiments will not admit of their classification with the infantry regiments just mentioned.
There is a remarkable difference between the loss of officers in battle and by disease, as compared with that of the enlisted men. In battle, one officer was killed for every 16 enlisted men; but, among the deaths from disease, one officer died to every 72 men, and in the colored regiments, one officer to every 215 men. The officers had better facilities for purchasing food, and were furnished with better quarters while in call; but in an active campaign, in bivouac or on the march, they encountered substantially the same exposure and privation; they were exposed to the same storms and their food was equally scanty.
There was not enough of difference in the fare to account for this remarkable difference in the death rate.
It might account for some of it, but for the greater part the reason must be looked for elsewhere.
The
general officers never hesitated in time of battle to share the danger with the men whenever it became necessary.
The gallantry with which they were wont to expose themselves is fully evidenced by the long list of those who were killed.
General officers killed N action.
