" This is a rate of over 40 per cent. "Those at Fort Meigs are not
much better."[29]
General Wilkinson wrote from Fort George, Sept. 16, 1813: "We count, on
paper, 4,600, and could show 3,400 combatants"; that is, 25 per cent,
and more are sick. "The enemy, from the best information we have, have
about 3,000 on paper, of whom 1,400," or 46.6 per cent., "are sick."[30]
MEXICAN WAR.
There was a similar waste of life among our troops in the Mexican War.
There is no published record of the number of the sick, nor of their
diseases. But the letters of General Scott and General Taylor to the
Secretary of War show that the loss of effective force in our army was
at times very great by sickness in that war.
General Scott wrote:--
"_Puebla_, July 25, 1847.
"May 30, the number of sick here was 1,017, of effectives 5,820."
"Since the arrival of General Pillow, we have effectives (rank and
file) 8,061, sick 2,215, beside 87 officers under the latter
head."[31]
Again:--
"_Mexico_, Dec. 5,1847.
"The force at Chapultepec fit for duty is only about 6,000, rank and
file; the number of sick, exclusive of officers, being 2,041."[32]
According to these statements, the proportions of the sick were 17.4 to
27.4 and 24.7 per cent of all in these corps at the times specified.
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