New Estimate Raises Civil War Death Toll

[JimKindred]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/civil-war-toll-up-by-20-percent-in-new-estimate.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&seid=auto&smid=tw-nytimes

[Cumpston1862]

Re: New Estimate Raises Civil War Death Toll

Jim-
Thanks for posting. This has been an open debate my Civil War friends and I have been discussing for sometime now. It does not surprise me the actual losses maybe higher then the official losses. Another item that gets over looked is how many of those boys North and South came home broken men after the war. Having done a fare amount of genealogy research a lot of veterans died of wounds and disease just a couple months or years after the war.

[john.vansickle]

Re: New Estimate Raises Civil War Death Toll

Don't forget the large number of veterans who suffered from "Soldier's Heart" or PTSD, as it was known in the 19th century. When I was collecting historical data for professional research regarding current levels of PTSD I noticed a disproportionate level of suicide among CW veterans when compared to the average civilian. There was even a ca. 1880s case where a veteran was living in the village park with the remnants of his kit including his uniform, musket, and dog tent. He had socially isolated himself from the rest of the community and was living as though he was still on campaign.

John Van Sickle
OIF 2,5, & 7
OEF Currently

[Cumpston1862]

Re: New Estimate Raises Civil War Death Toll

John- Interesting side note. On a recent roadtrip a "pard" was telling me that he had a friend and this friend's G Grandfather came home from the Civil War and his wife couldn't deal with him. The family didn't really know what exactly the problem with him was but the wife made him live in the barn instead of the house. And this wasn't for a couple of months or years but was until the veteran passed away! More then likely a case of a Civil War soldier having difficulty readjusting. This is a topic that certainly needs more research.

The Grand Army of the Republic and the United Confederate Veterans were very helpful in getting the veterans together to work through some of these matters but many sadly did not join.

Thanks for your service to our country btw!

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: New Estimate Raises Civil War Death Toll

Hallo!

Hallo!

Indeed...

The "data suggests" is the poite way of saying that the system of estimates is not the same a quantifying the Unknown.

But I concede the premise that best guessses, estimates, and extrapolations do/did set an accepted number until a seemingly better system or methodology of best guessses, estimates, and extrapolations comes along to move the guestimate up or down.
(With the expectation being up in number due to the lack of "scientific" or more exact data collection rarely if ever possible and growing worse the further back on goes in Time from the Modern Era with its abiities to record, track, and compile actual accurate numbers.

Plus lads not in the "count." Edward Blakeley of the 63rd OVI, who lost his right arm at Resaca, and who used his left hand to commit suicide in 1867 because he could not return to farming. Or Andrew Miller of the 12th PA Cavalry, wounded in March 1865, and dying in May.

Curt