American Warfare

AMERICAN WARFARE.

In our notice yesterday (April 15) of that dogged peculiarity of American warfare, of fighting it out to the bitter end, instead of an over reached army considering itself defeated, as is usual in European warfare, we referred to the existence of the same characteristic in the warfare of the ancient Americans as among the modern Americans, as recorded in the Book of Mormon.

In the fourth century after Christ, the two principal nations of North America became engaged in deadly warfare with each other, and after various contests, intervals of peace, successes and defeats, the two nations gathered together in the now Northern States to fight it out still further. Finally they assembled at and around, or in the vicinity of, what is now Manchester, Ontario County, New York, with the following result, according to the Book of Mormon, page 507–8—

“And it came to pass that when we had gathered in all our people in one to the land of Cumorah, behold I, Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer that the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them), therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah, all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni. And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of. death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them. And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror, because of the greatness of their numbers. And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the axe, and with all manner of weapons of war. And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life. And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni), and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me; and we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni. And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst; and Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Joneam hail fallen with his ten thousand; and Camenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.

“And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had dissented over unto the Lamanites, had fallen, and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them, to moulder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth.”

But still greater struggles of this same exhaustive and exterminative character happened in North America many hundred years previous to those to which the extract above quoted refers. A much more ancient people became involved in wars with each other, and they pursued the fierce strife with similar bitter relentlessness, and unto even a more complete destruction, not one alone, but both parties being exterminated. After describing much war and bloodshed, the Book of Mormon, pages 526-7, says—

“And it came to pass that Shiz pursued after Coriantumr, and he did overthrow many cities, and he did slay both women and children, and he did burn the cities thereof; and there went a fear of Shiz throughout all the land; yea, a cry went forth throughout the land, who can stand before the army of Shiz? Behold, he sweepeth the earth before him! And it came to pass that the people began to flock together in armies, throughout all the face of the land. And they were divided, and part of them fled to the army of Shiz, and a part of them fled to the army of Coriantumr. And so great and lasting had been the war, and so long had been the scene of bloodshed and carnage, that the whole face of the land was covered with the bodies of the dead; and so swift and speedy was the war, that there was none left to bury the dead, but they did march forth from the shedding of blood to the shedding of blood, leaving the bodies of both men, women, and children, strewed upon the face of the land, to become a prey to the worms of the flesh; and the scent thereof went forth upon the face of the laud, even upon all the face of the land; wherefore the people became troubled by day and by night, because of the scent thereof; nevertheless, Shiz did not cease to pursue Coriantumr, for he had sworn to avenge himself upon Coriantumr of the blood of his brother who had been slain.”

“And it came to pass that Shiz did pursue Coriantumr eastward, even to the borders of the sea-shore, and there be gave battle unto Shiz for the space of three days; and so terrible was the destruction among the armies of Shiz, that the people began to be frightened, and began to flee before the armies of Coriantumr; and they fled to the land of Corihor, and swept off the inhabitants before them, all they that would not join them; and they pitched their tents in the valley of Corihor. And Coriantumr pitched his tents in the valley of Shurr. Now the valley of Shurr was near the hill Comnor; wherefore Coriantumr did gather his armies together upon the hill Comnor, and did sound a trumpet unto the armies of Shiz, to invite them forth to battle. And it came to pass that they came forth, but were driven again; and they came the second time; and they were driven the second time. And it came to pass that they came again the third time, and the battle became exceeding sore. And it came to pass that Shiz smote upon Coriantumr that he gave him many deep wounds, and Coriantumr having lost his blood, fainted, and was carried away as though he were dead. Now the loss of men women and children, on both sides, was so great that Shiz commanded his people that they should not pursue the armies of Coriantumr; wherefore they returned to their camp.

After this Coriantumr, finding that nearly two millions of his people had been slain made overtures of peace to Shiz, who offered to accept them for the people, providing Coriantumr was given up to him for death, of course this offer was declined, and after a while the two nations fell to fighting with each other again, continuing the war until they found themselves in this same New York state. Here is the sequel of the struggle, quoting from the Book of Mormon, page 548-9—

“And it came to pass that the army of Coriantumr did pitch their tents by the hill Ramah; and it was that same hill where my father Mormon did hide up the records unto the "Lord, which were sacred.

“And it came to pass that they did gather together all the people upon all the face of the land, who had not been slain save it was Ether. And it came to pass that Ether did behold all the doings of the people; and he beheld that the people who were for Coriantumr, were gathered together to the army of Coriantumr; and the people who were for Shiz, were gathered together to the army of Shiz; wherefore they were for the space of four years gathering together the people, that they might get all who were upon the face of the land, and that they might receive all the strength which it was possible that they could receive. And it came to pass that when they were all gathered together, every one to the army which he would, with their wives and their children; both men, women and children being armed with weapons of war having shields, and breast plates and head plates, and being clothed after the manner of war they did march forth one against another to battle; and they fought all that day, and conquered not. And it came to pass that when it was night they were weary, and retired to their camps; and after they had retired to their camps, they took up a howling and a lamentation for the loss of the slain of their people; and so great were their cries their howlings and lamentations, that it did rend the air exceedingly. And it came to pass that on the morrow they did go again to battle, and great and terrible was that day; nevertheless they conquered not, and when the night came again, they did rend the air with their cries and their howlings and their mournings, for the loss of the slain of their people.

“And it came to pass that they fought all that day and when the night came they slept upon their swords; and on the morrow they fought even until the night came; and when the night came they were drunken with anger even as a man who is drunken with wine; and they slept again upon their swords; and on the morrow they fought again; and when the night came they had all fallen by the sword save it were fifty and two of the people of Coriantumr, and sixty and nine of the people of Shiz. And it came to pass that they slept upon their swords that night, and on the morrow they fought again, and they contended in their mights with their swords, and with their shields, all that day; and when the night came there were thirty and two of the people of Shiz, and twenty and seven of the people of Coriantumr.

“And it came to pass that they ate and slept, and prepared for death on the morrow. And they were large and mighty men as to the strength of men. And it came to pass that they fought for the space of three hours, and they fainted with the loss of blood. And it came to pass that when the men of Coriantumr had received sufficient strength, that they could walk, they were about to flee for their lives, but behold, Shiz arose, and also his men and he swore in his wrath that he would slay Coriantumr, or he would perish by the sword; wherefore he did pursue them, and on the morrow he did overtake them; and they fought again with the sword. And it came to pass that when they had all fallen by the sword save it were Coriantumr and Shiz, behold Shiz had fainted with loss of blood. And it came to pass that when Coriantumr had leaned upon his sword, that he rested a little, he smote off the head of Shiz. And it came to pass after he had smote off the head of Shiz, that Shiz raised upon his hands and fell; and after that he had struggled for breath he died. And it came to pass that Coriantumr fell to the earth, and became as if he had no life.”

Thus, at two separate distinct, and far removed epochs of Ancient American history did the people on a very extensive scale, exhibit the same peculiar refuse to be beaten characteristic in their warfare as was exhibited, in a large degree, in the recent American civil war. How is it? It is a thing for the philosophers to ponder over.— Deseret News.