The next stop was Petersburg, south of Richmond, where a nine-month siege ensued. Out of some 108,000 troops at the Second Battle of Cold Harbor, the Union suffered 13,000 casualties, while the Confederates suffered 2,500 casualties out of 62,000 troops.
13 Impressive Benefits of Salt. Common salt, also known as sodium chloride, is an omnipresent ingredient used for seasoning purposes in our everyday foods. It is available in a range of diverse forms and particle sizes, depending on the proposed use. Along with its culinary usage, it is also used as a food preservative.
Beef jerky, pickles, and smoked salmon are all examples of common foods that are preserved using salt. But are salty foods really safe to eat? How does salt as a preservative compare with other methods of food safety? Salt as a Preservative. Salt has been used as a preservative for ages, and works to preserve food in two ways: 1  Salt dries food. Salt draws water out of food and dehydrates it. 2  Salt kills microbes. High salt is toxic to most (not all) microbes because of the effect of osmolarity, or water pressure.