# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 5/24th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 5

Chap. V.—An Act to provide for the payment of horses and other property lost or destroyed in the military service of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,Act of Feb. 19, 1833, ch. 33. Act of June 30, 1834, ch. 153. Oct. 14, 1837, ch. 5. 1842, ch. 185. 1843, ch. 103. 1838, ch. 178. Officers and others to be paid the value of horses lost. That any field, or staff, or other officer, mounted militiaman, volunteer, ranger, or cavalry, engaged in the military service of the United States since the eighteenth of June, eighteen hundred and twelve, or who shall hereafter be in said service, and has sustained or shall sustain damage, without any fault or negligence on his part, while in said service, by the loss of a horse in battle or by the loss of a horse wounded in battle, and which has died or shall die of said wound or being so wounded shall be abandoned by order of his officer and lost; or shall sustain damage by the loss of any horse by death, or abandonment, in consequence of the United States failing to supply sufficient forage, or because the rider was dismounted and separated from his horse, and ordered to do duty on foot at a station detached from his horse; or when the officer in the immediate command ordered or shall order the horse turned out to graze in the woods, prairies, or commons, because the United States failed or shall fail to supply sufficient forage, and the loss was or shall be consequent ​thereof; or for the loss of necessary equipage, in consequence of the loss of his horse as aforesaid, shall be allowed and paid the value thereof:Proviso. Provided, That if any payment has been, or shall be, made to any one aforesaid, for the use and risk, or for forage, after the death, loss, or abandonment of his horse, said payment shall be deducted from the value thereof, unless he satisfied or shall satisfy the paymaster at the time he made or shall make the payment, or thereafter show, by proof, that he was remounted, in which case the deduction shall only extend to the time he was on foot:Further proviso. And provided, also, If any payment shall have been, or shall hereafter be, made to any person above mentioned, on account of clothing, to which he was not entitled by law, such payment shall be deducted from the value of his horse or accoutrements.
Volunteers or draughted militiamen to be allowed for arms, &c., lost.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That any person who, in the said military service as a volunteer, or draughted militiaman, furnished or shall furnish himself with arms and military accoutrements, and sustained or shall sustain damage by the capture or destruction of the same, without any fault or negligence on his part, or who lost or shall lose the same by reason of his being wounded in the service, shall be allowed and paid the value thereof.
Payment for horses, mules, wagons, &c.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That any person who sustained or shall sustain damage by the loss, capture, or destruction by an enemy, of any horse, mule, or wagon, cart, boat, sleigh, or harness, while such property was in the military service of the United States, either by impressment or contract, except in cases where the risk to which the property would be exposed was agreed to be incurred by the owner, if it shall appear that such loss, capture, or destruction was without any fault or negligence on the part of the owner; and any person who, without any such fault or negligence, sustained or shall sustain damage by the death or abandonment and loss of any such horse, mule, or ox, while in service aforesaid, in consequence of the failure on the part of the United States to furnish the same with sufficient forage, shall be allowed and paid the value thereof.
Claims to be adjusted by Third Auditor, under rules prescribed by Secretary of War, &c.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the claims provided for under this act shall be adjusted by the Third Auditor, under such rules as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of War, under the direction or with the assent of the President of the United States; as well in regard to the receipt of applications of claimants, as the species and degree of evidence, the manner in which such evidence shall be taken and authenticated, which rules shall be such as, in the opinion of the President, shall be best calculated to obtain the object of this act, paying a due regard, as well to the claims of individual justice as to the interests of the United States, which rules and regulations shall be published four weeks in such newspapers in which the laws of the United States are published, as the Secretary of War shall direct.
Entry of all adjudications to be made; claimants to be paid on producing certified copies thereof.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That in all adjudications of said Auditor upon the claims above mentioned, whether such judgment be in favor of, or adverse to, the claim shall be entered in a book provided by him for that purpose, and under his direction; and when such judgment shall be in favor of such claim, the claimant, or his legal representative, shall be entitled to the amount thereof upon the production of a copy thereof certified by said Auditor at the Treasury of the United States.
Payment for losses by minors to be made to parents or guardians.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That in all instances where any minor has been, or shall be, engaged in the military service of the United States, and was or shall be provided with a horse or equipments, or with military accoutrements, by his parent or guardian, and has died or shall die without paying for said property, and the same has been or shall be lost, captured, destroyed, or abandoned in the manner before ​mentioned, said parent or guardian shall be allowed pay therefor on making satisfactory proof as in other cases, and the further proof that he is entitled thereto by having furnished the same.
Persons other than minors to be paid for property risked by them which has been lost.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That in all instances where any person other than a minor has been or shall be engaged in the military service aforesaid, and has been or shall be provided with a horse or equipments, or with military accoutrements by any person, the owner thereof, who has risked or shall take the risk of such horse, equipments, or military accoutrements on himself, and the same has been or shall be lost, captured, destroyed, or abandoned in the manner before mentioned, such owner shall be allowed pay therefor, on making satisfactory proof as in other cases, and the further proof that he is entitled thereto, by having furnished the same, and having taken the risk on himself.
Acts of 19 February, 1833, ch. 33; and 30 June, 1834, ch. 153, repealed.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That the act passed on the nineteenth of February, eighteen hundred and thirty-three, entitled “An act for the payment of horses and arms lost in the military service of the United States against the Indians on the frontier of Illinois and Michigan Territory,” and an act passed on the thirtieth of June, eighteen hundred and thirty-four, entitled “An act to provide for the payment of claims for property lost, captured or destroyed by the enemy, while in the military service of the United States, during the late war with the Indians on the frontier of Illinois and Michigan territory,” be, and the same are hereby, repealed.
Limitation of act.Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That this act shall be and remain in force until the close of the next session of Congress.
Approved, January 18, 1837.