Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1834-01-22
BELLEvILLE, Ill. |
Jan. sth, 1881 (
TotAe houora01c, tic Delegation in Congress
from the STATE Of Illinois.

10 tte hOHofaOtc, TIC DeIegdtloR IN congress
from the State Of Illinois. IT,.
GENTLEMEN: have no doubt you will
have brought before Congress at an early
dav the subject of remuneration to the vo-
untcers of this State, for horses lost in our
late Indian war; and although have the ut
mos: confidence in your ability and wiling
ness to advance the best interests of those OF
cur fellow-clttZens, whose losses claim repa-
ration, hope snail not be thought otficinus
in furnishing you with such facts and circun,-
stances, tending to establish these claims,
and arising under my own personal observa
tioa, is may aid you in the attainment Of the
proposed OBJECT.
ME subject is one of great interest to a
Numerous and highly Respectable portion ot
our eilow- citizens, anf. demands OF all whose
stations or means OF information give them
influence, a hearty cooperation in obtaining
iuatice at the hands of the government.
The position in which stood during o c
Indian campaign, accompan! ing the eSpedl-
tiun in pers, n, affords me perfect knowiedge
Of many losses which befel our soldiers, ana
of the circumstances under which they oc-
CURED, which may not DE known to you, or
any others except those present in person
So persuaded was |, al the last session OF the
Legislature Of this STATE, Of the justice of the
claims, and my duty 10 aid in procuring their
adjustment, that in my annual message to
that body, presented the subject for corsid-
Grafton, and solicited the action of the peo-
pies representatives on the subject. A me-
moral vas adopted, and an act of Congress
was passed, as i at FIRST conceived, in accor-
dance with the prayer nj that memorial, ana
the Just clalt.lS oi our feiloW-citlzens. Under
this lmpresStAn. | ntteno;,tad- establish a,
propor { ructiou of The Jaw, in letter ad
dressed to Potter flagner, Esq. of the Treasu-
ry Department. different one, however,
was adopted upon due advice and consuta-
tion,by the 81 Auditor, and the Interpretation
thus adopted operated to the exclusion o.
much the greater portion OF the claimants,
by requiring proof of The actual death oil the
horse for which remuneration is claimed
a proof which the nature of the service pres
cluded, in nearly all instances, the possibil-
ty Of obtaining,
In every case of unintentional loss, where
no negligence is attributable to the soldier.
as equitable claim upon the government, is
constituted, as if the horse absolutely died
In many Of the cases which | have witnes
sed the horses were, early in the spring, be-
fore the vegetation had sufficiently malured,
enieeblcd from constant service, and want Of
forage. The marches of the army were fre>
quontly, indeed generally, through a coun.r,
rendered difficult Of passage by streams q.
water, and extensive and deep morasscs -
the horses sunk under fatigue and exhaus-
ton, and either they, or the service had to be
abandoned. The men proceeded under or
ders with the rest Of the army, leaving thei.
property to perish. Under these circuui-
stances how unreasonable TO require proof %
the animals DEATH. Though In most lnstan-
ces death did follow the abandonment, il was