The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-02-28
The Officers and Soldiers Of the Mexican War


We. clip the following paragraph irony
the letter OF the Washington correspondent
of the Harrisburg onion
"Mr. Sturgeon made neat little speech
in favor OF 4 memoir al of the officers of
volunteer companies Of our State, asking
for bounty lands. He said it came within
his own knowledge that many of these
brave young fellows had sold even the
implements of their trade 10 furnish articles
TO fit them for the campaign, and that
while some died, most had returned with
shattered constitutions, from the hardships
they had endured, and expressed the opin-
ion that Congress would do no more than
what was right, in granting their request"
This is all right enough, and we hope
that Congress will grant the request of the
memorialists. But there is another matter
which we think of equal importance as the
granting of bounty lands to officers, and
in which the Government of the United
States did not in our opinion, manifest that
high sense of justice which nsuall; char
acterize all its movements. We allude to
manner in which tie sol.Ilers were disban-
ded. 1t is well Known the different regi-
ments were t1Ken home, or as near as pos
slole, at Inc expense of the government,
and there disbanded; thus depriving them
Of that pay and mileage to which they
should have been entitled had they been
disbanded at New Orleans. This, howev-
er, would have been right enough, had all
been treated alike, but it is well known
that those who were discharged before the
conclusion of the war-many Of whom
hao not been in service more than four or
five months-were allowed both pay and
mileage from the time they left Vera Cruz
by which they were enabled 10 save from
seventy-hve TO two hundred dollars each,
according to the rank of the individual
dis charged.
Now if the soldiers were Of any service
to the United States, we cannot perceive
why the government should not allow at
least the same advantages to those who
stuck by her during all her difficulties and
until their services were no longer required
as were granted TO those who had been in
in the army but a short period. We are
unable to perceive the justice Of the course
pursued by the General Government in
this matter, and itmay be remembered that
it was this very circumstance that occa-
stoned the serious disturbance III the New
Y ork regiment on their arrival at New
Orleans. They demanded as a right, and
we think justly too, that they should re-
ceive pay and mileage home, and be per-
mitted TO travel as they seen proper-the
same as had been allowed TO those who
were discharged at an earlier period. They
commended that their services were worth
as much 10 the General Government as
were those who had gone home before them
and that they were entitled to the same
privileges, and we are yet unable to deter
mine why this unjust difference was made
unless with view TO economize. How
ever this may have been, we think the
Government might have found some more
laudable object Of economy than that o
b.ingng hone the soldiers Of the Mexican
war, and we sincerely trust she will yet dc
justice to those from whom such parsl
onious exaction was made.
We hope that the Hon. Job Mann, oul
able Representative in Congress from this
district will take this matter in hand, anC
place the soldiers under another obligation
to him. in addition to the many favors he
has already done them by his indefatigablt
exertions in their behalf. We will refer tc
this matter again.