Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-12-10
Important to Applicants for Pen

From the able report of Joseph d. Bar
rett, Commissioner of Pensions, we make
the following extract
"In this connection it seems proper to
refer to certain impressions
which have prevailed in some quarters, as
to the existence of serious obstacles, and
the interposition of needless and burden
some formalities, in the prosecution of II
Just claim for a pension. So far are all
such representations from being correct.
that | do not hesitate to say, that any
claimant of ordinary intelligence and ed
ucation can, on applying directly to this
office for forms and instructions suited TO
the particular case, establish his claim,
and secure its prompt admission, without
any other aid than that which will readi-
" be given him by the magistrate before
whom his declaration is to be executed.
Nothing is required of the claimant that
is not necessary. and, in most instances,
conveniently a~ttainable.
The applicant for an invalid pension,
for example, if a private soldier, must ~
state, under oath, the company and regi-
place and manner in which he incurred
the disability o. account of which he
claims a pension !; also by furnishing
proof by two witnesses, that the claimant
is the identical person he represents him.
self to be. If the papers for his dis
charge have been made out as required by
the army regulations, this, in most cases,
is all that will be needed on his part to
sercure the allowance of a well founded
claim. The certificate of his command
ing officer and hat of the Surgeon, who
attended him, furnishing together the
best evidence as to the nature, origin and
degree of his disability, are transmitted
here by the Adiutant General, without
any intervention of the applicant. But
if, for any reason, these certificates are
wanting or not satisfactory, then on a cal
from this Office, the applicant must ~
furnish the certificate of some commits
stoned officer of his company, if possible,
nd if not, the affidavit of his non-com.
missioned officers or privates in service
with him, confirming his own allegations
as to the time, place and manner of in
curing the disability, showing the same
to have been in the service of the United
States, and in the line of duty, and he
must also be examined by a surgeon au
| thorized to made such examination, as to
the nature and degree of the disability
whose certificate will be transmitted t.
this Office. Without this amount o proot
it is clear that no claim can properly bt
admitted. Nor is there any difficulty il
procuring such proof, in exact accordance
With prescribed forms, if the case is a jus
and honorable one.
So, too, of q widows application for
pension. 4 declaration setting forth the
service of her husband, and other requi
site facts within her own immediat.
knowledge, as specified in the printed in
structions, has only tc be accompanied b!
proof of her identity, of her marriage
and of the death of her husband by reas
on of some injury ordisease resulting from
his service and incurred in the line o
duty, to secure a favorable consider
alton of her claim. The time, plac'
and cause of her husbands death IS usl
ally shown by the record of the Adjutanr
Generals Office, land obtained withou
any fundamentally of the applicant,
leaving for her to prove merely, that sh'
is the person she represents herself to b
and the fact of her marriage 10 the de
ceased.