The Soldiers' journal. (Rendezvous of Distribution, Va.) 1864-1865, 1865-06-07
THE 'e2 MEN.

.
THE '62 MEN. 5.-I -.,s ~
We are glad to publish the following we'll
written and brief communication from one of
Sherman's gallant '62 men, No class of soldiers
are more deserving than these; no class of sol
diers have received as little for their services
The emergency which called them to arms was
greater than that caused by firing upon Fort
Sumter. Mcclellan, with the then proudest and
grandest army of the Republic, was falling back
defeated from the gates of Richmond, and every
day of that retreat added to the history Of bat
tie that fell likes pail upon the hearts of our peo-
pie, trebly respondent because having hoped and
dared so much. Recruiting had before been
stopped, no bounties were offered, and these
men-many of them scorning to await the or
ganization of new regiments, and refusing to ac-
cept a short service of nine months, entered for
the war, without asking or receiving reward,
other than that won by their yalor They had
no opportunity to re-enlist, and get from $500 to
$500 bounty, as had the 81 and the nine months
men! They have with singular and persistent
neglect been deprived of all benefit of their SER
vices, Notwithstanding they rescued the nation
in it's darkest of all dark hours. True, they were
temporarily defeated on the cold Peninsula"
and at Bull Run, but they showed the efficiency
of their speedy training at AntietamS They
have since fought in all the battles of the war,
fought to its close,-and their record is as proud
as the proudest. The debt which government
owes them can never be repaid, yet they only
ask to be placed upon the footing of other vol
unteers to be veteraa,s recruits, and share the
honors and profits, as they have shared in the
| battles of the war. Our correspondent is lncor-
rect in asserting that the three months pay pro-
per is the result of an order from War Depart
1 ment, though no one doubts that Departments
authority to issue any order securing justice to
any class of soldiers. 1t comes from one of the
last acts of Congress, which passed the law ben
efitting officers but failed for want of time q? to
pass the bill increasing the '62 boys bounties to
$3O0.-EDIToR.
CAMP OF Sd DIVISION, 2OrR A. C,(
| ~ ALEXANDRIA, VA, May "a, 1864.
Editor Soldiers JouumaI:-In your valuable
paper of the ed inst, full and explicit ex-
plantations given in regard to Muster-out, amount
| of Bounties and statement of three months pay
to officers without considering years of service.
This is as it should be. But question of equity
arises, which beg to call your attention to for a
few moments The recruits of '63 and the vete-
rams receive hundred dollars for one year S
service while the men Of 1872 receive only hun
dred dollars for three years. By fair compu-
tation of wears of service of the Oldest Veteran
Regiment in the field you will find their years
of service not to exceed three and one-half-
Their bounty being four hundred dollars, they
consequently receive government bounty OF
one hundred dollars per year. The men who
enlisted in '62 were pushed hastily to the field
and in many instances companies and regiments
have become engaged before the organizations
had been completed, and without Boosting