New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-07-06
FROM WASHINGTON.
rhs Second Asdi'er'' Omcs-se''lssnsnt Of
ssldiers' Clnims-sSew This Why BE
Hssteaed- -tutcressing Statistics.
s.r.,uooSsas. Of The N. Y. Tribune.

WASHINGTON. June %, 1868
THB SECOND AUDITORS OFFICE IN 1861.
When Mr.. French was called upon to assume
ne duties Of Second Auditor he early part Of the year
ISL at the outbreak Of the Rebeion the entire force
Mthe ofioe consisted Of fourteen clerks. and Of
hese hailing from Rebel State. handed In hs resig
nation at the very moment that he paid his respects
Ne new Auditor
From the very first Mr.. French saw the magnitude OF
he labor before him and the insufficient means at his
pmmand. and In his first report showed that In six
months time at least fifty additional clerks would be
Necessary to perform the enrren, business Of the Office
b letter also. addressed to the Hon. j. T. Hale,
Chairman Of the Committee of Claims he strongly sets
brth the nsufceney Of the clerical force allowed him.
Nd the many and embarrassing difficulties which bsset
kis path from the very beginning.
At that time but few comprehsnded the vast proper.
lions which the Rebellion was destined to assume;
beside the press upon the Hon. Secretary Of the Treas
~ vas, just at that period. Overwhelming that Mr.
French left almost entirely to his resources
(nd. indeed. the task thus imposed. needed all the
epsbi tiles brought to bear for far the Second
Auditors Office was concerned the iron Of energy yet
numbered in the mines, aud from disoIdered masses
nd conflicting rules, balanced partly by the advantage
Gs few faithful and equally hard working boIdinses
hs whole superstructure OF the present had to be
fsstsd.
WHAT WAS DONE.
How this task accomplished the following figures
Ill help to show: In the First Annual Report of Mr..
kench find that the ttal number OF claims settled
10 TO January 1862 H. 467 but tho next years
kport shows already q startling increase. for aside
hom the immense number settled duriug the year
bvng the want of clerical force and proper
bstiobs there still remained the LIST day OF Jan.
ls0 on hand and unsettled. 1854 cases. For the |
Shoe Of the fiscal year. ending June 80 1862 the
Der Of accounts settled 81 5s4 embracing an e1
kendnre Of 90. Co 467 TO- which more than doubled
themselves In the of the year making the
bota namber Of accounts settled BY this bureau for the
FISCAL rear ending June 30 1864 SO s9s embracing an
buasy 10 fill. Of $50 9l7 $50 50.
Nor this the only work done in the ofiioe-eID-
seing it does the disbursements for the pay of the
rmy the purchase of ordnance and ordnance stores
s disbursements for recruiting. for medical and hosp
ta purposes and for the Indians since 1915 but
k0 900 letters written and various parties
relation to claims, duplicate statements of the cortin
gences Of the army prepared for the Secretary Of Wor
annual statements Of the recruiting fund preDar ed for
be Adutant General Of the army annual statement
Of the disbursements in the Department OF Indian
fairs prepared for Congress. and annual reports pre-
pared of balances, &C., &C.. too numerous TO rece.
Since that tine 10 annual report has OF course ap
pearsd bat from the monthly returns of the working Of
lAe Office already CLEAN the assurance that the
sork performed will reach higher figure han in
the preceding year. For instance:
Daring the month Of January
there settled. or soldiers claims.
During the month Of February
there settled. 75l soldiers claims.
Daring the month OF March there
was settled. ,3j7 soldiers claims.
Daring the month Of April there Il
WA settled. 6i7 soldiers claims.
OlrDg the month Of May t3ere
was settled. 203 sOldlers Claims.
While the total number Of claims Of ali kinds settled
b these Eve months is l6s.9io
how cLAINs ARE SETTLED.
twill be necessary, however, in order 10 convey an
es Of the magnitude Of tn. work done, TO resort not
10 figures alone but to explain tie various phases
through which each end every Of these claims has
% pass before it is adjudicated and finally settled. In
doing 3d. we cannot Of course fully into details
Bu. we can dwell upon them sufficiently show where
the principal difficulties lay. thus enabling claimants
70 avoid them as far as they concerned in the pre-
eminent Of their claims If we did more. we stoud
have TO follow as is the in adjusting soldiers
elsim-the whole military history Of the applicant
Step by step we should follow from battle 10 battle hos
pital TO hospital. camp campgxaininiug pay-iols
inquring into the organizations of regincnt ana IN
abort to determine what is due lin, gain synopsis OF
as entire military life.
Let U.S. for example take mp one Of the most simple
eases viz: where the heirs Of deceased soldier eppv
Cor arrears of pay and bounty The application arrives
duly at the Office Of tie Second Auditor, We viii sup
Dose. though frequently 1t is sent to the Ps!maser
General and has TO incur the necessary delay there
before it reaches its proper destination. However
will suppose Ii to safely reach the Second Auditors
Office. when 1t is duly minated and br.eied e. the
soldiers name rank. regiment company, date Of de-
cease. Attorneys name &c. Endorsed upon N. j, hen
oas,es No the Registrar, who examines tie brieing
sees that it corresponds with the statements contained
IN the body Of the application and after examining h
books from the date of soldiers death TO guard
1be Government from paying the same claim twice
land which examination most frequently involves tho
labor Of rong over 1000 names) enters i. upon his
tooks setting forth name rank and service Of app-
can't wiz number Of regiment aud letter OF com
uny. as well as the name Of the Attorney presea,
lng the claim, and date Of reception.
Prom the Registrar it passes to the examining clerks
~ho may be said 10 be the lawyers Of tie bureau Ihase
geo again il the briefng is correct ana examine tne
case determining whether not the applicant na- any
claim whether the papers are drown up IN TIC Il ~
ler prescribed by Law whether the Witnesses, pro
Be identity Of claimant are disinterested whei'fI
Ne oa,bs attached are sworn 20 before COMPETENT
Authorities in short shielding the Government nom
Gy attempt to defrand it by unworthy psrieS ana ~
he same time taking care that Justice Is done TIC
dier or bis heirs If the case is found proper IL FORM
nd character II is marked go X" the attorney j. I'd