American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-02-07
NUMBER 9

- '' etathCJ dHfduCeu The re-
qulred funds accordingly. The fol-
lowing telegram from the Secretary
of War will show in part the ground
on which | acted:
WASHINGTON, July %, 1863,
10 has Ereeileney, Gov A. G.. Cur-
tin: .ha
Your kilograms, respecting the pay
of militia called out under your proc
lamation of the 9th of June, have
been referred to the President for
instructions, and have been under
his consideration. He directs me to
say that, while no law or appropria-
tion authorizes the payment by the
General Governmental Of troops that
have not been mustered into The SER
vice of the United States, he will
recommend to Congress to make an
appropriation for :he payment of
troops called into State service to
repel an actual invasion, including
those of the State of Pennsylvania,
If in the meantime, you can raise the
necessary amount, as has been done,
in other States, the apppriation will
Be applied to refund the advance to
those.who made it. eu
Measures have been taken for the
payment of troops mustered into the
United States service, as soon as
the muster and pay-rolls are made
out. The answer of this Depart
ment to you,as Governor ofthe State,
will be given directly to yourself
whenever the Department is prepar.
ed t. make answer.
(Signed) EDWIN M. STANTON, .
Secretary of War.
When Congress met, the Execu-
tive of the United States did not re-
commend the pas age of the necessa-
ry act. | have understood that the
subject was called to the attention of
the proper committee, by the Secre-
tary of War, but as the President
did not send 4 message explaining
the circumstances of the case, the
appropriation failed, as the members
of Congress had thus no means of ex.
planning to their constituents the difer-
ence between this case (which was in
substance a loan TO the United States.
upon the pledge of the Executive for
for its repayment and the case Of
the volutary expenditure of money !
for military purposes by Pennsylva-
mia and most of the other States.
will add, that the men came into the
service for the emergency only, and on
the faith that they should be discharged
as soon as in my judgment, the emergen-
cy should have ceased. The emergency
ceased Immediately after the battle Of
Gcttsburg, which commenced on the 1st
of July, 1868 yet the men, against nv
urgent and repeated remonstrances were
kept in the service long afterward, and
used by the United States for various
purposes. The last of them were not
discharged till in September.
| recommend that the Legislature adopt
measures to bring the subjcct before
Congress, and obtain repayment of this
sum, amounting to S671 ,476 43, with
interest on the same, which the General
Government has thus far unwarantsdly
withheld
Great injustice has been dono to pri-
vate soldiers, who went into service un-
der the provisions of the act of Congress,
by refusing to pay them the bounties Of
fered by the terms of that act, The fol-
lowing letter, which | addressed to the
Secretary of War sufficiently plains the
position of this affair:
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, J
: HARRISBURG, Pa, June 5, 1865.
SIR There are two subjects connect.
ell with the discharge of volunteers which
are Of so much Importance that I feel
justified in calling your attention to
them.
First--The men are being paid only
to the day of their arrival at the place
they are to be discharged. This will
cause them to lose few dsys' pay, de-
pending principally upon4thc promptness
and disposition Of the officers of
the United States having the mat
ter in charge 1t is a matter of lit
tie moment to the Government, but the
men feel it to be an injustice, and, if un-
der the acts of Congress, they can be
pah until discharged, L think you will
agree with them. 4
Second-In Circular No go from Pro-
vost Marshal's Office, datet July 10, 1864
'under which the volunteers now TO be
discharged were raised," 1t is stated that
the bounty provided by law is as fol-
lows
''For recruits, inclsHing representative
recruits, 500 "a
And it further adds, that the first in
staiiment of the bounty will he paid when
the recruit is mustered in, as follows
I" To recruit who enlisted in the an.
my for one year, $50, 49,"
On these terms the men enlisted. and
they are of opinion that they are entitled
to the remainder of their bounty when
discharged from service.
1t is proposed, however, to pay them
but part of this remainder, because the
Government does not require their SER
vices for the full term Of their enlistment,
and appears to be breach Of the contract
between the Governments and the men.