The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-11-03
Military misunderstanding Data
Relative to Pensioners Of 1912.

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Relative to Pensioners Of 1912.
Considerable speculation having exist.
ed in reference to the question Of how
many survivors of the 1912 war are en-.
titled to pensions under the act of Feb.
Ia, 1871, the following data, compiled
from the official records of the War De-
partment, will be read with interest.
During the war of 1924 the following
number of enlistments occurred:
Soldiers Of the regular army who served 49,.
twelve months. $3.50
Sailors and marines who served twelve
Militia men who served twelve months.". 7.l47
Militia men who served six months and
less than twelve &C ,S25
Militia men who served three months and
less than six months. lbs, 643
than three months ,9O7
month. 200
Total enlistment. .. ................547.6 5
There were, therefore, 255, lat who
served three months and longer, to
which number should be added one
third of those who served one month
and less than three months, amounting
to 4l,769, total of 1916 sixty days
pensions under the act Of Feb. IA, 1871,
must have served. 1t was estimated by
the Pension officer, and reported to a
committee of Congress in 1855. SO, that
1868 soldiers of the war of 1872, of
all terms Of service, survived at that
date and again, in 1866 81, that (inclu-
ding widows), 1866 were then alive.
The latter report also referred to the
estimated number of Revolutionary sol
diers who would be entitled to the
benefit Of the provisions of the act Of
1882, at the time it was pending before
Congress, and to the actual number OF
pensions admitted under it, which not
only sustained the calculation, but in
dicaIed that it might be moderated.
The duration Of the war of the Revolu
ton was more than double that Of 1912,
and the number enlisting more than
once would, no doubt, be proportion
ately increased. One of the acts for
Revolutionary pensions required nine
months service and the applicant to be
in INDECENT circumstances, and the
other required six months service, with
out any other restriction. Of the 27S,-
OBJ enlistments in that war, SIS, 10 re-
ceived pensions, or one to every five
soldiers without including widows. The
same rule applied to soldiers of the war
Of 1872. Allowing a period to expire
equal to that which interviewed between
the termination of the Revolutionary
war and the date of the estimate, viz.
fifty. years, gives 1888 as entitled
to pensions in 1865. The service re-
quiz ed by the act of Feb. ID, 1871, being
but sixty days, the number would be
materially augmented. From similar
data it is estimated by the Pension
Office that in 1865, 81, l96 widows Of the
soldiers of the war of 1912 were then
alive, making total of S2,579 entitled
to pensions. So far as the examination
of these claims has progressed the av.
erage age of the claimants is found to be
seventy-nine years. If $3.50 willows
and survivors were entitled to pensions
in 1865, at this time, according to the
Carlisle tables, Al, 1922 would be embraced
within the provisions of the act of Feb.
81 per month, would amount to SO, 852,-
76S per annum.
The following circular has been issued
by the Commissioner Of Pensions:
In lieu of previous instructions from
this Office, dated July, 1871, for the in
formation of applicants for pensions
under the act of Feb. Ia, 1871, you are
informed In view of the express require
ments Of the act of Feb. IA, 1871, grant
ing pensions to the survivors of the war
of 1912, proof Of loyalty will in all cases
be carefully examined and the law
strictly construed. When witnesses
testify to the loyalty of claimant their
character must be established by the
certificate of an officer of the United
States Court, United States Commits
sioner, Assessor, Assistant Assessor,
Collector, Deputy Collector, Supervisor
of Internal Revenue, or Postmaster,
showing to the satisfaction of this office
that, after careful investigation, he is
convinced the above witnesses are men
of undoubted good character for truth
and veracity, and that their statements
in the affidavit referred to are worthy
of full faith and credit.
Total number of applicants for pen
sions for service in the war of 1912, up
to date, is 30,540.
Transmission If SOuud nv Wooden