Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-10-26

There were, therefore, 255, l47 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 297, 7,9l6 sixty-days'
men, in whose ranks those claiming
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 1858 SO, that
1869 soldiers of the war of 1872, of
all terms of service, survived at that
date and again, in S66.67, that (inclu-
ding widows), 99,655 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
only sustained the calculation, but in
dicaUed that it might be underrated.
The duration of the war of the Revolu-
ton was more than double that of 1872,
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,-
OIL enlistments in that war, 55, ITO 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 intervened between
the termination of the Revolutionary
war and the date of the estimate, viz. !:
fifty-one years, gives 1883 as entitled
to pensions in 1865. The service re-
quiI ed by the act of Feb. IA, 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 ,196 widows of the
soldiers of the war of 1872 were then
alive, making a 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 widows
and Survivors were entitled to pensions
in 1865, at this time, according to the
Carlisle tables, A. .992 would be embraced
within the provisions of the act OF Feb.
IA, 1871, which at the uniform rate OF
81 per month, would amount to S3,S52,-
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 1872, 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 Commis-
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