Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-03
Union AND AMERICAN,
THE WAR AND PENSIONS, AMNEs-
TY, ETC,

To the Editors of the Union and American:
GREENEvILLE, Jan. 25, 1672.-Soiourn-
ers in this portion of the State from the
lowlands, are often much surprised by the
youthful appearance of some of our great
grandfathers, upon whom age sits as lightly as
the crown of the roses and vi0lets upon the
Queen of the May. Hlarity and buoyancy
of spirits is a characteristic Of our people,
who never seem TO grow old. Though the
locks may be gray, or the cheek furTowed,
the heart seems as joyous and youthful as
half century and more ago, when the ri
fle was shouldered and the knapsack packed
for the jackson war" There are many
veterans of this war among Us, who
have Just cause TO complain of the iDgrati-
tude of ''the nation" toward them, and sin
cerely do | hope that if ''the people" ever
return to power they will not be guilty Of
neglecting these wards of the republic.
Among them is an old man Of eighty-six
years, who for nearly quarter of a century
has been Register of the county, and will
probably die in the Office Well and faith
fully he served his country in campaign
under "0ld Hickory" when he was stout
and hale; but now he is tOtteriLg and feeble.
one of the few old men among us, and
needs the comfort and support Of pension
to cheer bis declining days. All his life he
has been Union man, following the star
of jackson till it set in glory, and then the
nearer and to him brighter light Of his
friend and neighbOr johnson. But
a pension he cannot have, says ''the nation"
because he was guilty Of supporting his
family by his ill-gotten gain in fees for re-
gistering Rebel deeds of conveyance. Thus
lie committed disloyalty" and is, therefore,
entirely cut off. "The nation maintains
''Leet, Stocking 81 Co." in luxury, but
"Uncle Tommy" must care for himself.
Another in a neighbOring county shall tell
his own story. swell, Judge" said I,
''you are not peusiOner, they tell me; how
happens that? Weren't you a soldier
Of the war of 1922"
eyes, sir l was twice honorably dis
charged from the service of my country in
that war, once from the hospital by the
surgeons order, as a hopeless invalid, and
then on my second term when peace was
made. The first time was as near dead, |
reckon, as man ever gets; but by the good
ness Of my Maker l recovered and went
in again, determined to see it through, and
/ came out safe and sound. My neighbors
trusted me for nearly thirty years before this
last war came up as a justice of the peace
and, l reckon, L tried more cases than any
man in the judicial district. My last case
on my civil docket was numbered 6,20l, |
and State cases l can't remember the num- /
Der of. l never was charged with violating 4
the laws of my country but once, and that /
was for knocking down a fellow for calling .
me id liar, and believe l loved my .
country as well as any man could. had /
fought for it, and it had protected me. l /
was a powerful Wing, and when the war
came up 1 opposed it with all my might. l |
couldn't see any need Of it. l always some .
how sort o. loved the old flag and the |
old Government, and told 'em | didn't |
believe they could better it. But .
first one of my boys went into the Rebel .
army, and then another got led off in the |
hurrah, and another and another till all but
one got into that army. / could not help
it; but thought it mighty foolish and wrong.
But they were young and hot-blOoded and
got off into it somehow in spite Of me.
Well, thought heap Of my boys; they'd .
been mighty good TO me, and was getting
old, aud almost before l knew it, found
my feelings taking sides with EN- in the
war, and really before the war was over,
from seeing 'em shot and wounded and at
last getting whipped, l really sympathized
with em, and some called me q Rebel. l
don't know now IL was, Out always lONeQ
the Union and the old constitution and told
'em could do well enough uuder it, and
whenever any of my neighbors wanted to
go through to the Federal army, I'd help
them along. But l reckon be-
cause 1 liked my boys and sort o sympa-
thised with 'em, they put me down as
Rebel; anyhow they won't give me a pen
sion; but defy 'em to put their finger on
single disloyal act l ever done"
f'YFell, WELL l reckon ! have about as
happy a time as any old man ever did. My
bows have given me and the old woman
good home, and 1 spend my time visiting
around with 'em and playing with their ba-
bies: and they supply us with everything
we want. Parents never had kinder chill
dren. Bat that amt it," and the old mans
eye glistened and his lip quivered; ''they're
pensionhg my old comrades, what's left of
'em, and Id like to be as independent as
they are; and it don't look exactly just and
right to disown an old soldier for having
good boys and loving EN- too well, does it?'
JUS.