Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-03-25
SOLDIERS BOUNTIEs.
Usefal COLLATION. Of Faess The Different Bouu.
sy Laws.

tu' iplioWlDg review OF the boun-
y laws we copy from The Republic
Tue information may be useful in
leading he soldiers or his heirs to 9
proper understanding Of their rights
under existing laws:
The amount of bounty due depends
upon the date and term of enIistm ent.
On the third Of May, 1861, the Presi.
dent issued Proclamation calling
for 40. 900 volunteers, to serve three
yeaes On the 18th of Nav, 1861,
the War Department issued General
Order No. rs By this order, the
volunteers enIlsting for three year,
were promised Slc0 b, unity at the
expiration of their ERIN Of servise or
whenever honorably discharged
Eighty thousand men entered the
service under this order. The act OF
July % 1861. made the payment OF
the 500 bounty dependent upou at
least two years service. This law
was held to apply to those already IL
service. and the 800 bounty promis-
ed by General Order No. % was de-
nied TO all who had been discharged
before serving two years. In March,
1870, the Supreme Court decided, on
u test case brought before it, that th,
law of July %, 1861, SO far as it pro
vided for the payment of bounty at
ter TWO years service, did not apply
to volunteers who entered the service
for three years under the operation
of General Order No. rs.
On the 22d of April, 1872, Congress
passed an act, covering the decision
of the Court, granting 500 bounty
to all soldiers who enlisted for three
years prior of July %. 1861. unoel
General Order rs, provided they
were mustered prior to August 6 '6l
when honorably discharged, and had
not already received the bounty u
der this act, the heirs # a soldier are
not entitled to the bounty II must b.
paid to the soldier himself. Ii he il
dead, his heirs have no claim.
Soldiers discharged to receive pro
motion are not entitled to this boun.
ty. Such discharge is not consider
ed a withdrawal from the service
within the meaning of the Law
Soldiers who have received 5000
bounty 800 ct which WIS addition
al bounty, act July % l866-have no
claim. Strictly speaking, they hav.
a claim to bounty-AprIl %, 1872
but it's amount is cancelled by tht
additional bounty paid. To illustrate.
Many of the soldiers enlisted between
May 4 1861, and July %, 1861, were
discharged before serving two years
They subsequently, reentered the
service, and received 800 bounty on
their second enlistment. They also
received the additional bounty act
July %, 1866. making in all 1900
bounty. They now claim bounty
under act April %. 1872 If they
are entitled to it, they were not en-
titled to receive the additional bOun
ty already paid, tor I be act OF July %
1866, expressly forbids the payment
of additional bounty to those Cho
have received. or are entitled to receive
more than 500 bounty. Therefore
it will be useless expense for a soldier
who has received bounty on hir
second enlistment, and the slC0 ed-
dItional bounty, to make application
for the bounty, act April %, 1872
The 800 additional bounty .palr
would cancel the 800 claimed under
the last-named act.
Volunteers entering the service be.
tween April IL. 81. and December
"a 1863, for two or three years, are
entitled TO receive, under act JIly
%. 1861 800 bounty at the end OF
their term. or on discharge, after two
years service. This bounty is pay
abba to the soldiers or to his heirs
The widow, children, parents, broth
ers and sisters, in the order named.
are the only heirs entitled under The
act. The parents, o. the brothers
aud sisters, must have been residents
of the United States at the death of
the soldier to entitle them to the
bounty. If a soldier died unmarried.
leaving a father or mother in Europe,
and brother or sister in the United
States, the father 10 Europe would
be entitled to the arrears of pay, but
the bounty would be paid to the heir
or heirs rerident of the United States
at the death of the soldier.
Soldiers enlisting between July 5
1862 and December "a, 1868. receiv
ed SIS advance bounty. lea,in $75
due at end of term. Between Decem.
Der "a, 1868, and April /, 1864, vol
unteer recruits for three years, To
new organizations, were entitled TO
receive $500 bounty, payable in in
stalments-frst, $50 or enlistment
second, $40 after two months service;
third, $40 after six months fourth,
$40 after twelve months fifth, $40
after twenty -four months, and the
balance at the close of the term.
Recruits to old organizations
those already in the 6eld-enlisIiny
for three years beteen October "a,
SO, aud April 2, "a, were entitled to
receive $500 bounty, payable in in
stalments, as above.
Veterans were volunteers enlisting
for three wears between January /,
1868, and April l, 1864, who had
previous served niue mouths or over
They were entitled TO s40O bounty
payable as above, each instaIme Mt
after the first, to be $50 instead d
$40; as gwen to the recruits.
These large bounties were prom.
ised by orders from the War De-
partment, and legaliEed by Join
Resolutions of Congress-, Decemb bel
%, 1868; January Is, 1864, anC
March 3, 1864.
Soldiers enlisted under these pro
visions are entitled to the full boun
ty il discharged on account o
wounds received 10 line of duty