The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-07-17
L "A w s
OF THE
u nit q al S. ia { g s.
PASSED AT THE
THIRD SESSION OF THE FORTY-SECOND
CONGRESS.

2
PASSED AT THE
TEIRD SESSION OF THE FORTY-SECoND J
CONGRESS-.
GENERAL NATURE-NO. 81.
AN ACT to revise, consolidate, and amend tn
laws, relating to pensions,
Be 1t enacted by the Senate and House of Represen
tatiues of the United States Of america an Congress
assembled: That if the ability of any officer of tn
army, including regulars, volunteers, and militia
or any officer in the navy or marine corps or an.
enlisted man, however employed, in the military
or naval service of the United States, in it.
marine corps, whether regularly mustered or not
disabled by reason Of any wound or injury re
ceived, or disease contracted, whilein the service
Of the United States and in the line of duty; any
master serving on gunboat. or any pilot, engi
neer, sailor, or other person not regularly must
cred, serving upon any gunboat or war vessel o
the United States, disabled by any wound or inju
ry received, or otherwise incapacitated, while IL
the line of duty, for procuring his subsistence by
manual labor; any person not an enlisted soldier
in the army, serving for the time being as mem
Der of the militia OF any State under orders of an
officer of the United States, or who volunteeredfor
the time being to serve with any regularly organ
lied military naval force of the United States or
who otherwls VI lunteered and rendered service in
in consequence of wounds or injury received in
the line Of duty in such temporary service, any
acting assistant or contract surgeon, disabled by
any wound or injury received or disease contract
ed in the line OF duty while actually performing
the duties of assistant surgeon or acting assist
ant surgeon with any military force in the field
or in transitu or in hospital, or any provost
marshal, deputy provost marshal, or enrolling
officer, disabled by reason OF any wound or inJu
~.
cure o subsistence by manual labor, has been
since the 4th day of March, eighteen hundred and
sixty one, or shall hereafter be impaired by rea
son Of such disability, he shall, upon making due
proof Of the fact. according to such forms and
as are or may be provided by and in
pursuance Of law, be placed upon the list of in
valid pensioners of the United States and be en-
titled to receive, for total disability permal
nent specific disability, such pension as is here
matter provided in such cases, and for an infe-
rior disability, except in cases of permanent
specific disability for which the rate of pension
is expressly provided an amount proportionate
to that provided for total disability, to commence
as hereinafter provided, and to continue during
the existence of the disability: Propided, That
no claim of State miitiaman, CT non enlisted
person, on account of disability from wounds or
injury received in battle with rebels or Indians,
while temporarily rendering service, shall be
valid unless prosecuted to successful issue pri
or to the fourth day of July, eighteen hundred
and seventy -four: And prou5dsd further, That no
person shall be entitled TO pension by reason OF
wounds or injury received or disease contracted
in the service of the United States subsequent to
the twenty-sevenh day of July, eighteen hun
dred and sixty eight, unless the person who was
wounded contracted the disease was in the
line Of duty and if in the military service, was
al the time actually in the field, or on the march,
at some post, fort, or garrison, or en- route by
direction of competent authority to some post,
fort garrison; or, If IN the naval service, was
ast nooKs OF some snip or
other vessel of the United States, at sea or in
harbor, actually in commission, or was at some
naval station, or on his way, by direction OF com
petent authority to the United States, or to some
other vessel or naval station, or hospital.
SIC. Q. That the pension for total disability
shall be as follows, namely: For lieutenant colo
mel and all officers Of higher rank in the military
service ard in the marine corps, and for captain
and all officers Of higher rank, commander, sur
peon. paymastcr, and chief engineer, respective
" ranking with commander by law, hsutenan
commanding and master commanding, IN the ma
val service, thirty dollars per month; for mayor
in the military service in the marine corps, ant
lieutenant, surgeon, paymaster, and chief engl
neer, respectively ranking with lieutenant bJ
law, and past assistant surgeon in the naval ser
vice, twenty five dollars per month; for captain
in the military service end in the marine corps
chaplain IN the army, amt provost marshal pro
fessor of mathematics. master, assistant surgeon
assistant paymaster, and chaplain IN the naya
service, twenty dollars per mouth; for hrst lieu
tenant in the military service and IN the marlh
corps, acting assistant or contract surgeon, ant
deputy provost marshal, seventeen dollars pc
month; for second lieutenant in the military ser
in narinn assistant
gineer ensign, and pilot in the naval service an
| enrolling officer, fifteen dollars per month; TO
| cadet midshipman, past midshipman, mldship
men, clerks of admirals and paymasters, and G
| other officers commanding vessels, second an
| third assistant engineer, masters mate, and a
warrant officers in the naval service, ten dollar
| per month !; and fer all enlisted men whose ran
or Office is not mentioned In this section, elgf
dollars per month: and the masters, pilots, eng
neers, sailors, and crews upon the gunboats an
| war vessels shall be entitled to receive the per
sion allowed herein to those of like rank in til
| naval service; and every commissioned officer
| the army, navy, or marine corps, shall receiy
such and only such pensions as arc herein prov
ded for the rank he held at the time he receive
the injury or contracted the disease which RI
suited in the disability, on account of which
may be entitled to pension; and any COMM
sion or presidential appointment regularly
his rank from aud after the date, as given in Ii
| body Of the commission appoini ment eonfe
ring said rank: Provided, That vacancy exists
in the rank thereby conferred; that the perst
commissioned was not disabled for militia
duty; and that he did not wilfu1ly neglect or r
fuse to be mastered.
i Sec. 8. That for the period commencing Ju
fourth, eighteen hundred aud sixty four and e
ding June third, eighteen hundred and sevent
two, those persons entitled to a less pensit
than hereinafter mentioned, whe shall have lt
both feet in the military or naval service and
the line Of duty, shall be entitled to pension
twenty dollars per mouth for the same peri
those persons VINO, under like circumstance
shall have lost both hands CT the sight of DO
eyes, shall be entitled to pen ion of twenty fl
dollars per month; and for the period common
cling March third, eighteen hundred sixty fly
and ending June third eighteen hundred d
seventy two, those persons who under like G
cumstances shall have lost one hand Or one fo
, shall be entitled 10 a pension Of twenty dolFa
per mouth and for tue period commencing Ju
sixth, eighteen hundred and sixty six, and endi
June third, eighteen hundred and seventy tv
those persons who under like circumstant
shall have lost one hand or one foot, shall be
: titled to pension of fifteen dollars per mont
and for the period commencing June sixth, eie
teen hundred and sixty sig, and ending Ju
third, eighteen hundred and seventy two, tn
persons entitled to a less pension than hereinaf
mentioned, who by reason Of injury received
disease contracted in the military or navals erv
OF the Uuited States and in tie line Of duty ,sh
have been permanently and totally disabled
both hands, or who shall have lost the sight
d one eye the other having been previously lost
# who shall have been otherwise so totally and p