The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-01-22

States (James X. Polk directs
that the name of James w. Shaun
burg, esq, irregularly and imrrop-
erly printed at the head of the first
lieutenants of the First Regiment OF
Dragons, in the official Army Reg
lister. page IL, be erased from the
same, without reproach to Mr..
Shaumburg.
By order of
w. L. MARCY, Secretary of War.
r. JONES, Adjutant General.
This action of President Polk
was secured by the influence of
the officers who had been displaced
by Shaumburg, and assisted by the
officers at headquarters, who thought
President Tyler's restoration was a
reflection upon them. Poor Shaun
burg hung around Washington for
five years more trying to have his
case reviewed again, but was unable
to get any attention, and was even
driven away from army headquar
tiers. Then he went to congress, and
in 1850 resolution was passed by
the senate declaring: First Lieu
tent James w. Shaumburg has been
improperly separated from the
army, and is entitled to a commits
sion as captain of the First ORA
goons." This resolution was sent
to the president, Willard Fillmore,
accompanied by a petition asking
Shaumburg's appointment as cap
tain of dragons, and signed by
Henry Clay, Jesse D. Bright, Jeffer-
son Davis, George w. Jones and
Augustus Caesar Dodge, of Iowa,
William w. Gwin, Pierre Soule,
John G. Fremont, Stephen A. Doug
las, S. p. Chase, Hannibal Hamlin,
R. M. T. Hunter, and twenty other
senators. President Fillmore sent
these documents to the war depart
nent. where they are lying now,
never having received any atten
ton. In 1858 and in 1857 Shaun
burg tried again, with the same re-
suit. In 1861 he came to Washing
ton, and could have had a commits
sion in the volunteer army, but de-
manded that long delayed justice
should be awarded him, and he be
placed where he would have been
had he remained in the army, and
received regular promotion. This
would have made him a lieutenant
colonel IN the regular army; and his
case was thrust aside again, as
such commissions were not going "a
begging, and he would be satisfied
with nothing else. AS he wrote
Secretary Cameron. he considered
himself still an officer in the army,
and desired a command. After the
war was over he revived his case,
but the army was being reduced
Officers by the hundreds were being
mustered out of the service, and il
was a poor time to ask reinstate
ment. So he waited until 1873
when he applied to General Grant
to be made a colonel in the regular
army and placed upon the retired
list, where he would have been, had
he been allowed to remain in tn,
service, but President Grant die
not see any authority under which
he could act, and advised that the
case be presented 20 congress. En-
couraged by the large number Of
instances that have recently &C
Cured in which aggrieved officers
have obtained 8 re-examipation oi
their records, Lieutenant Shaun.
burg has come to President Hayes
with an application for hearing,
and asks that board of inquiry be
appointed, as has been done in sim
liar cases. But the President and
Secretary McCrary both believe
that Shaumburg's only relief is to
be found at the capital, and the
secretary of war has written him
the following letter:
SIR:-Your several communicas
tions urging your recognition as an
officer of the army have been re
ceived and duly considered by the
President, who is of the opin
ion that the adverse decis ions
and action of his predecessors
precludes him from granting you
the relief requested. Its. however [,
believed from an examination Of
yonr case, that injustice has been
done you, and in the event that you
should apply to congress for relief,
this department will recommend
your application to favorable con-
siderRtior,
Very truly yours,
GEORGE W. McCRARY, Sec.of War.
If Shanmburg is still an officer OF
the army. he is entitled to pay and
allowances for forty-three years,
which will amount to over 100000
Rnt IL is douhtfnl whether he will