The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-07-29
An TO1nnTfant Hill.

AN interesting discussion-a full report of
which will be found elsewhere-took place IN
the Senate on the Goth inst in regard to the
House bill relieving soldiers of the late war
of the charge Of desertion when incurred
through no intent of their own. The occasion
for the passage Of such measure is much
greater than the general public in all proba-
bility imagine although the number of per-
sons which it will benefit is perhaps not more
than six or seven thousand. When the war
ended there were many soldiers who, having
"enlsted for the war; returned to their
homes without waiting to be formally mus
tered out; there were others who, by reason
of wounds or disease, were unable to be
present when their comrades were mustered
OUT some, it will be remembered, when their
regiments were ordered TO the Mexican and
Indian frontiers on duty other than that for
which they had volunteered suppression
of the rebelion-refused to go; still others,
for various reasons, were absent from their
commands when their term of enlistment
! expired, but afterwards returned and con-
tinued in active service until the close OF
| the war. None of these were deserters III
the popular sense of the word, yet all were so
marked on the army records and as q conse-
! quence were debarred from obtaining pen
! siOns under the provisions of existing laws.
The injustice to which they were thus sub
iected is selfevident, but perhaps the eta
! ton of some special cases will make it still
clearer. Senator Cockrell mentioned one
Of soldier who stopped at his fathers house
for few minutes, as his company was pass
ing through Cincinnati, and failing to reach
the landing in time to take the same boat as
possible to Louisville, only to find on his
arrival there that the company had just
been mustered out and he himself marked
down as q deserter Senator Dawes in
stanced case still more intolerable. Said
he:
A soldier, as honest a man as ever lived,
died within sight Of my own home who
| served through two enlistmentS and had IN
! his pocket Two honorable discharges; but
during his first service, when confined by
sickness in a hospital, he was unable to
reach his regiment before his furlough eX-
pired, but as soon as he was able to reach
his regiment he went back and served
I I,a lint rnpprInG de
serter. He had an honorable discharge, re-
enlisted and served during the war and
brought home TO his family two honorable
discharges, aud when disabled he applied for
a pension here and labored for six years to
get his case considered in the Pension Blu
| reau, and when ii was reached there APP
| peared before him a charge Of desertiOn,
which went upon his record two years and
half before he ended his service, OF which he
was absolutely ignorant, as he was absolute
" innocent, and it was impossible for him to
get over that charge, and he died with it over
him.
In the majority of cases the victims were
unaware that there was any stain upon
their military record until they came, to
apply for pension and found their applica-
ton denied on the ground that they were
charged with desertion. They had been
conscious of no direliction of duty, having
faithfully served out, as they supposed, their
full term of service and it is reflection
upon the patriotism of Congress that they
were not long ago relieved of the stigma SO
uDustly placed upon them. AS Senator
Plumb well said, the instinct that led these
men to 90 back to their homes at the close
of actual hostilities without waiting to be
formally mustered out, "was equally as
honorable as that which led them to enlist
in the first place. and distinguishes the citi
zen-soldiers of the Republic from the hire
lings of despotism."
1t is very late in the session, but we sim
cerely hope that Congress viii not adjourn
without passing this bill, the justice of
which is so manifest and the occasion there
for so urgent.