The National tribune., 1882-12-14

necessity, an appropriation of $4,000 for the
erection of fre-proof addition to the present
building and the purchase of fre-prOof files for
the proper care and custody of the papers. He
also recommends that $4,000 he appropriated
for the construction of proper fre-escapes.
OUR PENSION POPULATION.
Considerable space is devoted in the Com
missioners report to the question of pension
population. 1t is certainly greatly to be re-
GREETED, as he says, that in taking the last CEN
sus no provision was made for ascertaining the
exact status of the soldier and pension popula-
tiOn Of the country, and he is also right in de-
claring that little dependence is to be placed
upon the State records Of enlistments. Never
theless the statement which he has prepared
from such data as he considered reliable, may
serve, as he suggests to awaken an interest OH
the part of Congress in the subject and lead to
the discovery of more accurate information.
His proposition is as follows:
How many persons are there now living who
served in the army during the late rebellion,
or VINO bore pensiOnable relation TO those who
served, who have not vet applied for pension?
Ihe Adlutant-Gcucrl OF the United States
army reports the following aggregate of enlist
ment for the different periods of service, to
=
service, los, ,4l6; for one hundred davs service,
1o,3Ol; for four months service, A. for six
months service, 26,ll-; for eight months ser
vice, 313: for nine months service SO, ,Sg9; for
one years service 393,7O6 for two years SER
vice, i4,4O0; for three years service. 2O2S $50;
for four years service. I,Ot2; making a grand
total of Enlistment. 27-O11-.
Taking this as the basis of nv calculation
have endeavorcd to ascertain the number Of
individual enliStments; that is. excluding sec
Ond third, fourth. and subsequent enlistmentS
of the same person. The result OF my investi-
CATION and estimate upon this point shows an
aggregate of 2,Ol695y different individuals who
enlisted for greater OF less periods during the
war. 10 this number should be added the
number OF persons serving IN the Regular Army
and Navy at the commencement of the war,
VIZ, 1912. - that the Grand total Of indi-
vlduai persons who entered the service during
the war may be approximately stated 70 be
2,O6i,jS!, and thIS number includes all indi-
vIIual cu.i,.ments in the army aud navy EN-
pI0yed IN the suppression of the rebellion.
Up 10 the lst OF July I--2 there have been
filed by army Invalids. 4jp.-sU applications for
pension Up 10 the same date there have been
MED 29l2II applications ON behalf Of the ser
vice of deceased soldiers There have been filed
by navy inyalids 1853. and by those represent
lug deceased sailors. 3.2gi. This makes an
aggregate of those who have applied for pension
OF IJDlly out Of the whole number VINO en-
listed, as before stated.
As near rs | can ascertain there are about
S6e00 representatives of deceased soldiers who
have not vet applied for pension, and 900 400
survivors ofthe war who have not vet applied for
pension, and 10000 who died during Ind since
the war, VIII, left no pensionabIe relatives sur
viving them.
The Commissioner estimates that out of the
total number of soldiers who served during the
war, pension has been applied for by, or on ac-
count of, % per cent. of the whole number, and
that there is surviving soldier population of
little over ten hundred thousand out Of
which claims for pension in the future may be-
made by those who incurred pcnsionable dis
abilities.