The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-06-14
DAVID RIzoR's CASE.
Who Can Help Him 70 Prove His Claim to Pensienf
What Commissioner Dudley says.


What Commissioner Dudley SaFs.
In our last issue appeared an interview with
Commissioner Dudley, IN the course of which
the representative of THE TRIBUNE remarked
| suppose there are many cases which you ara
pretty Wen convinced are honest claims, that arc
lacking IN the element of such evidence as would
authorize You n setting the claim, are there not2''
To this question the Commissioners replied /:
Yes; L came across one few days since A sell
der claims TO have been captured AZ Anderson's
Cross-Roaeis while on his way, Ia company with
trti-stAru 70 JON ais regiment at chattanooga,
IN October, 1865. The tram was captured and
burned by Wheeier's cavalry. The Twenty-tiEss
kentucky infantry and AteJOOsS cavalry brigade
came up soon after, and sharp fight eIsued. and
several OF the prisoners taken from the trr-rsfrI
We're reeaptUreo. There seems 10 be clue to the
organization to which the tTsin-gusrti belonged.
The record of events the return OF the cavalry
brigade and the Kentucky regiment both refer 10
the action at AndeTsons CROSSROADS. bat neither
OF them mention tue iZht made by the command
IN charge Of the tram before they came up. The
Claimant claims 20 have been WOunGcG during the
first action, but being stranger to the command
having only joined It temporarily AT BridgeDOrt q
few days befJre-is unable 70 recall the name Of the
eoinmandeE or the regiment TO which The guard
belonged
Il viii mention the case Ia THE TRIsUSE,r re-
joined TIE TEIsCSE representative and perhaps
some OF our readers VIII recall the circumstance
aad be able to furnish the missing Ink IN tie chain
OF evidence"
Since then We have received the following
letter:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Pension OFFIcE,
WAsHINsgoS, d. O., June ), 1888.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUyE:
| inelose you copy ef the story told by David
IizOr,whOse case you remember IN connection with
the eonyalescents who defended the wagon train At
AndersOn's Crossroads, October > 1865. ~ has Is
necessary IN this Is, that this mans story
should be e0FTobOrated, first, 20 show ssat he was
actually with the defensive and Inproyised COM
mand, and, second that he was wounded az tho
time and place he alleges. Upon these two points
everything depends. There Is proof whatever
by which ms story as TO his presence aud injury
seems 10 be eorrobOrated she official records,
while 1t IS eOrrobOrated IN other respects You Ca
make such extracts from the story As win bring is
satently before the public, and IL may be THAI a
publication viii evoke a response from some per-
sou who can give the necessary testimony IN his
behalf. Very respectfully
Commissioner Of Pensions.
The following IS Rizor's statement:
When left Camp Denison, September ~ 1853
was ordered by, 1 believe, Surgeon Chapman to
join my regiment at Chattanooga Tenn. / wens
before noon l was detailed with squad OF about
tifty men, all or nearly all eOnvaeseens and iefb
ton, and equipnents-as part of guard 90 the sup
ply train route to Chattanooga. We camDed
the first night out IN Sequagcfsie Valley. The next
day near 40 clock the train was attacked By rebel
forces of cavalry a WAS informed command OF
Forrest and Wheeler. Our forces were OyeFpoW-
cred, the entire tram burned up the spot
and forces were whipped. i myself fred
twelve rounds at the enemy before was wounded,
after which I told by an officer either cap
tam or lieutenant, to get away from that.
would be captured. / made my way as well rs
could TO the river, and hid under some drft in tina
water and lay there until men recaptured the
Held OF oattIe the same afternoon, when was dis
covered Oy returning citizens 10 the vicinity where
lay was carried a streteheF, AS L believe, by
Union soldier and the twc citizens 70 of their
houses, where visited by q Union surgeon,
and the bail taken out OF my foot the Night.
The next day 1 visited by officer-tho
officer in command of the squad TO waish
/ was detailed-whO said to the woman Of the
/ would be left there until ambulance coma
TO remove me from there, and that he would hold
her responsible for nay safety until thst time; and
he told her that the Government would satisfy
her for her trouble. The ambulance came TIA
third day and took me back to Bridgeport, there
was put railroad train and to Nashville,
Tenn think, 70 the best of my recollection thas
little time before 1 LEFT for Nashville; not very
many days, however.
Upon arrival at Nashville was sent to hospital
No. IS, and ward 8. To the best of my recollec-
ton remained til Just before or the time of the
battle OF Mission Ridge at least, they giving
burroughs 20 every soldier IN hospital that could
travel a. ali. in anticipation Of great battle In
regard TO dates may be mistaken Cay or two.
forgot 20 state the wound was in my right foot r
don't know who assigned me on the detail, but
was acting under orders from the time ieft Camp
Deuisoa until my return to Nashville, after being
wounded. DAVID RIzoa.
Sworn TO 4th July.
The attack Of the train 20 which Dir. Rzor refers
was made by WheeIer's rebel cavalry the Union
wagon trains the 2d of October, 1858, appears
from the official records