The National tribune., 1883-11-01
G. A. r. Men,bership-An Unjust Require
ment.

nessee, has kindly directed our attention to
letter from Comrade John Van Buren, of
Frank Lowry Post, No. 157, De Witt, Ill, in
which he urges the Importance of modifying
tions of the Grand Army, as follows: No
person shall be eligible to membership who
has at any time borne arms against the
United States,n so that its effect viii not be,
as it is at present. to exclude from member
| ship in the Order such honorably discharged
ex-soldiers Of the Union army as, prior to
their enlistment in the Union service, had
been forcibly impressed into the Confederate
service. The case which has prompted
Comrade Van Buren to raise this question as
to the propriety of modifying the above pro-
vision Of the Rules and Regulations is that
of Isaac Galley, who was born and raised in
Washington county, Tenn, and was duly
and honorably mustered out of the q. S.
volunteer service as member Of the Eighth
Tennessee cavalry, but who, nevertheless,
| on the ground that prior to his enlistment
in that regiment he was compelled by the
Confederates to inyoluntarily bear arms
against the United States, is denied admis-
sion to the Grand Army. It is not charged
against him that ne was at any time lacking
in loyalty to the United States, and, indeed,
| ca:d 41a+ ba aorrarIry tho first
opportunity he had of risking his life in
defense of the Union but, inasnuch as this
provision of the Rules and Regulations
which we have quoted makes no distinction
between these who entered the Confederate
service of their own free viii and those who
were forcibly impressed into it against their
viii, and who abandoned it at the first
opportunity, he is, of course, technically in
eligible. The fact is, We suppose that it
did not occur to the trainers Of these Rules
aud Regulations when, in addition to the
requirement that applicants for member
ship must hold honorable discharges from
the Union service, they adopted the further
proyiso that none should be eligible who
had at any time borne arms against the
United States, that any cases were likely to
occur IN which these conditions of member
ship would conflict with each other, bnt the
truth is that the case which we have cited
is but one of many that are likely to srise,
and especially in the Department of Ten
nessee, where the Order is just beginning to
get foothold.
As everybody knows, Tennessee was for
a long time the theater of the most active
military operations, and its loyal people
were compelled to make such sacrifices,
incur such risks and make such hardships
in behalf of their faith as we're entirely
unknown at the North. Not only was
their property liable to be destroyed at
any time by the Confederate armies, but
their families were constantly exposed to
insult and cruelty, and fidelity to the Union
too frequently involved the loss of all they
held dear on earth The records show that
: of the thousands Of these brave Tennessee
! ans who were coEscripted into the Confad-
crate service very many deserted at the first
opportunity and enlisted in the armies OF
: the United States, and, indeed, the volunteer
: regiments from Tennessee were partially re-
cruited from men of this class. They made
the best soldiers we had, for they had as an
, incentive TO bravery not simply the love Of
! country, which was possessed in common by
all our veterans, but the desire to protect
!, their own homes and families, to the safety
; of which the presence of the Confederate
. forces in Tennessee was constant menace
Com-ade Van Buren gives truthful and
= very forcible presentation of the matter in
/ the letter to which We have alluded. He
f says:
; You doubtless remember the brave boys of Ten
nessee and parts of other States, who before they
could get away. unfortunately fell into the hand:
of set of nerciless rebels and were forced at the
point of the bayonet to fight against their country
It was for them either to be hung or shot, entel
S the Confederate service. 1fSy hitu Dut these tWC
aiternates to choose from. You will also remember
that some of them did choose death in preference
to firing on the old flag. OF those, however, whs
chose the other alternative do not believe there
was one who did so simply from fear of death, bu
v through the hope of escape, and OF banding to
!, getlier with other loyal men and taking bite
revenge on their enemies. And did they not do it
J. Show me historian, North or South, who vii
deny that they didi They were the most deter
| mined fighting had. Call TO mind oil,
% Brownlows First cavalry, the Eighth cavalry ant
- the Sixth infantry, speak Of these regiments be
cause personally know what sort of service the,
III rendered saw, myself, hard service in the war
but ii does not count for aueh compared with wha
il cost these brave 10 be loyal TO their country
Every Tennessee regiment numbered among it
"a | members some of these se1f-saereing men wb
braved the untold dangers and hardships involves
ID in deserving the Confederate service and ioIn,
at the Union army-the certainty of being shot
taken prisoner, and of having their property con
u fiscated and their families turned out upon th
10 world Did /, an Illinois soldier, run any sucl
risks when | enlisted? AL no the whole Unioi
% army stood like living wall between rebellion
1r and my friends and property, and knew tha
= even If should be taken prisoner there woul,
- still be a chance that would be exchanged, pro
le yiding did not meanwhile starye to death
Z am only poor bEiels-ma.cer and builder VIII