The sun., 1884-12-25

PosT-BELLu1E McmENTs.
Few odditiss Developed BY . Visit -
the War Department
from the Washington Star.
As Star reporter entered the office
Of War Department official the other
lay, he was struck by the appearance
and voice OF visitor who was just tax.
.ng his leave. He was heavy-set man,
with an intelligent face, dark brown
hair and heavy mustache, and appar-
emily between 45 and so years Of age.
The reporters first impression was that
he was q military officer Of some ptomi
nence, but as he bade the official "good
day" there was very pefceptibls for.
eign accent in his speech.
"Was that an army oficer?" asked
the reporter after the door had closed
upon the departing visitor.
"No," replied tho official, II neve,
saw him before that I know OF, but he
has just related to me very interesting
story"
II am just in the humor for story,
said the reporter.
"Well, my visitor is a Swede. Dur.
ing the rebellion he left his home IN
Sweden, a young man, to come to this
country to fight for liberty. He was q
man of means, and was actuated simply
by heroic motives. Upon arriving here
he at once enlisted in New York regi-
ment and was sent South. His regi.
ment, as remember it. was rather a
hard one. composed mainly of French
and Germans, of pretty rough class,
with officers not much better. At New
Orleans the young Swede's abilities we're
quickly recognized, and he was given
clerical work. In short time he was
taken very i'll with chronic diarrhea,
and when almost at deaths door he was
shipped north on sixty days furlough.
That was in the summer. He did not
improve much, and as cold weather ap-
preached the doctors advised him to
seek warmer climate. He was entire
ly ignorant of military regulations, and
being desirous only of saving his life
he made his way, he says, to Havana.
There he was under the'care of physi-
clan who was In some way connected
with the United States Consulate. By
the time he regained his health the war
was over. think he then went back
to Sweden; at any rate he didn't return
to this country again until few days
ago, when he came to New York to
engage in business. Imagine his sur
prise when he learned that his name is
recorded as that of deserter. His
mission here is to clear himself
of that stigma, so that ho can
enter business with an unstained repu
tation. He says that he never received
a cent from the government when he
wos in the army, and did not even get
his bounty money. He doesn't care for
that, though, he says; all he wants is to
have his name cleared. don't know
his story, but he tells it very straight.
He will have to bring afidavits and
other proofs to establish it before his
case can be acted upon. only give you
the story as he related it to me just
now.
"Isuppose you have many strange war
incidents brought to your attention ?"
suggested the reporter.
"Oh, yes, lots of them," was the re-
ply. II have in mind now the case of
man who was reported as killed in
action, but who turned up few years
ago at reunion of his regiment like
ghost among his comrades, who had
never heard word about him since the
memorable battle when he was shot. It
was at the second battle of Bull Run, I
think. He was cavalryman, and rode
in the front ranks in charge. He was
shot from his horse at the beginning of
the charge, and the whole regiment
passed over him. There was no doubt
about his death, and that his body
was not found occasioned no surprise.
As he tells the stery, he knew moth
ing until he regained conscious
ness, two or three months later, out in
Michigan, being cared for by some
strangers who had taken him in. He
was physical wreck, and when l saw
him he looked like regular Quilp.
He was all twisted and torn out OF
shape as if he had been blown up in q
boiler explosion and patched up after
wards. He wandered about for several
years, and finally visited his former
home. He found that his wife, believ-
ing him dead, had married again. He
didn trouble her, but continued trav-
cling about until finally he gained the
friendship of a well-to-do man, and
L L. I,
marrying one of his daughters. After
his appearance at the reunion of his reg
iment he brought his case before the
department to have his record cor
rected and to secure the pension which
he claimed on account of his wounds"
"The strangest incident within my
recollection, con tinued the official, twas
connected with the death of colored
soldier. Both his widow and his mother
claimed a pension. The widow swore
that this man, her husband, died in
Tennessee in 1862 of the smallpox, but
that his mother was not living at the
time of his death nor even several years
before. The mother claimed that this
man, her son, died in 1864 of small
pox in Tennessee; that she had re-
peatedly seen him between 1852 and
1864, but that her son had never been
married. Now, that was a nice snarl
to untangle, for both women were evil
IDENTIFY telling the truth. There was a
record of the man in question, according
to which he was enlisted at certain
date in that regiment and company, and
died of smallpox in 1864. But there
was also strong evidence that he died
in 1862 of smallpox"
''How was it Strengthened Out? ?" ask.
ed the reporter.
"Well, it was learned that the man
did die in 1862. as claimed by the wild
ow. In those times, however, and par.
ticularly in those colored regiments,
the officers made every effort to keep
their ranks full, and as the colored men
seldom went by any other name than
Nose or Pompey, or some such we'll
known darky name, the Sergeants ex-
perienced little difficulty in filing the
place of some one of the mon who 1iod