The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-11-20
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on Variety of interesting
Subjects.

arate sheet OF paper, give full name and address,
| and mark 1t " Correspondents Column No atten-
ton will be paid to communications that are not
accompanied with full name and address OF writer.
| Our readers requested to iucose IL stamp for
! reply to their inquries.i
| C. f. F. Pottsrtae, Pa, wants to know: 1. What
date was Alexandria, Va, captured by Col. Els
| worth? 2. What troops composed the party? 3.
| How many persons constitute the Capitol Police
force at Washington, ID. c.; how are they oiieered
| and what is the pay of each? AHSUer. /. May q,
! 1S5l = Col. Ellsworths regiment of New York
Fire Zouares. B. One Captain at II goo three Lieu
tenants at 200 each, Y privates at SLIGO eacn
| and eight watchnen at $500 each
II. II. b., Reedy Ripple, ". Pa.-1. The law pro-
h tag Chinese emigration was passed May .,
1852 = Ii applies to Chinese laborers, or coolies
| 3. The law remains in force 10 years from date of
| approval of act MAY 6, 1857.
Zero, Topeka Kan-A bets that the Republican
majority i'll Ohio at the October election would be
| 1900. No candidates being mentioned, who wins
the bet? Ansteer. b wins. The Republican ticket
i'll Ohio at the October election did not have ma
jority. 1t had plurality, but majority was slip
ulated in the wager, loses.
| {. ii. s., Ereter, Fia-rhe Government furnishes
| trusses to soldiers, seamen or marines who were
ruptured in line of duty during the late war.
| truss Is furnished every two and half years
NO communication arrears allowed. Apply
| to the Surgeon General, u, s. Army, this city.
Il. w. r., Rdyahdm, Wuss., submits the following:
A soldier applies for pension for scurvy his
pension is granted at Sc per mouth lie then APP
pies Tor an increase on new disabity rheuhS-
tism). He is increased on the old disability (scurvy
Does this show that the new disability was rejected
or not considered? 4HsUer. IL Is probable that
rheumatism considered result OF the
scurvy for which originally pensiened Therefore,
the Increase was given for scuryy aud Its result or
sequence ,trheumatism), and this disposes of the
CLAIM for rheumatism. 1t was probably not con-
sldered as separate disability.
j. X. T., Wiatero,Ud, IH.-Your second enlistment
for one year only entitled you to receive SlUO
bounty, payable follows: s331I on muster-in,
$50 at the expiration of six mouths service, and
$3.50 at the expiration of term of enlistment tone
year,. If from any cause, except tcosds you were
discharged prior to actadt service OF six months
you forfeited the second and third instaments of
bounty. You are not entitled to any bounty add
tonai to the S331 you received on being mustered
in your second enlistment, if you served less than
six months in same. See also reply TO j. w. C., III
our last issue.
W. f., Hatdo Wis.-1. A rupture O other injury
is considered t00t,nd in the administration OF the
bounty laws 2. A soldier discharged prior 10 IA
two-years' service, Tor any cause except tDo1tds
Was not entitled to any bounty.
Otd Soldier, Greenriie, Ky-A reissue of GER
ticate is made TO correct any error IN former GER
tiicate regarding name of pensioner. rank nature
OF disability, rate of pension, date of commence
ment, or to allow an additional disability, etc.
j. IL. H., Lincoln, Neb.-The soldiers family"
probably consists of his brothers and sisters They
are not entitled to pension nor to other remu-
neration. for the reason THAT the soldier having
died, leaving no widow nor minor children, his
mother is the only one that apply for pension,
and she is entitled only in case she WAS dependent
upon the soldier for support at The time Of his dea
and to prove dependence it must be shown that
the father physically unable at that time and
since TO support the mother
L. r.. AHentosen, Pa, asks Can YOU inform me
If there is "a law that provides pay for expense of
burial of ex-soldier of the late war, and also if
| II soldiers widow is entitled 10 more pension than
IS per month? 4as''e, No, to both Questions.
las given testimony III support of a claim and lie
Is written to by the Pension Office concerning his
testimony and he should neglect or refuse to repy
TO such communication, II would no doubt have
the effect of weakening his testimony, but TO what
extent cannot say, as it would depend upon the
bearing such testimony had upon the case 2. In
ercrg where an officer comrade. or regimeniai
Surgeon tesies the Adjutant- General OF the Army
is called upon for report showing whether the
! as
stated i'll his testimony. IL he IS shown to have
been elsewhere than with the caim;rnt at the time
specified, of course his testimony has no value.
| r., WoodSide, O.-increase claims are not given
the preference original claims. They gen
orally easier to prove than original claims tmany
such claims require no testimony, "A medical exani-
nation being in some cases all that ~ necessary to
decide the right of the claimant to increase and
hence they acted upon sooner. All claims have
the same chance; if satisfactorily proven. they
acted upon. The delay in so many pending
Claims hos been caused by the unwiilingness of
Commissioner Dudley to admit that the testimony
furnished sufficient 10 prove the claim. There
has been a marked Improvement since he left the
office and we look forward TO still better results.
The pension tragedy must end sooner or &ter. The
future is full of promise in that respect.
| III. g., Wheeling, ". Pd.-From the facts given,
you have claim for the disability
mentioned The action of the Pension Office can
not be set aside, for the reason that the resulting
disability was the pensionable disability, and both
! it and the original disability were merged together
and the rating was given for both The claim is
ended far any claim for arrears is concerned.
| ComTdie, ToEd0ie. O.-The Post has tegGt right
to dispose of its funds for GA II. purposes, may
be decided by the Post at regular meeting, If
! the funds accumulated for relief fund"
then Article XII of Chapter " Rules and Reguia-
tionS, will apply, and the funds must be held sacred
| for such purpose"
f. w. Chelsea Mass.-Write TO the Fourth Aud
itor of the Treasury for any information desired
relative to prize money due. We will cndeavor to
| get information in reply to your other question
! through our Question Squad, IT'S we cannot supply
! il from any data in possession.
| j. Deerfield Center, " H.-Unless you are the
! duly recognized attorney in the you
! cure nothing from the Pension Agent for your
| services in the claim mentioned. Under the cir
| cun,sances as related by you, the claimant can
| legally reimburse you for expenses incurred for
transportation, etc, providing 1t was 80 agreed
| upon between you.
! l. b. Co,cden, Iu.-A soldier discharged to ac-
cept promotion is not entitled 10 bounty under any
! act of Congress or other law BY accepting COM
mission he forfeited bounty as enlisted man.
II. s. PattS6aT9, ". T., asks: If pensioner,
drawing SIG per month five years ago had applied
| for Communication money for loss of the use of
| limbs for which lac was pensIoned, would he have
| been entitled to it? Also, would he be entitled TO
draw il at the expiration of the five years, and still
! be drawing the same pension? ARste6r. Yes, to
both questions; further, II lie failed TO apply at
! that time he cannot draw arrears OF communication
money. 1t can commence only from the time he
| applies for il.
h. H. c. Vinton A bets that the Pepub-
| can majority in The late election (October), the
State ticket vii! be y 0G9 more than the DEM
ocraiic ticket; who wins? -iAstrer. III you refer
! TO the Ohio election, Il wins. The head of the
ticket must be taken basis. The Secretary of
State having tailed receive votes than
! his Democratic opponent, wins.
J. A. d., 4nttony hdIt., asks: In filing soldiers
homestead on the public lands can soldier, after
| filing, remain off the land for the term of years
or months in which he served iii the army, and
then establish his residence thereon for the balance
of the time for the five years? Or Ill other words
he, after filing, legally remain away from the
| land the time served in the army? ARSlcsr No.
| He must take possession of his land within six
months after filing his declaratory statement, ami
must reside thereon continuously. The time served
in the army deducted from the last portion of the
time and not from the first portion.
j. c. Dr., Eigin fH.-1. You probably .scer-
tain the address of the comradc by writing to the
Commissioner of Pensions and asking him if he is
u pensiUncr. by giving company and regiment of
conrade, the fact he easily ascertaned. .. A
soldier who enlisted and served under an assumed
name is not, for that reason, prevented from OH
tanning pension. Ia applying therefor he has to
state under oath his true name and the name that
under his assumed name. He is required TO prove
his identity by members of his company others
who knew him before and during his service UNI
der both names to show that he Is the same per-
son who actually rendered tie service After the
claim has been proved up in the usual way and
allowed. certificate viii issue III his true name
giving also his assumed name-for instance, John
Smith alias Henry Brown.
Samuel i've informed by the Adiutant-
General, L. 5. A. in response to reference of
your letter, TINT applications for information from
the records of the War Department for Grand
Army purposes should be made by or through De-
partncut Headquarters of the GAR.
TeferGtI, Des Noines, l0ca.-4An persons born in
this country, except the children of Foreign Minis
and Consus and of Indians in tribal relations
natve-horn citizens ana! can vote, when of age
xsl,a .lntr,A