Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-02-21
Special Pensions.

| To aid IN the work of the Senate Com
mittee on Pensions, which has been
asked to increase the pension list. Com
missioner Dudley has prepared list of
all the widows or other dependents of of
| ficers of high rank in the army and
navy, whose pensions have been fixed or
increased by special acts of Congress-
Including the widows of four Presidents,
the list numbers 100. Twenty-nine
cases are given in which pensions were
granted at the rate of $50 per month by
| special acts, the rate allowed by the
general law being $50 per month The
| first Increase granted in this class was
to the widow of Brigadier General
Pleasant A. Hackleman. He died in
1862 from wounds received in action.
Among the other special pensioners are
the widows of Major Generals Edward
D. Baker, A. w. Whipple, Edwin V.
Sumner, Samuel r. Heintzelman, Gou-
yerneur X. Warren and George A. Gus
ter. who was killed by the Indians in
1876 the mother of Major General
James b. Mcpherson, the widows of
Brigadier Generals w. III. l.. Wallace,
Charles S. Lowell, Robert Anderson, the
hero of Fort Sumter; Z. r. S. Candy,
who was killed by the indians in 1878;
Silas Casey and Lowell I'll. Rousseau and
the daughter of Lieut.. Colonel Zachary
Taylor. The widow of Brigadier Gen
eral James Shields receives 800 per
month, and since March 2. 1883, $50 q
month has been paid to the widow of
Alfred nj. Meacham, the Chairman of
the Peace Commission to the Modoc In
dians, MIR. Meacham being one of the
few civil pensioners. Commissioner
Dudley gives the names of forty-three
widows and other descendants of gen.
eral officers who receive pensions of $50
per month under the regular pension
laws, but in whose behalf no special Leg
islation granting an increase has been
had. Among these are the widows of
Major General Jesse l.. Reno, Joseph X.
+. Mansfield, John Buford, David B.
Birney, Frank p Blair, and George III.
Thomas; Brigadier Generals Isaac P.
Goldman, Frederick w. Lander, Thomas
Williams, Michael Corcoran, and Lewis
Blenker; the minor child of Major Gen
eral Charles +. Smith, since the widows
death. The mother of Brigadier Cen
eral Stephen Ii. Ward, and Ithe minor
Cook, since his widows re-marriage.
The widow of Major General Philip
kearney drew pension until she mar
ried again, and since then the pension
has been paid to minor children. The
widow of Brigadiel General John A.
Rawlins Gied before receiving the pen
sion to which she was entitled, and it
has been paid to the minor children.
An invalid daughter of Major General
o. M. Mitchell receives S25 month by
a special act.
There are twenty widows of officers in
the navy and marine corps who receive
$50 month by special acts of Congress.
Included IN the list are the widows of
Rear Admiral John A. Winslow, James
l.. Lardner, Hiram Paulding, John
Rodgers and Louis NJ. Gouldsborough
The widow of Admiral Farragut re-
ceives $4,000 per annum. Four cases
are given of pensions granted to the
widows of Presidents: Mrs. Lincoln,
Mrs. Polk, Mrs. Tyler and Mrs. Garfield
The pension in each case is SIS, 900
year. A bill is now pending to grant a
pension to the only surviving grand
daughter of Thomas Jefferson, the au-
thor of the Declaration of Independence.