Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-08

SequeIs Of Incidents Occurring
During the War.

Nv ENTY YEARS AFTER.
/ Strange SeqfzeIs Of Incidents Occurring
During the War.
| HOW BRAVE swEDE HAPPENS NOW TO BE RE-
CORDED AS DEsERTER-A CAvALRYMAN SUP
POSED TO BE DEAD CONES BACK TO AsToNIsH
HIS FRIENDS AND FIND HIS WIFE REMARKED
A VERY MUCH MINED CASE GROWING OUT
OF FAILURE TO RECORD A DEATH.
Asa STAR reporter entered the office of War
department official the other day, he was struck
by the appearance and voice of visitor who was
| lust taking his leave. He was heavy set man.
with an intelligent face, dark brown hair and
heavy mustache, and apparently between As to
so years of age. The reporters first impression
was that he was a military officer of some
| prominence, but as he babe the official good
day there was very perceptible foreign accent
| in his speech.
WAS that an army officer?' asked the re-
| porter after the door had closed upon the de-
parting visitor.
No" replied the official, II never saw him
before that know of, but he has just related to
me very interesting story"
II am just in the humOr for good story"
| said the reporter.
"Wel my visitor is Swede During the
rebellion he left his home in Sweden, young
man, TO come to this country to fight for lib
| erty. He was man of means, and was aetu-
ated simply by heroic motives. Upon arriving
| here he at once enlisted in New York regiment
| and was sent south His regiment as | re-
| member it.was rather ahard one, composed main-
ly OF French and Germans, ola prettyrough class,
with officers not much better. At New Orleans
| the young Swedes abilities were quickly reco~-
niZed. and he was given clerical work. In a
| short time he was taken very i'll with chronic
| dlarrh9a, and when almost at deaths door, was
shipped north on sixty days furlough. That
was IN the summer. He did not improve much,
| and as cold weather approached the doctors adj
ylsed him to seek warmer climate.
He was entirely ignorant of military regula-
| lations, and being deslrOus only of saving his
| iile he made his way, he says, to Havana There
| ne was under the care of physician who was
| IN some way connected with the U S. consulate
| by the time he regafned 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 a few days ago, when he came to New
| York to engage in business Imagine his s,1r-
| prise when he learned that his name is recorded
| as that of destrter. His mission here is to
clear himself OF that stigma that lie can enter
BUSINESS with an unstaned reputation. He says
That he never received cent from the govern
ment when he was 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 anything about the
truth or fasity Of his story. but he tells it very
straight. He will have to bring affdavits and
other proofs to establish it before his case can
be acted upon. ionly give you the story as he
related it to me JUST now:
A MAN VINO CAME BACK TO LIFE.
II suppose you have many strange war Incl
| cidents brought to your attention. suggested
the reporter
''Oh, yes lots Of Them" was the reply. 81
have i'll mind now the case of man who was
fpDOyf ed as killed action hut ,rbo $50
few years ago at a reunion Of his regiment like
a ghost among his comrades who had never
heard word about him since the memorable
battle when he was shot. 1t was at the second
cattle Of Bull Run. think. He was cavalry
man. and rode in the front ranks in O 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 sur
prise. AS he tells the story he knew nothlnp
until he reganed consciousness 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
blown up in boiler explosion and
patched up afterwards. He wandered about
for several years. and finally visited his former
home. He found that his wife, believing him
dead; had married again. He didn't trouble
her, but Continued travelling about until finally
he gained the friendship of well-to-do man.
and with him he made his home, finally marry
ing one OF his daughters. After his appearance
at the reunion OF his regiment he brought his
case before the department to have his record
corrected and to secure the pension which he
Claimed on account OF his wounds"
MUCH MIXED CASE.
"The strangest incident within nv recollec
ton," continued 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 1854 of
smallpox In Tennessee: that she had repeatedly
seen him between 1862 and 1864 but that her
son had never been married Now. that was q
nice snarl to untangle for both women were
evidently telling the truth. There was a record
OF the man in question, according to which he
was enlisted at a certain date i'm that regiment
and company. and died of smallpox in 1864
But there was also strong evidence that he died
in 1869 OF smallpox"
''How was it Strengthened out?" asked the
reporter.
We'll. it was learned that the man did die in
1869. as claimed by the widow In those times
however, and particularly in those colored reoi.
ments. 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,
Vi some SUCH wen knoWn dafkey name, the SER
geants experienced little difficulty in filing the
place OF some one of the men who died or de-
serted. 1t Is supposed that in this instance no
| record was made Of the death of this Nose. or
Whatever his name was, when he died of small
pox IN 1867, but the sergeant hunted up man
who looked enough like him to take his place
and the new soldier adopted the name of the
dead one, and was known as such. Two wears
later he also died OF smallpox. and his death
was recorded. There were really two soldiers
but one of whom was mustered in and but one
| OF whom died according to the record"
who got the pension?' asked the reporter.
.! don't recall the character of the report
made by the department to the pension an.
thorities but my impression is that neither got
It, You see. the husband, who died. did not
die until 1854, when it was shown he wasn't the
was mustered in. and there you are. One was
mustered in and didn't die, and the other died.
but was never mustered in"