Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-14
Ex-coNFEpERArE DEsERTERs.
Probability OF Their Receiving Pensions
from the Government.
iron, the Ne,o York Eoenta0 POET.

Probability OF Their Receiving Pensions
from the Government.
From TIE Ne,o York Egea ia0 Port.
WASHINGTON, Aug. IO.-There has re
GENTLY been considerable comment on the
fact that an ex-Contederate soldier living
In Georgia has received a Federal pen
sion. These comments have called atten-
hon to the fact, not generally known, that
a considerable number of eX-Coniederaie
soldiers, under fair construction OF the
United States pension laws, may per-
haps, be entitled 10 Federal pensions
This would be in the case OF those Con-
Federate soldiers who, while prisoners OF
war, took the oath Of allegiance to
the United States, enlisted IN the
army. and received disabilities while
in the line of duty as Fedora
soldiers. There has always been
SUSPICION among those familiar with the
deposition OF eX-COufederate prisoners
that a considerable number Of these prls-
oners enlisted in the Union army; but, for
reasons that can well be understood, the
Federal authorities at the time did not
make the fact public, and the COnteder-
ate-Union soldiers would most certainly
not he likely to mention the fact that they
had been soldiers under two flags. The
reasons why the War Department did not
wish to have the fact of such enlistments
known were, undoubtedly, because OF the
effect which the information might have
upon the Union soldiers IN the regiments
to which the eX-COnfederates had been
assigned, and because the military wis
dom OF such enistments might be
very grayely questioned. For it was
not 10 be assumed that the
enlistment Of ex-COntederates in the
Union army was due to any love tor the
Federal cause. They were the result
rather Of the hOpelessness Of the ex-
COnfederates in view of their situation.
Doubtless many thus enlisted IN the eX-
expectation that they would have an OPP
pOrtunity to desert to the Confederate
lines. Moreover, the Federal military
authorities would naturally wish 10 keep
the fact of these enlistments secret, be-
cause they might We'll expect to be crit
cised for having incurred the danger of
placing large numbers of enemies in
Union regiments.
1t is fact, however, which can be
proved from the records OF the War De-
partment, that two Illinois regiments, at
least, were recruited TO a considerable eX-
tent from Confederate prisoners at the
time confined in Camp Douglas, at Chica-
20. This enlistment OF COufederAtes took
change Of prisoners. This fact is sus-
tanned by communication from the War
Department TO Capt. Hiram x. En0cb,
formerly Of Rockford, ILL.,, now resident
of Baltimore, Of the SIXty-seventh Illinois
Volunteers, who in 1862 was Provost
Martial at Camp Douglas. Capt. Enoch
kept private register of all the Confed-
crate prisoners at that post, and of the
disposition OF them. He has furnished
~r4tr aa7v Of I'D
substantially with the official record in
the Adjuant Generals office. From the
latter records IL appears that, OF these
prisoners, there were enlisted in the United
States Army prior to Nov. l. 1862. 213, and
subsequent TO Nov. j, 1862, 1135. The
Adjutant General notes that in tne ma
jOrity OF cases the Federal organization
in which these men enlisted is not shown
by the records on fle. The private regis
ter OF Capt. EnOch, however, does name
the regiments as follows; ENLISTED in
the Twenty -third and Sixty-fifth Illinois
Regiments, 229." The Adjutant Gener-
ais record shows 2l2, a discrepancy of
II. It is probable that these II are to be
found in the 139 reported At the Ad-
iutant Generals office as ''unaccounted
for" These Confederate recruits were
Immediately sent to the front. The
Twentv-third Illinois regiment, which
was Col. Mulligan's Irish Brigade" left
Camp Douglas about June Il. and the
Sixtl -hfh Illinois regiment, which was
Col. Cameron's, left about June % or %.
1852, taking with them to Virginia the 2l2
or 22J, as the case may be, Confederate
recruits.
il IS very possible, therefore, that OF
these 229 Confederate recruits for the
Union army some may have received pen
sIons. Officials who were familiar with
the customs at the various prison camps
in the North where COnfederates were con
nDeG. say that good many prisoners
We're recruited for the Union army at
other places than Camp Douglas.