Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-08-06
GENERAL BLACKS PENSION.
BRUTAL sLAEDERs CIRCULATED M
POLITICAL OPPONENTS.
The Truth Comes to Light In n Private Letter
Written to . Friend-sufrerings Of the
Commissioner From wounds Re
ceived During the Rebellion.

luU en6IuIcS Ol o6neIdl DlhCk nave Az |
tempted through numerous brutal attacks to
belittle his war record and besmirch his char I
acter. They have endeavored to show that
he obtained his pension Of 800 month by
false pretenses Genera Black has not seen |
fit to notice these attacks. They have In
deed been beneath notice. In a letter, how |
ever, written In reply to the request of an old
Illinois friend, General Black makes plain
statement of the facts in the case. 1t was not
intended for publication, but the generals
friends believe that 1t Is due to him under the
circumstances that it should be given to the
public. General Black writes;
I was wounded on the 7th OF March,
1867, and again on tho 7th of December
of the same year The bones OF both arms
were affected in tho Joints, that Of the right
arm Deing splintered, broken or scraped, and
that of the left broken into many pieces. i |
have bad six operations performed In all, the |
first of which took place in December, 1862, |
when seventeen pieces Of bons were taken |
from one arm, and the last In that long win |
| ter of misery and trouble at Danville, in |
| 1S7677 at which time the entire elbow Of the |
| right arm was removed, owing to the dis |
eased condition of the closed wounds prior
| to the final operation, for during all this
| time they had opened and closed at regular
| intervals. have been sick a hundred times
/ from blood poisoning from my wounds
"Physcians may be able to tell the reasons
| for these things. l only know the facts.
The result of the last sickness and operation
| was enforced absence Of two years from all
professional duties from 1874 to the middle
| Of 1876, at which time as you remember,
| took the stump for Congress, but you know
the condition / was in that time. My en-
forced absence from work In the attempt at
saving my life had wasted fearfully the little
accumulations OF the few years of peaceful
life which had had, for you know, l was
hard working, selfsupporting boy and
college student had no friend to back me
financially.
Il NOTHING LEFT BUT HIS SWORD.
81 entered the army from college and
studied law after my return from the army.
The doctors bills and surgical bills ate up
and ran away with all that l could gather,
and in the winter of 1876 andls77 had very
little more than when had taken my sword
in the service. 1t is painful for me to think
now of that horrible winter, with its cuttings,
punchings of broken arm and its unuter-
able ghastliness of surgical operations and
execution, and have lived through six such
scenes and now carry an arm which is an
!, chylosed at the left elbow one-half, and which
on account Of the cutting of the nerves is
q paralyzed as to the extensor muscles of the
:, left hand, and in the other elbowless arm
| carry constant, open, suppurating wound.
i "If any man thinks that 1 had made
n | money out of the government by pensions,
!. he need only remember that for twenty
u years ceaseless drain of my strength has
| Deeh SoiHB ou udy anu night W
~ something Of the balancing of accounts
. would give all I have If / could stsr
l. armed and barefoot, but strong in tn,
3, world at the age of forty-six. I would
:, gladly assume all the burdens of pow
. erty If l could only have health and
,e strength, had my hands otbel
It men to give to labor and to friend
ship. l can only keep one position II
y my bed at night and that is flat upon my
is back, without being aroused by the pains o.
q the threatening nervous numbness wbicl
arises on account of my troubles in any othe
=. position, and there is scarcely one night u
" ten, and lately no nights when my sleep 1
not broken by these causes j seem prett,
strong. ] don't go around grumbling.
3, have told but few the long story of my trou
Up bles, as l tell you, but feel them mono tn
10 less.
~ al applied for pension shortly after lei
=. the service, which was granted me. don
% remember when, but upon ample testimon.
IN for full disability according to my rank a
the time the injury was inflicted. Subse
quently, under the operations OF the law.
he was increased to the sum Of fifty dollars, an,
as up to this time no man had been called upol
ha | TO give me any favor"
~ 81 have butt very indistinct recollection
s of many Of the things that occurred durin
ne that deadly winter at Danyille, but do re
X | collect you and Senator Voorhees, being a
he my rooms and taking my testimony in tn
of ! case. think Voorhees, then saw nay cond
N, | tion. j believe he thought would die soor
an | and / believe it was at that time, acting upo
oo his or the suggestion of some other friend
or that made application for arrears of per
he sion. This application was all the applies
96 tion that ever made j made 1t out in du
IT, | and formal manner. i filed proof of M
n disability under it / had regularly EN-
~ | ploye6 pension attorneys in Washingto
'u looking TO this interest 1 never was nea
sd the capital city during all that time. | sui
as sequenuy was made aware that bill wa
n pending in my behalf This bill was put be
ry | fore Congress In the shape in which it subse
In quenti y passed without my knowledge.
"A was advanced without my cooperation sui
III stantially and in various respects that in
On duced it had no particular knowledge unit
In on Sunday morning received a dispatch q
L. home from Senator Voorhees, or Davis an
a nouncing that the bill had been passed. Sui
,s sequently the bill was certified to me.
TOTALLY DISABLED FOR LABOR.
n 81 have never had one hours doubt Of tn
of correctness Of the action. have not had an
n. hesitancy in believing that II pensions wer
granted on the grounds of suffering that
was entitled to all that had been given me
dr AS pensions are given for physical disabilit
- l need only add that according TO the sam
D standard set up for Others am physically
IN totally disabled for labor. am not aware {
re | any manual labor which / can perform
ne have not raised my hand to my face for eigh
,e years. The little work which do with tn
pen causes my arm to SWELL and this yol
viii understand when tell you that halt G
its muscles are entirely cut and have neve
y reunited.
~ | otnerS nave DeeU granLeuh as Hnucn pension
ut Hundreds are receiving under the name O
te retired very much larger support from tn,
~ government for their disabilities and thei
40 honorable wounds. First lieutenants an,
NJ second lieutenants and all of them vastly ex
ar ceed me in the amount which they receive
O. am glad that such of them as have beer
l. wrecked or torn in battles are able to receiy,
n, | the beneficence of the government.
:, casually mention the fact by way OF illustra
y ton in regard to the falsity of the charges
10 that mine is the only instance of the kind
More than that l never have received tn,
arrears OF pension given to private soldier.
Ie and commissioned soldiers alike by the gen
! eral acts These sums have reached il
, many instances TO thousands of dollars, ter
thousand dollars being no unusual sum paid
y out l rejoice in the payment OF every
dollar paid to any one of these recipients
Many private soldier, many non-commis
o stoned officer and line officer are now in
!. receipt of S72 per month for disabilities, and
4 this given to him by the general law. / am
. glad OF it. Nothing can ever compensate
them for the loss of the senses incurred in
the service of tho country. But go on talk
r ing and talking You have opened the gates
Q to my "reminiscences and memory, and for
D half an hour l have dwelt in the shady past
whose sentinels are remembered pains and
steadfast friendships. write you as / have
e. recollected, and in the fullness of my heart
81 remain very truly yours
"a ~