The National tribune., 1885-06-25
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions Variety OF Interesting
Subiecfs

1877. alleging rheumatism and pieurisy. Claim was
allowed for rheumatism last April. If apply for
Increase pletri,y and il Il granted. will it date
from the filing of app ieat'on from discharge?
dHsTer. IT the pension for peurisy Is allowed 1t viii
date from discharge. as, having been alleged pri r
to July !, 1850, it is entitled to draw back pension
n. r., Bath, N. Y.-i made application for pension
in 1876 Oh two wounds. One was allowed IN 1880
Am / entitled to arrears on the other if pension
therefor is allowed? AnstCer. Yes. See preceding
reply.
s. f. r., Houlton, Ke-Have been drawing PEN
sion since discharge. Applied for increase IN 1919
and II Was rejected but have since secured the in
| crease, dating from last examination. Oaght it
not to date back to date of original certificate? IH-
s..er No. 1t could only commence from the date
of the Examining Surgeons certificate which
showed you entitled to increase.
a. a. s., Harrison Pdtiey, Pa. - 1. soldiers
widow is drawing pension certificate giving
pension from July - 1864 There at that time
six children under is years of aye, but she drew
pay for them only from July 25, 1906 Is there any
way for her to get pension for said children back
| to date of her peision9 Is insomnia a pension
able infirmity? Anssoer. ]. No. There law
prior to July %. 1866. which authorized pension
for minor children. 2. No. unless perhaps a
symptom ofsone pensionable disability with which
Cosnrade, Exeter, N. H-The armies of the United
States during the of the rebeliiou COM
manded by the President rs Commander-in-Chief
under the constitutional provision; aud under hin
as General Commanders by BreUct, Lieut. Gen.
Winfield Scott until Nov. 6, 1861; by Maj Gen. Geo
B. Mcclellan until March IL, 1862; by Ma. Zen.
Henry w. Halleck from July IL. 1852. to March ~,
1854, and by Lieut.-Gen. and Gen. u. S. Grant I'M
I'll March L. 1869, when he was elected President
There WAS no General Commander during the in
terval between March III and July IL, 1867
ID. C. s., Prociorsujlie, Vt.-Is there any United
States law exemptiHg pensioners from paying poll
tax or bearing upon the subject? | know OF PEN
sloners in this vicinity who do not pay poitax
claiming they are exempt, and it is not demanded
of them. There is State law in Vermont
enpiing them Ans,oer. There is National law
on the subject. The question of poiltax Is purely
a State affair, and one in which the National Gov
ernment cannot leg,slate The politax in your
state Is 81, assessed male lnablt-
ant 81 and under 20 years.
". w., Raymond. Dak.-I MAS First Lieutenant in
the late war; lost an arm receive pension of SA
per month; have wife and four children. Ii
should die what pension could my wife get, and
what names and proof would she have to give?
Anstcer. She would not be entitled to any pension
unless you should die from some disability which
originated in the service and in line of duty; a
widows title to pension does not depend upon the
fact that her husband an officer soldier but
upon the cause of his death. 1t it was due to u
cause which originated in the service and iii line of
duty she IS entied otherwise she Is not entitled
In case of your death she would have to prove her
marriage and the births of her children, (if under
l6 years of age} and that your death caused by
disability which originated in service, etc. In
such an event she would be entitled to Sl7 per
month for herself and 81 additional for each child
under l6 years of age
O. McC., auburn, NJ IA soldier applied for
pension on account of sunstroke; was allowed PEN
sion of So per month, commencing at date of dis
charge; applied for increase June 10, 1880, on
account of new disability (chronic diarrhea and
resulting piles; was examined by Board of Sur
geOns Sept. u, 1880; claim was allowed July 25
1851, at SlU per month, commencing March 3, 1873.
and Sl2 per month from Sept 28, lSoU The question
is, why was he not allowed the increase from date
of discharge July g. 1865 instead of from March g.
1873? ARSsoer. Because he drawing the full
pension of IS, which, WAS ali that WAS allowed by
law for any and all diseases Except total and per-
manent hepessness inability to perform any
manual labor. or disability equivalent to loss of
hand or FOOT up to March g. 1873, when by act of
Congress rating of Sls was established for disa-
bilities above the total grade of IS, and it author
lied that SUN to be proportionatey divided for any
lesser degree than would entitle to Sl8 Had you
been or gnuly rated at IS or for any less sum- your
increase would have gone back to discharge but
prior to March 3. 1873, there was rate above s.
allowed by law for the disabilities mentioned.
+. X L.. Nat'i Mil. Home, O.-You cannot recover
the difference between SIS per month, the amount
of pension you drew for hernia prior to April 4.
1854 and $50 the rate subsequent to sad date, be-
at the date mentioned the rate for hernia
increased from half total to total. 1t did not give
arrears and the rate for single hernia must remain
at half total up to April los4 Hernia is not con-
sidered a permanent and specific disability, and
there is nothing in the act of March 8 1878, which
would change your rating You were correctly
pensioned. as Colonel at the rates mentioned for
the disability described.
Subscriber Denrer. Coto.-l. Has q volunteer SOL
dier of the late war. who was wounded aud PEN
stoned for same a right to join u militia company
without its interfering with his right To pension? z
Or might such action his name to be stricken
from the penson-rolls? Ans,oer. |. Certainly II is
matter In which the Pension Office has juri5-
diction. 2. 1t would not operate against him. We
know Captain of q militia company in this city
VINO Is pen5oned Tor double rupture received IN
the late war, and he held that position when his
pension was allowed, and he has been drawing it
all the time since
H. A. f. Eau Claire Csy Wis-Service I'm and hon.
orabe discharge from the U. 5. army navy do not
alone entitle the soldier sailor to the privileges of
citizenship. An alien of legal age who enlists the
Regular or volunteer army or navy, and is honor
ably discharged therefrom, may be admitted to
citizenship upon his simple petition and satisfic-
tory proof of one years residence prior to appca-
tion with proof of good moral character and hon.
orsble discharge from service.
H. Il. A., Woodburn Ind-What is the largest
pension allowed for single hernia? Aas.Uer The
rate is total, according to rank, for an uneompli
Gated single hernia, but there are aggravated cases
where the rating is above total, depending upon the
degree of Disability shown by the report of the
Examining Surgeon. Total is IS for "A soldier.
w. H., Locington, IH.-ln applying for increase
of pension will have to go before other Examin-
ing Boards, or just the same i'll the first appca
ton, and is any new testimony requiredY 1 AIN
drawing "a per mouth Anstoer. No new testimony
will be required ii you do not alege u ds,,biI-
ity. You will be ordered for examination the same
ia original claim. Upon the result Of said
examination depends your right to increase.
ID. d., Mason, Ter.-Please inform me if Lieut..
Darby, who wrote " Phenixana," is alive? If so.
where does he reside? If dead. where did he die?
AnS,oer. Capt George III. Derby. Typographical
Engineers. U. S. A., died in New York city. May
5. 1851. While a Lieutenant he wrote :" Phoenix-
ana" and subsequently was the author of the
"Squibob Papers"
X McC, Friendship, Ind.-A man contracts heart
disease in the army, makes application for PEN
sion for the same, receives pension OF VI mouth
Nnen ne WAS LOT pension the BUaru
found II disability from nerpous prostitution and
heart disease. Nervous pros;ration was not proved
up. Now. am entitled to pension for the two dis
abilities only for one? The first time applied.
received 81 per month back to July. 1865: applied
for increase and raised to S.. Ansloer. II uerv
prostration Is considered as q result OF heart
disease. rating for 1t would be included III the
rating for heart disease; otherwise. would have
to prove it up the same you did the other dis
ability. You neglected to state whether you had
filed a claim for nervous prostitution.
W. r., Spraker's. s.NY-Appointmenst to the United
States Military Academy at West Point, n. Y, are
made by the Representatives in Congress of each
Congressional District and Territory, each having
one appointment at his command. and lU appoint
ments at large made by the President Of the United
States. Appointees to the Military Academy must
be between IL and 22 of age, at least five feet
and able pass examination in various branches
of knowledge. Cadets pay is s54O per annuIn
The course uf instruction lis four years
BIG d., Redteood Falls, Mina.-Ohio furnished
during the late war l3 regiments and Is COMPANIES
of cavalry j regiments and q batteries of artillery
cannot inform you of the number of men OHIO lost
during the war. Perhaps the Adjutant- -Generai of
the State of Ohio can INFORM you.
s. .. r., BirdsaA, N. III. When dependent
father applies for u pension on a son who died In
the service who are the interested witnesses? May
other relativessoiis daughters sisters or brothers.
or other blood relations testify? May they not all
be mpetent witnesses? Anstcer. AS u rule, they
would be held to be interested witnesses tc certain
extent, and their testimony would not be desired
IL would not be refused altogether, but II would not
have the weight that would he given to witnesses
who were not relatives. The competency of their
evidence would largely depend upon its Importance
to the On some points 1t would not be accept
ed at ali.
r. n N Ay~ Lz,,-