The National tribune., 1885-12-10
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on Variety Of Interesting
Sabiects.


replied to by mail only Replies by mail will Ordi
nariiy be matte within week, and ii In this coll
umD within three weeks.
j. r. d., Santa Fe NJ M-Your disability was prob
ably not contracted in the service and in line OF
duty, and from your statement we do not think
you are entitled to pension.
ii. y. L. 81. Louis, iio.-ln what year WAS tho
homestead act passed? AnS,uer. 1852.
". b., jamestown. Ind.-l. / receive So per month
pension First Sergeant for wound received July
Z2, 1864 was commissioned in October, 1864, but
not mustered until March 25 1865 commission dat
ing back to May 30, 1864, vice First Lieutenant
killed IN battle Am entitled to repluster to date
OF commission under act of June 3, 1884? 2 Am
also entitled to the difference in pension between
Sergeant aud First Lieutenant amounting to 50 per
month? 3. Have there been any claims adjusted
under the act OF Juno ). 1884? AnstceT l. The date
OF your commission was the date when 1T WAS
issued-i. e. when it was actually signed by the
Governor. The date of rank given III the body OF
the commission does not enter into the question.
Whether you are entitled to remuSter not de-
pends upon the facts shown by record As to strength
OF company, etc. knowing nothing OF the facts In
your case, we cannot pass upon your title to re-
muster. 2. No. unless the Governor signed your
commission prior to July ~. 1864. j. Yes.
u. q. j., Etgrta, GA pensoBer applies for in
crease of invalid pension. The locIi Examining
Surgeons recommended him for increase. The
Commissioner of Pensions rejects his claim. Can
the soldier appeal to the Secretary OF the Interior
and nave his case reviewed? AaSl1er. Yes.
J. 4. e.. Caateaugay, N. VI is a Cadet after
graduation at West Point commissioned according
to his scholarship and department.? LII not, what is
the rule? 2. Is there an appointment made each
year III every Congressional district? g. What Is the
Ahs,Cer. l. He Is commissioned in the arm oil the
service the duties of which ne may be judged best
competent to perform Those who attain the high
est average are assigned to the Corps OF Engneers
then IN order of merit to the Ordnance Department.
artillery, cavalry and infantry. z. Yes. Appoint
meilts are made year In advance. 3. Applications
can be made at any time by letter to the Secretary
OF War, to have the name of the applicant placed
upon The register, that 1t may be furnished to the
proper Representative or Delegate
). ID. T., AeU HushiagtOr Ia.-The application
f2r increase the remaining disability will not
affect your title to arrears therefor If II origin
ally alleged in 1879. Ii claim shall be allowed 1t
will draw from date of discharge. The filing of
application for increase claiming the disability for
which you are pensioned as the Old and the
pending disability the new " disability, Is to
secure you, if possible. an increase on the old"
and the allowance of the new disability, the
latter being really the pending disability OF your
original claim. 1t does not change the status OF
the claim as to deprive you of any arrears to
which you may be entitled.
j. f. H. Osoego, Kan.-I. John Jones was
Orderly Sergeant Of II certain company. On tine Sd
day of March. 1865 he WAS commissioned as Second
Lieutenant, aud never had AN opportunity to be
mustered. He served as Second Lieutenant in said
company for six months and WAS discharged by
reason OF his services being no longer required
Gould the record now be corrected and he receive
the pay as Second Lieutenant from date of coInmis
sion to date of discharge he did all said period
the duty of Second Lieutenant? 2. Is it not the
object of that law TO pay the soldier for what he
did-if he served as Second Lieutenant to give him
Second Lieutenant pay? 3. How shall he pro-
ceed? 4. enlisted u recruit In a certain COM
pany, but never WAS mustered. Alter having been
that time, was wounded in the battle of Nashville,
sent to the hospital from there sent home and he
never returned to his regiment for duty again. and
u is understood that he was reported as deserter
| Under the act Of Congress of July S, 1854, could
| he receive an honorable discharge, to be
able to get the pay due him, and also to be pen
| sionabie? How should he proceed? Ans,oer. l.
Probably, yes but 1t depends upon the strength of
the company. If it had less than 30 men, and there
officer will be denied. 2 Yes, where the company
was not reduced below the minimum. 3. Core
| spond with the Adjutant-Genera u. S. A. 4.
Probably, no; but cannot answer definitely,
because we do not know what the records show.
The case must be submitted to the Adjutant-Gen-
Il. L. B., Bdraboo. Wis.,, propounds the following
niomentous question " to settle u dispute: A man
goes out hunting in the woods On a tree he finds
squirrel. He tries to shoot it, but the squirrel
keeps on the opposite side of the tree. The man
walks around the tree at distance OF 10 rods, and
the squirrel travels around the tree, always keep
ing tine tree between the man and itself The
walks clear around the tree until he comes to his
starting point. Did he walk around the squirrel
or not? Some claim that he cannot walk around
the squirrel, whiie others claim that he walked
around both the tree and tine squirrel 4RSUer. lie
dld not walk around the squirrel, nor could he do
so while the squirrel moved in the same direction.
They both made circuit OF the tree at the same
time.
+. f., Eranspiue, Ind. Is a pilot appointed by
the fleet Captain and commander of station
ond-cass pilot, the same officer in the army
who was commissioned by the Governor? SAID
p,iot enlisted July H. 1864, and mustered out
June IL, lo6S. 2. Does sad pilot come under the
law OF three months extra pay ior officers who
tered out until on or after June g. 1855? AaSe0er.
No to both questions.
Old Vets, kiagmaa, kan.-Can those who have
taken pre-eLnptions on tile Usage Trust lands take
another Oh Government land IN Southwest Kan
sas? The papers here said that it was the decision
OF the U. 3. Land Commissioner that we could
4EStoer. No; il has been decided that the second
filing cannot be allowed.
Little Corporal H.-Not having filed contracts for
greater sum- you are only entitled to Zee OF $40
for services in the claim, You prohibited by
law from receiving more, but the claimant can re-
lmburse you for moneys expended by you In col
iecting his proof
Il. l.. H., Bro,oapiue, Ne5.-I served three years
and four months in the 18th Ohio-from Aug L.
1851, to Nov Ia, 1854 Was mustered out, receiv-
ing all pay due and bounty of slOO re- enlisted
for one year and was discharged at close OF war.
applied Tor additional bounty, and 1t was rejected
because had re-enisted. Alsrer. You were not
entitled to additional bounty, not because OF your
second enlistment, but because you received bounty
therein. The law of July 2S, 1866, tadditional
bounty act,) provides additional bounty for all
those who served three years, and who did not re-
ceive, who were not entitled to receive, from the
United States bounty of stu and no more. In
your second enlistment you received All advance
bounty OF S}311s thus cutting you out Of additional
bounty under the act OF July Is, 1866 because you
received more than SlUU from the United States.
Had you not re-enlisted, you would have been en-
titled TO SlOO additional bounty
II. H., North Chelmsford, UaSs-The Government
does not pay the burial expenses of deceased SOL
diers, whether pensioners or otherwise.
II. L., idIriite, ra.-The highest pension paid for
loss OF right arm Is $50 per month. Commissioner
Black i'll his annual report recommends All Increase
to $3.50 for all WHO have lost arm near the
shoulder, Il leg near the hip whicn suggestion
we hope will be adopted by Congress.
q. +. W., brooklyn, ~ VI enlisted Oct. l3 1861,
and was discharged July IL, 1863 for disability.
never received any bounty. Am entitled to any?
Anstger. Ii you were discharged for disease, No.
Soldiers who served less tIan two years were not
entitled TO bounty unless they were discharged for
sUottnds.
7. H., Shrere O-i Was Gen. A E. Burnside
graduate of West Point? 2. Who raised to the
highest rank in the volunteer service? Aasrcer l.
Yes He graduated July /, 1877, rs Brevet Second
Lieutenant I'd Art; promoted Second Lieutenant.
3d Art, Sept. 3, 1877; First Lieutenant, sd Art,
Dec IL 1851; resigned Oct z, 1883. 2. The highest
rank IN the volunteer service was that OF Major
General. There were l2S Ma jor- Generals of vol
unteers. We have not space to print the list
&. IL. p, OJaldua Neb.-Will you give, through
the columns OF your paper, decisions OF the inte-
rior Department i'll regard to- cnses arising with
homesteaders, rs to whether OF not two single per-
sons, both holding homestead entries, who alter
wards marry. each retain his or her home
stead. providing each fulfill all the requirements of
the law. e., far residence and cultivation are
concerned? l would like positive information if
possible. Ans,Uer. The decisions upon the point
his her homestead upon complying with the
law. There are no adverse decisions upon the
point, and there is no question about the legality
of each homestead thus acquired.
W. T., Chenoa, M.-Pease state, in case Of u SOL
dier who was contaminated In 1868, found guilty
of absence without leave and afterwards, in 1864,
was taken prisoner by the rebels confined for IA
months, and during such Imprisonment lost his
health, whether he can draw pension. What course