Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-06
DESEETERS.
Stories ofSome singular Doings Dur
ing the War,


Stories ofSome singular Doings Dur
ing the War.
The Chicago Iuter-Ocean tells these
stories, which go to show what difficulties
are to be encountered by the pension OF
fee, Congress and the President i'm trying
to act justly: ''ln 1868 the Army of the
Cumberland was greatly depleted by men
absent on sick leave and on detached or
special duty. Impatient over the de-
lay in some movement, the War De-
partment ordered that all men on
sick leave or on detached duty report at
once to their commanding officers. This
notice never reached thousands of men,
ana thousands OF others reported by let
ter and waited Instructions. The next
month list Of these men was published
III the Louisville papers as deserters. By
the time the publication reached the peo-
pie, nine-tenths of the men were in their
/ companies and on duty and in battle. III
80 happened that good many men whose
names were in that Inst We're dangerously
wounded or killed in the battle OF Chicka-
manga. Many of the leading officers Of
the army, Gen. Palmer among others,
made 1t their bushes to see that the mis-
take was corrected.
"lf the case of any of those men should
come before Congress, it would be posi-
bic for those who are opposed to paying
pensions to produce a copy of the Louis
vile journal containing the list in which
the man was posted as deserter. Under
late rulings and interpretations of cir
cumstances and law, the presentation Of
that list would be accepted as conclusive
evidence that the men We're deserters, aud
the absolute record of courageous per-
torrance OF duty, Ofprivation and trouble
and misery. would be counted as nothing
against the bubble based on a pubiiCa-
ton that was an outrage"
"When our company was mustered into
the SERVICE" said AN old caValryman, 1.-The
Captain borrowed u men from another
regiment to bring his company up to the
required number. These borrowed men
gave fictitious names il most cases.
They were sworn in under these names,
and then returned to their own regiment.
The names they gave were carried on the
company rolls until the time of making
out the regular monthly report; then
came up the question what should be
done. They were not present for duty !;
they were not absent sick The Captain
got over the difficulty by marking them all
as deseTteFs.
"In Two or three weeks the Captain was
surprised by letter from headquarters
at Columbus, saying that two OF The men
reported as deserters under date of his
last monthly report had been arrested,
and were held for orders from the proper
authorities. The borrowed men had, in
their paucity of invention, given the
names of men they knew at home, and
these men had been placed under arrest.
No official explanation could be
made without embarrassment to the
Captain, and 1t was seriously COntempla-
ted for time TO make no explanations.
But ultimately the statement was made
that the men arrested were not the par
ties who had deserted, and this TACT was
established. There were more mysteries
based on the mistakes of the early com
pany and regimental rolls than Will ever
be made clear by the best efforts of the
present generation"