The National tribune., 1886-05-13
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE WASHINGTON Co. THURSDAY 49,

after that division. am not ashamed Of that
regiment, sir, n regiment; and It never was
ashamed OF me- lAPPlause.l am not eshsmed
of that brigade, and II never was ashamed oil me
l am not ashamed Of that gallant division, which
fought in my presence, for lied them in more than
loo battles, and that division never was ashamed oi
me. lApplause-l
Read the history OF the war. sir. and you VIII
learn never drilled the troops under my command
merely for dress parade. [Applause and laughter.
/ never drilled them for dress parade, but, sir,
drilled them 10 fight, and they did fight. APP
plausel Those men were never afraid TO hight,
and they never Were ashamed Of the record which
they made in the war.
Nor, sir were they ever ashamed OF the gallant
men who took another view of the issues involved
and who fought against them. History will tell
who was and what did, and If there be any gen
teman here who has not read that history OF his
country commend il TO him. He ought TO read II.
When he does ii will tell him sure and plain
whether was a mere disciplinarian or not IL so
happens that some OF the cavalrymen who went
were disciplined or not. say that, and say more
than that, that they were disciplined and in many
a hardly-coniested fight showed themselves to be
gallant and brave men. Why, sir, they ran the
war. Laughter and applause.
Now, there was distinguished man, great
warrior-I speak OF man in Kentucky, and KEN
tuclSians are generally right-who showed he WAS
right, He was great man, man of powerful
mind, a man thirs,ing to distinguish himself In the
war. He went out IN the cavalry. say read that
history and see whether the gentleman from In
diana judges correctly. The gentleman reminds
me OF man who went in the infantry and got tired
OF walking Laughter, and then left his regiment
and joined the cavalry lie said he got tired OF
walking aud wanted TO ride. Laughter.
But he did not stay very long in the cavalry until
he resigned, because he found, a5 he said, that the
cavalry led him into fight and he said that IT was
n dangerous place To be in. Laughter He then
face Of danger, and he said This is no place for
mei 1t ls very dangerous place" lGreat laugh
ter.
Alter n while he went into the Quartermaster's
DEPARTMENT and 1 read about friend the
gentleman from Indiana, the other day in his mill
tary history but after getting into that Department
and thinking he WAS in a safe place, a few days
passed around and John Morgan came along and
captured the Qunrtermaster lie did not happen TO
capture this man. however. for he ran oil. Laugh
lie took himself away and got out Of danger. and
then he said he would resign and go home because
he could not find a safe place in the army; he had
tried all the Infantry the artillery and the cavalry,
and even the QuaTtermaster'5 Department, and ali
were dangerous. Laughter and applausel
Now, my friend nom Indiana IS a great man,
powerful speaker, a great soidleri but another
strange thing about this man that have been talk
ing about which reminds me of my friend from
Indiana is that he always hated the names of the
officers after that matter took place. Laughter.I
lie hates the cavalry. and the artillery and the in
ianiTy officers; and he hated them with sort OF
perfect hatred ever afterward. tLaughter.l But
another thing; | have said all wanted to say
about tie gentleman from Indiana and all wanted
to say about my humble self have many faults,
and thank God and the people that they have
never al been told on me great laughter, but no
man ever charged me or my command with any
thing but true lighting.
want To say, Mr.. Chairman, and there has been
too much said here in this Congress against pen
siOns that there has been an effort upon every
pension case here. and an effort everywhere. by
certain class OF men in the Congress OF the United
States to incucate the idea that there and
hatred between the officers and the pTiyates that
there was kind of bitterness between them, and
4 have heard that often here. There IS 10 such
feeling. The officers loved the prvates and the
privates loved the officers. know that when an
officer did his duty. when be was gallant and brave,
that lac was regnrded as a sort Of father to his
men. and where he brave enough or skillful
enough to inspire confidence in the soldiers they
looked upon him with something of that kind Of
feeling On the other hand the officer loved bhe
soldiers and entertained for his brave men who
performed their duty gailaptly something OF the
feeling Of father for his children.
III the soldiers were commanded by a man who
had their respect and confidence there was un-
bounded affection between them, and know that
on every side the soldiers loved them. How was
II TINT all the soldiers Of the army loved old Pap"
Thomas so? How was il and why was II that they
all loved Gen. Grant so much? How was il on the
other side that all OF the Confederate soldiers had
such devotion for Lee and for Stonewall Jackson?
How was II with you my distinguished friend ire
ferring to Gen. Wheeler, OF AlabaTnal, that your
men loved you SO? llaughter.l There never WIS
a true soldier who had the manhood and the heart
and the soul Of soldier who did not love the sol
dicrs OF the army and the officers of the army, and
there was a wealth Of good feeling between them
They were brothers in danger and to say that
there was no affection between them Is 20 mistake
lacl-s ONly WISH 70 say llllst
in order that gentlemen may no. undertake to tell
the country-foT the country loves both the officers
and the men-that there was war and bitterness
between the officers and the privates-
Now, q word upon another question am for
pensioning every Soldief in the army. and every
man knows that llaughter and for giving TO every
officer OF the army who distinction-that dis
tnction which made his men feel proud Of him
the full recognition Of the Government, and their
widows. too; and favor higher pensions for OFF,
GERS widows than for privates', and have always
voted so, aud no private soldier las ever grumbled
about that.
INCREASE TO $780,
On Saturday the House took up the case OF
Loren Burritt, Of Pennsylvania, on pending
bill 10 increase his pension from S72 to 800
per month. The committee had reported ad-
versely. Mr. Osborne pa, the author Of the
bill, made the following statement Of the case
Loren Burritt, in whose behalf this bill was in
! troduced, was in his boyhood days a friend and
companion of mine and / know him As / would
know a brother. When he was little past 2l years
/ Of age, having just come from college be volun-
tecred in the Army Of the United States private
soldier and enlisted in the 5th Pa. He served
4 with thai regiment through the campaigns upon
the Peninsula. came back from there, went through
/ the second battle Of Bull Run crossed the river
into Mary land and was at Antietan- Coming bacl,
| from there, he at Fredericksburg, then al
1 Chaneellorsyille and later at Gettysburg.
Coming back with Meade in the Army of the
Potomac, he was selected as a man Of conspicuous
/ galiantry and exceeding bravery worthy of par
ticular notice, and he made Lieutenant
Colonel In iebi IN Florida, while IA battle at the
| head of hiE regiment he was wounded i'm the ankle
| While being taken from the field he wounded
ia the other foot and thus he became disabled in both
feet lie sent To the hospital and fingered there
| until 1866, wien he was discharged account O
disability. He then went TO his home ia the North
read law went TO Philadelphia, started in a career
that promised n most brilliant future but unfortu
nately, in 1872. his old wounds broke out and hs
/ was compelled % surrender ali hopes OF future
earthly success and take To his bed In 1873 he be
| came totally disabled, and has been so from tina
| time until now. He Is unable TO move foot e
raise hand he Is unable TO feed himself; he can
not be taken out Of his bed; every Office Of natur,
that he has 20 perform he must have assistance in
He has thus fingered through these IA years will
no means to rely upon after the first two or thre,
years but his pension OF s72 "A month, and now hi
| wife worn out la caring for him and miuisterin.
TO his wants, - likely TO be taken from him. Thu
lac Is left helpless.
Ia the presentation of this case ask Congress [,
say that this man who served so galantly am
whose career came To so unfortunate an end i
worthy Of that distinction which Is asked here
that his pension may be increased to the extent O
the simple pittance Of SIS a month. What will
amount TO- gentlemen IL will scarcely amount 4
the sum Of 500, for do not believe il possible 70
this man to exist beyond the period OF one year
Yet these last moments OF his life are the time whe
assistance Is required TO provide for his want
than at any previous period, especially since hi
poor wife - giving out, aud he must now depen,
upon charity or must suffer In that pitiable an
painful state which think should DIuise the nerve
OF any true man shudder when he rememb bcrs tha
this poor sufferer lies constantly upon a cot woFs
than dead. unable to use either arms or feet and
more than that. blind in one eye. lie has lost tn
sight ia eye, and with the other il unable L
distinguish a friend across the room.
Mr. Matson lind. opposed the bill on th
ground that Of the 800 pensioners now drawin
$72 per month there were many as helpless an
as deserving as Col. Burritt, and that if one
| increased others should be-