National Republican., 1888-03-18
UNION SOLDIERS BoUNTIEs.
Amount Paid by the National and
State Governments,

OF the many slanderous statements
which have been published from time to
time about Union soldiers none are more
unjust or misleading than those relating
to the bounties paid to them by the gov
eminent. Some of those false statements
are doubtless due to ignorance of the facts,
but very many of them are so grossly. ex-
aggerated as TO impress the intelligent
reader with the belief that their authors
purposely distort the truth. The incorrect
figures are from different false bases, ac-
cording to the intensity of the prejudice
of those who prepared them, some even
taking the maximum amount paid as the
average. The fact that no separate official
record of the matter has been kept offers q
license TO Misrepresentation. The amount
Of bounty paid by the United States cannot
be definitely ascertained. Upon muster
out OF the service the men were paid every.
thing due them-arrears of pay, bounty,
travelling expenses &c.-out of one spe-
cifc appropriation, no separate book rec
ord being Kept by the accounting officers
of the Treasury Department of the differ
however, closely approximate to the actual
sum expended. The amount of the boun-
ties paid by the different states is definitely
known, Total bounty paid by the United
States in currency (estimated), $500, 900, ,000
total bounty paid by the states In
currency lactuaD, $2S5, ,O76 900; total, S675,-
076,2 90 The total enlistments were 9, $780,
1872. The average gold value Of the paper
dollar for the war period was 6S cents.
The average amount of bounty paid by
the United Stites was $l36 in currency or
SOP in gold, The average amount paid by
the states, 500 in currency or NJ in gold.
The total average bounty paid, both
United States and state, amounted to $235
in currency or $3.50 in gold.
New Hampshire paid the highest aver
age bounty of any state, IL being 1918 in
currency or $3.50 in goId--about Is per
cent. larger than the combined average
United States and state bounties, while the
smallest was paid by Kansas, II being 81. 81
in currency, $19S in gold
The bounties promised by the govern
ment under the various calls for troops
ranged from 500 to 800. and were, as a
rule, paid in installments based on
length Of service.
Instead of permitting the soldiers of the
republic TO be DETAINED, every American
shonld regard il as a duty to defend them
from unfriendly and unjust attacks. Be-
rating their services and impugning their
motives for enlisting would hardly be con-
sidered in good taste, even II merited
Any country ought to be proud of such
men as fought the battles of the rebellion
No body Of men ever sacrificed more for
their country than did those who COM
posed that army, Their fame is the noblest
treasure of the nation, and he who sulies
their reputation without reason commits
a crime against his country. The men
who so promptly responded to the early
calls for troops had no thought of bounty.
They were drawn from peaceful avoca-
tions, and had no liking for war Their
enlistment was for definite purpose-a
solemn duty. They We're as rule young
unmarried men, without family incum-
branCes.
They were the flower of the youth of the
north. As the war progressed, however,
and as the requirements became more
onorous, heads of families were neces-
sarily drawn into the army, and the largo
bounties offered by the government e1J
some of the states toward the close Srtthhua
war, We're in part at least, intendR,' as Site
provision for the dependent fgHii;ase 81 ~
soldiers. The largest bounty ,nli,eS n;sed VI
could not be regarded. rs any f. b,oa,nent
To a man enjoying the snfo,is nT
an average American 'oloN ~ ~
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