The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-02-21
SERVICE PENSIONS
Interesting Facts and Figures
on the War Survivors.
WHAT VETERANS REALLY ASK.

Disability Pension Bill.
Twenty-Five years nearly have passed
since the last shot was fired i'm the ciyi
war, and still the details of the great up
rising have power to thrill the nerves
A column of mere figures, dull, cold fig
ures, setting forth the enlistments unde,
each call, is in itself an epic poem. Tn,
record of wounds and deaths loses none
OF its potency by familiarity. And al
over the country the veteran survivors
are calling attention to the fact that thei,
time is short and that Justice much
longer delayed will be justice LETT forever
undone.
The average age of the veterans is now
nifty years; the average age at which
they nave SO far died is fifty-six years
an ominous fact, most suggestive re.
mlnder. 1t was perhaps the youngest
great army ever enrolled, and though
the average of life was greatly shortened
by the hardships of service, yet the "life
expectancy" of sound men at the age
OF enlistment is SO great that there is
stu an army of survivors. But it is an
army that is now losing numbers as fast
as II an active campaign were in prog
ress. In view of the petitions recently
lald before congress, the action of that
BODY and its evident attitude of waiting
OH public opinion, this is surely an ap-
propriate time to recall some facts in the
great struggle.
April 10, 1861, President Lincoln is
sued his first "call'-for 70 900 men for
three months. The country sprang to
arms, and 81 ,S16 men were enrolled and
sworn in before the order could 90 out
to stop enlistments under that call. MAY
81 the president issued another call and
congress followed with the acts of July
~ and 20, making the total called for
100000. In response 6J7 1868 enlisted for
three years, 1850 were taken for two
years, 9,147 for one year and 2,715 for
six months; total, zoe, $50 men.
In May and June, 1862, 1907 men
were accepted for three months. july
2, 1862, there was a call for 300, 900
men for three years, and 421 .4GJ were
furnished. Aug. 4, 1862, there was q
demand for 100000 men for nine !
months and S7,5SS were supplied. By
the result of these two calls the extra |
ordinary fact was shown that over 12O.-
600 men (the excess over the call of july |
y had enlisted for three years rather
than take the mere chance of being
drafted for nine months. June Is, 1868.
SIX months militia were called for and
1851 furnished. Oct. II, 1868, and Feb.
l, 1864, call and supplementary quota
were issued for 100000 men for three
years, and 379, 1850 men were furnished.
March IA, 1864, 200, for three wears
were called for, and 293, 1913 were fur
nished. Between April 23 and July 10.
hat year, S3,612 hundred days men,
we're accepted. July IS, 1864, 500, 900
for three years were called, and 1886, 461
enlisted. Dec. 10, 1864, came the last
'all for 1900, 900 more;" 212, 2l2 had been
sworn in, and 200, 900 more, as estimated.
we're in process of preliminary organi-
.ation, when the glad word went forth
hat the demand for soldiers had ceased.
During the same years the territories,
indian nations, states i'm rebellion and
'ther sections not legally required to do
o voluntarily furnished 1S2,357 men.
n the regular army there enlisted in the
our years 81 900 men. The total num-
er OF colored troops was 1S6,O97. And 8
Is further estimated that nearly one ,
nillion more men were under arms for
eriods of few days or weeks, as the 6
1000 in Indiana and as many in Ohio I
uring the Morgan raid, the "Home
Iuards' of Kentucky, Missouri and Kan G
rs, the volunteers against the Indians, 7
he militia of New York and Pennsyl- a
ania in July, 1858, and many others. s
HOW MANY STILL SURVIVE? q
No powers of rhetoric could heighten {
lie vivid coloring of these facts and fig il
res. The total of enlistment in all arms 3
the service for all terms is set at a
800, l32. Reduced to uniform three n
ears standard, the aggregate is $780, s.
=. The largest state supply, of course, f.
as from New Gork-294 regiments, 35 a
ltteries and % detached companies, il
It'll recruits at various times for all. | n
aking 467 ,O41 men. The smallest of o.
~ loyal state was from Nevada, $50 ! n
en--yet Nevada supplied Is 40 per
mt. of her total population and New y
DIRK but IL per cent. The largest per s,
"'' va 'hS totai pOIuIdtIOn was by Kan | Il
SIS $40 per cent.--and it is believed 10
at Kansas now contains the largest Der Il
mt. OF veterans. The smallest Der +
nts. were, as u rule, from states where W
ere is large excess of women, and SO
re versa, and with very rare and To- ii,
lily limited exceptions it appears that m
cry district of the loyal states furnished n,
most exactly the same per cent. of its III
lie bodied men. IN
Now to determine the ratio of surviy fic
! it is important to inquire how many ay
thee 1853, 1872 excluding e-enlistments) Il,
re actual men. Exactness is not DOS.
lie, but a pretty close approximation co
~ be made. OF the short term men of tin
II it is certain that nine out of ten re- no
listed. OF those of 1862 it is estimated wi
It four-fifths did so. And of the 400 wi
rs men" and other short termers of Sd,
. and 1864, local tests indicate that sol
IN one-third to one-half had previous or;
served in three year regiments, while sal
ny more afterwards did so. Making .
proper deductions estimators place &c
n.rt AL. n e rx.s a