The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-12
MoHAMMED KAHN, PeNsIoNER.
The Peculiar Career of Native Of AT
ghaniStan In Uncle Sans Army.

| The Peculiar Career of Native OF Az
ghanistan In Uncle Sans Army.
| II will never forget" said former clerk
| of the house committee on invalid pen
sions, zone case that came before me for
| report. The bill had been introduced by
the Hon j. Proctor Knott. The applicant
had been rejected at the pension office. then
presided over by Bentley.
1.-The applicant was an oriental named
| Mohammed Kahn. He had been brought
to this country in 1861 by Goodyear, Buch-
anan's minister to Persia, and Goodyear
| dying soon after he was thrown on his own
| resources in country of strangers with
strange tongue and strange manners A
recruiting sergeant got hold OF him and
| enlisted him in Massachusetts, regiment
soon after the first battle of Bull Run.
Being an ignorant man, the sergeant
| thought he was an Indian and enrolled
him as such, of the Blackfeet tribe, and
named him John Ammahoe. He was sent
to the front. and was wounded in one OF
the battles of Jacksou's Italian campaign.
He was separated from his command, and
a wounded colonel of a Pennsylvania regt
ment, installing him for negro, took
possession of him, registered him as
contrabrand and made of him body serv-
ant. The colonel got leave of absence
till his wounds were healed, and carried
Ammahoe with him to Carlisle, Pa, where
be remained six months.
DESERVING his master he enlisted under
the name of Mohammed Kahn in a Penn
sylvania regiment, and was severely
wounded at Gettysburg. He was then dis
charged, though by some mistake he was
borne on the rolls of both regiments as a
deserter. Half dozen claim agents had
tried to get a pension for him without
avail He drifted from Boston to New
York, to Philadelphia, to Washington, and
at least a score of surgeons had reported
that he was disabled by gunshot wounds.
Zone day he approached Mr.. Knott and
related his story. He claimed to have blue
blood in his veins, and asserted that he had
been of the household troops of the Persian
emperor, having been recruited In Afghan
istan, whence came the finest cavalry of
the East. He was an expert swordsman,
and the blood in his veins was of the Hot
spur order. Knott is a man OF gorgeous
imagination, and no doubt, as the poor fell
low recited his pathetic story, visions of
the wondrous cline of the sun rose before
him.
"His mind was carried back to the days of
Tamerlane and Saladin, or Solyman the
magnificent, and the Mamelukes, that near
ly wrested victory from even Napoleon's
veteran columns He introduced bill for
Ammahoe's benefit and it came before me.
Daily he besought me to look into his case.
l thought he was some worthless negro,
too lazy to work, and put him Off.
zone day, however, took up the papers
and soon became absorbed in the military
history of the fellow as it was sent to the
committee from the adjutant generals of
flee. / asked him to relate the story of his
life. He claimed that at home he was a
nobleman, and that he was the owner of
vast estates in Afghanistan. why do you
not return there and enjoy your patri-
mony, instead of waiting here for a miser-
able pension" said !.
"He answered, 4 have eaten hog and
have got drunk; they would execute me at
home if | should return l made a favor
able report on his case; the bill passed and
he got his pension. "-Louisville Courier
,TOurnal