St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-21
his wANDERINGs OVER.
A Soldier Supposed to be Dead
Turns Up Alive.

Turns Up Alive.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2O.-One of the
most remarkable and pathetic cases
that has ever been brought to the at
tention of the bureau of pensions is
dat of William Newly, private in
Company d, FortIeth regiment of Hi
nois volunteers. This regiment was
commanded by the heroic Col. Stephen
@. Hicks. of illinois, and was con-
spicuous for its gallantry in the battle
of Shiloh. Newly was i'll this battle on
the 9th of April, 1862. and was reported
killed in action. 1t seems, however,
that instead of being killed he sur
vived, received a severe wound on
the head, and was captured and sent
to the rear by the Confederate forces,
and was imprisoned at Belle Isle, and
was afterwards transferred to Ander-
sonyille. 1t seems that Newly was re-
leased in course of time. and was in
po0rhouSeS in various parts of the
South. He was finally taken to Key
West, Fla, by gentleman who recog-
niZed Newly as kinSman. He here
remained until some time in 1869, when
his uncle died. Newly wandered from
| place to place, ana finally turned up at
Shreveport, La. While there the col
ored people made up purse, and he
! was given passage on a steamboat to
Cincinnati. On the way up the river
the steamboat landed at Shawneetown,
III. Newly, hearing this name called
out, seemed to recognize something that
was familiar, and got off the boat.
From here he wandered to Kanka-
kee. ILL.,, where he was i'll the
poorhOuSe for time. Leaving
this place, he struck out southwark and
at last reached McLeanSbUro, in Ham
ilton county, Illinois, and was sent to
the poOrhouse. During these years he
was in demented state, bordering
upon insanity, as the supposed result of
the wound in the head. In wandering
about he finally went over into White
county, and when he got near
| his old home was seen and recognized
by two of his comrades, who had served
in the regiment with him. His wife
was sent Tor and she recognized him. as
did his relatives and many of his friends
and comrades. After NeWby was re-
ported as killed i'll action his wife APP
piled for pension and it was granted,
and she has been drawing a Widows
pension from the date of his reported
death until the present time. The sol
der has filed a claim for
pension, and it is now re-
celylng the consideration of the
office, the claim of the widow
being suspended in the meantime.
No discharge has ever been granted to
the soldier, and the consideration of the
pension claim is beng postponed until
such time as the secretary Of war shall
grant the man adischarge. This soldier
has been separated from his family for
a period of twenty nine years; they be-
lieying all the while that he was dead,
and now he turns up forlorn, dement,
ed old man. His case has attracted
great attention in the southern part of
Illinois and has excited the universal
sympathy of all who have become ac-
Quainted with it. He recently attended
a large reunion of old veterans of his
county, where the subject was univer-
sally discussed. The pension will no
doubt soon be granted, and he will re-
ceiye sufficient sum to smooth his way
TO the end of his life.