The National tribune., 1891-01-29
ENUMERATION OF rue VETERANS.
DEPARTMENT or THE INTERIOR,
CENSUS OFFICE,
UNSATISFACTORY Jan Of IS0I

DEPARTMENT or TIE INTERIOR, J
CENSUS OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81, 1891.
EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: Your letter
OF Jan. z, making inquiry as to the progress
being made by this office in the collection of
statistics relating TO the surviving Union vet
Grams, is received. In reply. l beg to state that
the work Of examining and verifying the sched-
ules of the euumerators aud correcting and per-
! fecting the records of service of the soldiers
whose names appear thereon, is now in prog
rcss and until it is fully completed it will be
impossible to give absolutely correct figures as
| TO the number Of surviving veterans. widows,
etc, and it is impracticable to give even an APP
proximate estimate at present.
1t is the purpose Of this Office TO make the
forthcoming roster Of the veterans what twas
designed TO be by Congress, and what it is de-
sired to be by the surviving soldiers them
selves; as nearly an accurate directory Of the
Names addresses and records Of those who,
living to-day, participated in the late war on
the Union side, as it is possible TO produce
under the circumstances. This, as you can
easily understand, is a work Of great difficulty.
There are not only serious obstacles in the way
Of securing a complete list OF the names and
addresses Of the hundreds of thousands OF SOL
diers and soldiers widows in this country, but
it is an even more difficult matter to procure
aud establish the accuracy of the records Of
service.
II might be supposed that the information
returned by the census euumerators concern
ing these military services, having been OBJ
tanned from the soldiers themselves, must DO
correct in each instance. This, however. is not
the case. As n matter Of fact, many Of those
whose names appear upon the schedules were
not met by the enumerators they were away
from home, perhaps, when they called or from
some cause the particulars Of their service were
furnished By members Of their households or
their neighbors; thousands upon thousands Of
the soldiers themselves have given erroneous
records. or incomplete ones; carclessly so in
many cases, through ignorance in others; other
thousands have claimed services rendered con-
tinuously from and to certain dates, when in
fact they served nj various times, but not con-
tinHously, in different organizations, perhaps
in different arms Of the service or were con-
solidated = OF transferred from one regiment TO
another as the ezigencies Of the service de-
manded or as their several commands became
depleted by the fortunes OF war. In very
large number Of cases cnumerators have neg
lectgd to enter names on the special schedules,
and from the population schedules only the
bare fact is learned that service was rendered
in the army or navy, and the postoilicc adj
dress obtained. Other aud numerous causes
have operated TO prevent a correct enumera-
ton ia the first instance and all the informa-
ton lacking must be aud is now being OBJ
tanned, either through correspondence with
the individual soldiers themselves or the Adju-
tants-G General Of their States, consultation with
State rosters. where authentic ones have been
published, which is the case in several States,
or examination Of original papers wherever
they may be found.
The law did not provide for collecting this
information as to any but Union soldiers, but
it was believed that it would be just as easy in
asking the question as TO whether a person
served in the war to inquire also on which side.
This was done by the enUmerators, and con-
sequcntly the population schedules show the
names and addresses Of Confederate as we'll as
Union soldiers. This information. however, as
10 Confederate soldiers will not be tabulated,
as il Is not authorized by the Census Act
IL is believed that the work Of the Census
Office can be much facilitated and the difficult
ties largely overcome through the influence of
your paper and others Of like character, and it
is hoped that you will endeavOr to interest your
soldier readers in this matter, and if possible
enlist their cooperation at least to the extent
of furnishing this office ut once with the names,
addresses. and particulars Of service, Of such
soldiers a they may have reason to think were
overlooked by the enumerators, and even Of
those about whom any doubt may exist as 10
their having been enumerated. / s6ould be
pleased to have you emphasize the importance
Of this 10 the veterans themselves, as it is they
who arc tho most nearly interested in what
ever pertains TO the history or the welfare Of
| their rhine comrades.
Very respectfully, ROBERT p. PORTER,
superintendent Of Census