The Indianapolis journal., 1893-09-07

DeTs. ere
exchanged and the old
officers were continued ss has been the
custom for years. There were about
one hundred present
The Silent Army" was organized by
Wallace Foster. of this city. and the story
OF It's organization is q peculiar one. Soon
after Mr.. Foster became totally deaf he
of those of his comrades who were suffer
ing from the disability of deafness. and
first made call through the columns of
soldier papers for the addresses of those who
were suffering from deafness. Previous to
the call, he did not know six comrades in
the United States who were deaf. but did
know that the rating for deafness was un-
just and inadequate for the disability
incurred. and set about to organize
an association to remedy the defect.
In the fall of 1884 he organized and chris
tened the association The Silent Army of
Deaf Soldiers. Sailors and Marines" and
selected COmrade A. @. l.. Brown. captain
Twenty-fourth New York Cavalry. 3S2
Bergen street. Brooklyn. n. Y. president.
as he was one of the tirst to respond to the
call. as they had been working. singly and
unknown TO each other, in tho interest of
the deaf soldiers, sailors and marines of the
civil war. In speaking of the organization.
Mr.. Foster said:
I'm organizing the Silent Army there
was no one present but myself. and do
not think you will find such another Or
ganiZatiOn on record. L had no means OF
knowing where and how to organize body
OF deaf men who were unable TO hear per-
fectly. or Imperfectly, and some of them
could not hear at all. Consequently called
meeting and made my self the prOl au-
dlence. the chairman and committee on Or
ganization, and proceeded with the busi-
ness before me by electIng Captain Brown
president by reclamation. The next off,
oers to be elected were q secretary and
treasurer, and, by unanimous vote. chose
Wallace Foster, captain Thirteenth Ir diana
lnf9ntfy. 1920 North Tennessee street. In
dis' ipOlis. Ind. We have no constitution
or bylaws. All soldiers. sailors or marines
who have suffered the loss of hearing. to-
tally or partially, while in the Union army
In line OF duty either by wounds. disease or
injury, are members ex officio Of the Silent
Army. His disability is his qualification
for membership. whether he makes formal
application or not. There are no dues to
be collected, but when we are working for
the interest of our ciaes oil are expected to
cooperate and contribute to the support of
the organization. The officers serve with
out compensation. except when on duty in
the interest OF the Silent Army. aud then
only actual expenses are allowed. The
only record kept Is q roster of comrades
who are known to he deaf and are in COM
roster was commenced in 1886.
and will now number nearly one
thousand names. all recruited by frequent
calls through the press and otherwise.
In the record will be found the addresses
of comrades from nearly every State and
Territory In the Union. representing nearly
every trade and profession from the pri-
vate soldier to q maiOr-general. Prior to
the organization of the Silent Army, the
pension allowed for deafness was entirely
ont of proportion to the nature of the dis.
ability, and not equitable or just in COM
parison with other severe disabilities. In
the Fiftieth Congress We were better Or
ganiZed; through the recommendations of
Gen. John G. Black Commissioners of Pen.
sions. and our friends in both Houses of
Congress. measure for our relief was
passed Aug. u. From the report of the
Commissioner of Pensions for 1890, there
were on the pension rolls $3.50 for deaf.
ness; ont of this number 1.260 are totally
deaf. .430 severely deaf, and z, 500 partially
deaf"
Capt. A. G. p. Brown, president of "rhe
Silent Army enlisted In the Eighty-.irst
New York Infantry, organized In Oswego.
the war in 1862. and was afterward trans
ferred TO the Ninety-tbird New York In
fantry. In which he served as q private and
was scharged Tor disability incurred on
the field; Afterward. be Joined the Twenty
fourth New York Cavalry. and rose to the
position of captain. He participated in
the battles of Yorktown, FAIR Oaks, siege
of Richmond. and the seven days battles
OF the Peninsular campaign. the Wilderness.
snn. Tolopotomy Bethesda csSrch coId
Harbor and Petersburg. where hs was
twice wounded; Cemetery Hill, Weldon
Road, at which @ shell exploded in
front of him, and one of the bullets entered
meath the outer corner OF the left eye. The
concussiOn caused partial paralysis of
the auditory nerves. and deafness has been
progressing since that day, ana now he is
totaNy deaf. Captain Brown has slsO par
tici ipated in the battles of Belleheld, Hatch
er's Run. Dinwiddie Courthouse. Pains
Cross Roads. Sailors Creek. Farmville and
Appomattox. He has been q resident of
brooklyn, n. Y, for twenty years. In 1874.
when bis aifliction bad not progressed to
great degree he was appointed United
States custom house keeper. a position he
has since retained on account of his long
and faithful service and his know ledge and
proficiency in nearly every department. of
the United states custom house.
Wallace Foster. secretary OF the organ
iZatiOn. WAS born IN Vernon. Jennings
county, Indiana, June %. 1887, and was con-
neoted with the engineering corps that con-
structed the o. 81 Nj railroad from Cincin-
natl. o.. to ST Louis, Mo-. in which the late
General Mitchell was chief.
AT the breaking out of the rebellion he
was druggist In the city of Indianapolis.
Ind. and was a mem ber of the lndependent
Zouaves, a military company that sent
many q good soldier 10 the front. Among
them were Gen. Fred knefier. Gen. Dan
Macauley. Gen. n. X. Rnckle. late adjutant-
general of the State of Indiana. and many
others. He enlisted on the day of President
Lincoln's first call for volunteers, April ID,
1861. and was missiOned lieutenant,
Company II. Eleventh Indiana Infantry.
Gen Lew Wellaces Zouave regiment, and
served until the expiration of the term of
serviee-three months campaign. He re-
enlisted in the Thirteenth of Indiana In-
fsntry, Old Guard, aud was promoted re-
spectlvely lieutenant and captain of Com
camp TO Brig Gen. Jerry T.. Sullivan and
Mai. Robert s. Foster.
His regiment served. In the Seventh.
Tenth, Eighteenth and Twenty-fOurth
Army Corps. and participated IN nearly
all the battles and skirmisbes with Nc
Ciellsn in West Virginia aud Army of
Potomae; was with General Lander at
Bloomery Furnace. Shields and Kim ball at
Winchester. and In the skirmish down the
valley; belonged 10 the brigade that gave
Stonewall jackson his first and only de-
feat He was with Sullivan at Column
bian Bridge. and in the campaign down
the Shenandoah and Rappahannock Val.
ley. with Foster at Snmmerville Heights,
with Mcdowell at fredericksburg. Va.
and again with Foster &C Deserted House,
I@ts. ~. e. II. =