The state chronicle., 1893-06-15
Ehe State Chronicle
THURSDAY, JUNE, ..-15. 1904
Col. Ainsworth.

benefit. Az LIZ
HIS ARMY CAREER,
Col. Ainsworth was appointad an
assistant Ma surgeon in the army from
West Point. Subsequently he had
service at Fort Vancouver, Wash
Sltka, Alaska, Fort Yuma, CAL
camp Grant. Ariz., and in the field
with the Eight Infantry in the de.
Partment OF California. These as.
signments were between November
1874, and April, 1880, in which let'
ter year he was transferred to dutv.
at San Antonia, Tex, and he rs
NAMED mai &c On duty at various posts in
that State and vicinity until Octo.
Der 18th, 1885, when he was as
signed to duty as recorder of the
army medical board in New York
city, which position he held when
ne wac summoned to WASHINGTON
December, 1886.
HIS DUTY IN WASHINGTON.
bis first connection With his pres
ent duties dates from that time
ihe demand for the settlement of
pension cases was then at it's height,
and an investigation showed that
the calls for information from the
hospital records of the army were
about 10000 cases in arrears. Sec.
retary Endicott was then Secretary
OF War. He determined to find
some one who possessed sufficient
executive ability to bring these re-
cords up to date if possible, and he
applied to the surgeon-General of
the Army for such man. Mr.
Alnsworth was then an Assistant
Surgeon in the corps with the rank
OF Captain. He was on duty in
New York. The Surgeon. General
recommended him, and he was Sc
lected and assigned to duty in the
office of the Surgeon-General at
Washington. He was regularly
placed in charge of the Record and
Pension Office.
THE GARD SYSTEM OF INDEX
Soon after he had informed him.
self OF the character of the work
assigned him he conceived the idea
OF solving the existing difficulties
by the application of the "car index
system" lat that time in general use
in libraries) to these pension re-
cords. His plan was approved by
the Surgeon General, by Senator
Cockerell, then chairman of the
Senate committee engaged in inves-
tlgating departmental methods of
and finally by the Secre-
tary OF War (Endicott).
Work under this system was
early in 1887, and, as
everybody familiar with public bu-
siness knows, with wonderful re-
suits in the settlement of pension
claims.
THE DIVISION AUGMENTED
In July, 1891, Secretary Proctor,
with the remarkable sue
cess of Col. Ainsworth's work with
he medical records, decided to ap-
ply the same system to the military
records. To this end he issued an
order transferring all such records
n the offices of the Adjutant Gen
sral and the Surgeon General to be
common Office, which he designa-
ed as the record and pension
'fice," and placed Col. Ainsworth
It the head of it. This transfer in
,luded all the clerks who were then
engaged on this work, numbering
nearly 900 altogether.
In the first session of the last
Congress the action of the Secretary
II War was legal;zed and the pres
mt Office of records and pensions of
he War Department was created as
IN independent organization. Presi-
lent Harrison approved it and at
'nce nominated Col. Ainsworth for
he place and his nomination was
confirmed by the Senate.
oL AINswoRTH ACCEPTED THE POSITION
Col. Ainsworth accepted the posi-
ion thus created. At the same time
10 resigned his commission in the
medical department. When the
'riginal bill was passed by Congress
10 was captain in the medical
orps, near the head of the list, but |
q the period intervening before the
bill became law he was
promoted to the grade of
urgeon with the rank of major in |
he medical department.. His ap-
ointment took him out of that de-
'artment and gave him the rank of |
olonel, unattached to any depart !
nent or division of the army. He
the unique position of be-
ng q colonel in department alto
,ether outside of the recognized
orps of the army.
HIS PECULIAR HOLD ON OFFICE
No one at the War Department
an foretell the result of the present
INVESTIGATIONS, so far as Col. Aims
vorth's position in the army is con-
erned. The President can suspend
lin from his position as chief of the
,ffice of records and pensions, but
;annot appoint any one else to the
,lace unless Col. Ainsworth is dis
missed from his place as colonel
n the army, a proceeding that can
70 accumulated ONLY by O sentence