The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-13
THE ATHON PENSION
COL. HOLLOWAY DISsECTS "PROOF,,
OFFERED IN ITS BEHALF.
The Adjutant-General's Office Con-
tafns No Evidence Favorable to the
Claim Made for the Doctor.
TO the editor of the -Indlanapolis journal:

the alfegeu proof WHICH me writer says Was
before the Senate committee on pensions
that recommended the passage Of the bill
to pension the widow of the late DR.. j. S.
Athon, for alleged services of her husband
to Union soldiers, and charges that / did
not know all about the Athon matter"
when / wrote my letter to Hon. Daniel
Waugh, charging that DR.. Athon not only
never rendered any service to the Union
army at the request of Governor Morton,
but was the Governors bitterest enemy,
and was one of the leading members of the
reasonable order OF Sons of Liberty during
the war, and was to have exercised the
powers of Governor had the members of
that reasonable Organization been able to
pass the military bill,'' which was cham
pioned by the members Of that organization
in the Indiana Legislature Of 1863, by which
it was intended to deprive Governor Nor
ton of the powers that were conferred by
the Constitution of the State of Indiana.
About one year ago Mrs. Athon called at
my office and said she was making an ef-
fort to secure a pension on account of her
husbands services TO Union soldiers at the
request of Governor Morton during the late
wal. ! told her that / never heard Of her
husbands being connected with the Union
army, when she handed me a letter written
to her by DR.. Athon while on board Of an
Ohio river steamboat, en- route from Cairo
to Evansville, Ind, in February, 1862, in
which he mentions having visited certain
hospitals and would report to Governor
Morton on his return. / asked her If she
had applied to the Acknowledgement of the
State of Indiana to see what the records
of that office contained. She said she had,
and that there was 10 record whatever of
any service rendered by her husband to
the Union soldiers. / told her if her hus-
band had ever been requested by Gov
ernor Morton to visit any hospitai he would
have received a commission or letter Of au-
thority, and that without such letter or
commission he would not a .een passed
through the lines. Some weeks since a tele-
gram appeared in one of the city papers
stating that Senator Turpie had introduced
a bill to give Mrs. Athon a pension. Old
citizens who were familiar with the Doc
tors war record were surprised. Letters
were written to prominent newspaper cor
respondents to call at the Senate pension
committee room and ascertain what kind Of
proof lar been submitted in support Of the
claim, but no answer was received to said
letters. The next news was to the effect
that the bill had passed the Senate and was
then before the House. A number of Union
veterans, who have been smarting under
the false charge that the pension foil was
a roll of diShonor instead of a roll or
honor, by the political friends OF the late
DR.. Athon, appealed to me to write the Hon.
Daniel Waugh, who is a member OF the
House pension committee, and ask him to
look into the case and see what kind or
evidence had been presented TO the Senate
committee. Mr.. Waugh answered that he
had called on the clerk of the committee
and was unable to find any evidence of any
kind. Mr.. Waugh wrote me that he remem-
bered DR.. Athon was credited with being
a member of the Sons of Liberty, and said
that while he would not oppose the pension
ing of any person who was justly entitled
to a pension, he would oppose any unjust
claim.
I then wrote him the letter to which the
Sentinels letter is a reply. in which the
writer states that Vol. 2, Part 2 of the doc
umentary journal of the year 1863. contained
copies of five reports made by DR.. Athon
to Governor Morton, of visits to Washing
ton, D. c., Alexandra, Va, Baltimore. Nd,
Winchester, Va, and that he signed with
Drs. Wiley and Riddle a report which COM
mences: 18th undersigned physicians, ap-
pointed by your Excellency." etc. Now the
fact is, that report was originally signed
by Drs. Wiley and Riddle, and after their
signatures were affixed to the same. the
following occurs: Il concur in the above
TtpOTC-JdIIltS =. ilHOH
This Endorsement shows on the face that
DR.. Athon was not included in the appoint
ment of Drs. Riddle and Wiley, whose SER
vices / remember distinctly. They were
aged men, who were hardly able to stand
continued service in the field, and applied
to Governor Morton Tor letters that would
enable them to take sanitary supplies TO
certain regiments then in the army. of the
Potomac, and in which they had relatives
and friends. / gave them a letter stating
their business and certified to their loyal
ty, and requested that they might be fur
nished with transportation for themselves
and their supplies on all government lines.
at any time. When or how DR.. Athon's
name came to be attached TO that report /
ceived by Governor Morton, or IL would
have found its way to my desk. Drs.
Wiley and Riddle. were private, citizens and
were not given instructions, but went to
the army as such and were not expected to
make an official report, although such per-
sons frequently did SO. Governor Morton
never sent more than one agent at a time
to visit hospitals as remote from the army
as those referred to, as he paid the expenses
of such agents. i do not remember that
special agents were ever sent to Washing
ton, Baltimore or Alexandria. Va, as the
hospitals at those places were visited regn-
tary Agency at Washington, ID. c.. The
name of DR.. Athon attached to a report Of
have escaped me than would nave the name
of jeff. Davis. 1t is more than probable
that the report referred to was left with
the STATE SdlllldIN COiiiilllSSlOus dIlu lOuIQ
its way into print with a lot of other re-
ports at the instigation of DIR. Athon, who
was Secretary of State, and as such officer
had charge of the State printing, and
wanted the report printed in order to prove
that he had rendered some service to the
Union army.
The report Of the Senate pension commit
tee stated that the statements in the report
were based on reports on file in the office
of the Acknowledgements of the State of In
diana My reply TO that statement was
that there was not a line on file in the office
of that officer showing that DR.. Athon ever
rendered any service to Union soldiers at
the request of Governor Morton, or any one
connection with the Sons of Liberty. The
author of the Sentinel letter does not pre-
tend TO deny this statement.
A POINT TO BE NOTED.
1t will be noted that the alleged service
of DR.. Athon was rendered in April, 1852
before his connection with the Sons OF
Liberty became known TO the public. al
though ii was known to Governor Morton
and the military authorities. DR.. Athon
was nominated for Secretary of State Jan.
s, 1862, and the exposure OF the Sons CT
Liberty occurred in May following. The
convention was a memorable one in the
history of Indiana, and there are men still
living who wish it's record could be blotted
out. 1t was at this convention that Mr..
Hendricks declared in favor of a North
western confederacy, where the sentiment,
Southern defeats give US no joy and
Northern disasters no sorrow" was re-
ceiyed with cheers, and whose resolutions
nowhere censured the rebels then in arms
fighting TO destroy this government. The
a very few honorable exceptions, became
the bitter and unrelenting enemies Of Gov.