The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-10

plication is made simply from person
al pride in having a clear record. In |
other cases the charge of desertion |
must be removed before the applicant |
can secure a pension for which he is
asking. Only few days ago an inmate |
of the Soldiers Home at Dayton, ONO, |
was notified that his pension had been
stopped because his name had been |
found on the records with the charge |
of desertion marked against it. Many |
applications for the corrections of a |
military record are opposed by con-
gressmen on the ground that applicants |
deserted to enlist under other names
and secure the large bounties that were
being paid. So bitter is this opposition |
that but few bills of this class pass.
Many claimants now add to their Pc
tition the statement that they do not |
expect any financial benefit to accrue !
from the passage of the bill. Such a
case is that of Warren Alonzo Alden
who asks to have his record perfected,
so that he may be able to join the
Grand Army of the Republic and TO
enable him to leave some evidence 10
his family of his services during the
war. He was an Ohio boy and at tne
age of fifteen years he entered the
army and performed the duties OF a
private soldier, except guard and fatl-
que duty, in Company H. OF the Nine
ty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry
from August, 1862, to January D. 1868;
and in company G., Fourth Independent
Battalion Ohio Volunteer cavalry, from
June 10. 1863, to October 10, OF the same
wear. He received no compensation,
The records also show that the boy dis
charged such services as would nave
entitled him to, an honorable discharge
il he had been old enough to enter the
army.
TOO GOOD A FIGHTER.
Madison A. Thomas, another claim
ant asking to have his military record
corrected. was too fond of fighting. The
Civil War was not enough for him, SO
he went over into Mexico and took part
| in the Macmillan affair. Nhis was the
cause of his trouble. He enlisted in the
Thirty-fourth Indiana volunteers, sep
! TENDER %. 1861. and was again muster
| ed into the same regiment as vet
eran, December IA, 1863. FEBRUARY D,
| 1865 his command was stationed at
RraZos, Santiago, Texas. At this time
he was sent on escort duty and having
permission from the officer in command
crossed over into Mexico with some OF
his comrades. On their return the es-
| cort had gone, and it was so long
| time before he could again regain his
command that he was charged with De.
sertion He was able to clear h1mse1
and served faithfully in his company
until December ], 1865, long after the
war had closed. Thomas Knowing that
! the war was over, and that all resist
| ance to the United States had ceased,
grew tired of the monotony, and going
| over the border offered his services 10
| the MeXicanS. He remained with them
a month, being engaged in several sklr-
mishes, and then learning that ne was
reported on the rolls of his company as
a deserter. shipped at Bagdad on a
schooner. He left this service and re-
turned to Indiana, eighteen months af-
ter the discharge of his company. He
wants an honorable discharge because
the charge of desertion is often Thrown
up to him.
WEARS A MEDAL OF HONOR.
oliver O'Brien, of Massachusetts,
Twas acting masters mate of the U. ).
is. Juniata when his name was entered
lon the navy register as deserter- he
Ienlisted in the navy October 3. 1901,
land served on the Cumberland until
she was sunk by the Confederate ram
lMerrimac. In 1862 he re-enlisted and
lserved on the Canandaigua. In 1854
The was appointed acting masters mate
lby Admiral Dahlgren for distinguished
bravery in face of the enemy. A medal
of honor and 800 extra was granted
him. In 1865 he was transferred to the
Juniata and about the first of April he
was given thirty days leave of alb
sence While on his furlougn he was
taken i'll with lung fever and it was
lmany weeks before he was able to be
out Meantime the war had closed,
1.-THE ship had changed places, and he
Thought il useless to do anything. His
Iclaim has been before Congress several
times, but only passed one branch, the
Iother adjourning before it could be
reached.
A sunstroke and ignorance of mill
Itary requirements made William H. H.
Cook an applicant before Congress for
Irelief He stands on the records as a
Ideserter, notwithstanding the fact that
he served during nearly the entire war
He enlisted in the Fifth New York in
lfantry in 1862. He was injured in the
faction at Gaines Mills and was re-
lported as a deserter. The medical rec
. lords show that he was in the hospita
: lat Baltimore. Cook says he received
la sunstroke at Gaines Mills and was
, Isent to the hospital. While still weak
, land sick, and while in uniform, rs
: took a train for Brooklyn to see his
mother with the intention of returnine
to the hospital. He grew worse al
, home and being unable to perform mil
itary duty, and being ignorant of the
necessity of reporting his condition t.
his company commander, he went ives
: Ito the home Of an uncle in Iowa. Here
r his health was restored and he en-
listed in the Fourth Iowa cavalry anC
{ served until the close of the war.
> JOHN l.. STEELE.