Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-08

arms and lay down nat on their bellies
IN the trench. while chhretnE column OF
rebels swept over them, carrying all that
were In the party back to Petersburg az
prisoners. They pleaded In excuse that
they knew nothing Of our quarrel. and
have no interest In Il; that they were hired
in Europe for peaceful and non-bellige.
rent labors on railroads. canals, etc. ana
that they have been utterly swindied ana
cheated N the manner OF their being IN
duced to enter the service"
EDWARDS DRAWING PENSIONS.
These are some OF the pension cheats
who are touching elbows with brave ana
deserving American soldiers These
frauds upon the government and upon the
people entered the army to secure tne
enormous bounties. and some OF them
never went into a battle, and at the close
OF the war went home with their pockets
full OF money. 1t was never INTENDED tnat
they should be put on an equality win
the American citizen, and yet, notwith-
standing the stipulated hire was paid
TO them, and the war closed over twenty
nine years ago, 1t Is estimated that over
SIS. 600 Is sent out OF this country an
nually to Europe 10 pay foreign pension
ers. Many were physically incapacitated
for service long before they entered the
army. but with the aid OF corrupt examin-
ing Surgeons, and the connivance OF mus
tering officers, they were passed. Rela-
tive to physical disability. the Provost
Marshal General as early as 1858 made
the statement that "since the present re-
bellion began about 10000 soldiers. AFTER
entering the service. have been discharged
on surgeons certificates OF disability. IL
is probable that at least one half OF them
were unfit for service when received. 1t
h.. al Qaid that ftltsbD.OU WAS
uselessly expended In bringing them into
the field 70 say nothing OF their subse-
uuent expense to the government. AS
there was no hint at that time OF pension
ing these physical frauds, the Provost
Marshal.General could not. in 1863, esti-
mate the subsequent millions which the
government would be called upon 10 pay
them when they were added 10 the PEN
sion roll, which has been done since.
In the examination Of recruits the ig-
norance or incompetence of the examina-
ton surgeons in the first two years OF
the wer. to say nothing OF their baser
motives. led Surgeon-General Hammond
to say that thousands OF incapacitated
men were in the early stages OF the
war allowed to enter the army, to be
discharged after few weeks service,
most of which had been passed III the
hospital Many did not march five miles
before breaking down. and not n few
never shouldered a musket during the
whole time of their service These are
some Of the thousands upon thousands
OF men who are drawing pensions. and
who have no legal or equitable title 10
them. They were smuggloi into the
service upon fraudulent representations,
and as fraud vitiates everything. these
INSCRIPTIONS frauds should not be sup
ported by the Government.
NOT ENVIABLE.
The position Of medical examining
surgeon during the war was by no means
an enviable one If he exempted too great
n proportion he was liable TO censure
from his official superiOrs. If the num-
Der Of exempted men was small the
community accused him Of forcing Grip
pies and men at the point Of death into
the army Did he reject n large per
cent. of substitutes or recruits. the dis.
trict. being anxious to fill the quota and
thus escape the draft, accused him OF
being hypercrltical in his examination, AMI
said that he rejected able-bodied men.
on the other hand. ne was liable not
only 10 official censure in case he accepted
disabled substitutes and recruits. but his
pay was liable to be stopped and all
expenses attending the enlistment Of the
disabled man deducted therefrom.
The city Of Worcester. Mass, being
anxious to fiji its quota and thus escape
the draft. roundly abused the medical
examiners for rejecting many physically
imperfect men who desired to enlist in
regiment then forming. a correspond
ent Of the New York Tribune, under date
Of December 4. 1862. writing from the
camp in the Ninth Army Corps opposite
Fredericksburg. Va, in abiding 10 the
criticisms published In the Springfield
Republican about the Worcester exam
iners. said: II have of late attended two
or three surgeons meetings OF the Medi-
cal Board appointed to examine appli-
cants for discharge. If other officers had
been equally strict, much less expense
would have been saved Uncle Sam. much
suffering would have been prevented. and
a larger and more efficient army would
the board here many cases-the majority,
in fact-of men suffering from complaints
seated and apparent before they enlisted.
one man lost all the toes of his left foot
four or five years ago: he was not cri-
tically examined when he offered him.
self: his town was striving to Guido its
neighbors. He put 500 bounty money in
his pocket. He had been about two months
In the field. and has gone home useless.
He was told what he must have known
before-that he was a downright swindler
Many of the cases are pulmonary COM
plants. Of long standing; one or two were
Old age: nearly all received bounties
They were reprimanded and discharged"
Surgeon-General Hammond. in referring
again to the abuses of the examining
surgeons, said: Ceases of chronic ulcers
varioose veins, epilepsy, and other condi-
tons uniting men for a military life
came frequently under my notice. The
recruits were either not inspected at all
by a medical officer or else the examina-
ton was so loosely conducted as 10
amount to a farce. 7 know of several
regiments in which the medical inspec-
ton was performed by the surgeon walk.
ing down the line and looking at the mer
as they stood in the ranks"
This statement of DR.. Hammond needs
no comment. 1t tells a shameful story
and reveals how so many invalid pension.
ers came upon the pension rolls. Under
the pension act OF June, 1880. pensions ar,
granted under certain conditions of dis
ability to men enlisted only three months
whether in active service or not, a
readily as to veterans who fought through
the whole war. This shameful perversior
OF the pension system has swelled the
pension roll to inordinate dimensions
Thousands of names are upon 1t of mer
who not only saw no active service, bu
received a liberal bounty for enlisting
the term of which was hardly long enough
TO entitle them to the name OF soldiers
Why these should receive pension be
sides Is beyond the power of an homes
understanding to comprehend. The coun
try does not and will not. grudge TIT
pensions 1t pays the war-worn and de
serving among the veterans who, i'm
PEELED by love of country and sense
Of patriotic duty. went forth and hazardet
their lives that the Union might live. an1
who are now disabled and needy. Showing
its liberal bounty. The fault Is In no
discriminating between this class and Tn
Confederate deserters and prisoners
ex-slaves. the riff-raff OF Europe. crimi
| nails. crpples. invalds. the decrepit. ant
| the idiotic, who were fraudulently SNUG
| gled into the Union army to obtain IN
! liberal pay and bounties Of 1nore homes
and deserving soldiers.