The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-07-04
THE RIGHTS OF PENSIONERS OF THE
UNITED STATES.

THE RIGHTS OF PENSIONERS OF THE
UNITED STATES.
Their Funerals, Monuments, Etc.
We have received the following from
Judge Hail. of Marshall county. and re-
ferred it to that distinguished soldier and
lawyer. Gen. John B. Sanborn:
WARREN, Mimi, June 6.-Hon. Ignatius
Donnely, Hastings Mimi: Dear Sir and
Friend-On May 18th Leonard Lull died.
He an old soldier and a pensioner.
BY the request of the old veterans I write
and ask the following questions. Please
answer in The Representative: Does a
pensioner draw his pension up to his
death? And what is the law in regard to
the funeral expenses and the erection of a
monument to mark his last resting place?
Yours Respectfully,
c. S. HULL
Gen. Sanborn has kindly replied as fol-
lows:
ST. PAUL, Mimi. June 21.-Hon. Ignatius
Donnelly: Dear Sir-The questions pro-
pounded by c. S. Hull, judge of probate of
Marshall county. should be answered as
follows. viz:
Q. Does a pensoner draw his pension
up to his death?
A. The pensioner is legally entitled to
his pension up to his death.
q. What Is the law in regard to the
funeral expenses and the erection Of a
monument to mark his last resting place."
A. The words of the statute on this SUBJ
3ect are as follows, viz: 'If any pensioner
has died, or shall hereafter die: or if any
person entitled to pension having an ap-
plication therefor pending, has died, or
snail hereafter die, his widow, or, if there
IS no widow, the child or children under
the age of 16 years, shall be entitled to re-
ceive the accrued pension to the date of
the death of such person. Such accrued
pension shall not be considered as a part
of the assets of the estate of the deceased
nor liable to be applied to the payment of
the debts of said estate in any case what
ever, but shall innure to the sole and ex-
elusive benefit of the widow or children
and II no widow or child survive no pay
ment whatsoever of the accrued pension
snail be made or allowed, except so much
as may be necessary to reimburse the per-
son who bore the expenses of the last sick
ness and burial of the decedent in cases
where he did not leave sufficient assets to
meet such expenses
In regard to monuments the law is as
follows, viz:
IAN soldiers sailors or marines dying in
the service of the United States, or dying
in destitute condition, after having been
honorably discharged from the service, or
who served during the late war, either in
the regular or volunteer forces may be
buried in any national cemetery free of
cost The production Of the honorable dis
charge of deceased man shall be suffi-
Client authority for the superintendent of
any cemetery to permit the interment."
Inc secretary OF war is also directed in
the arrangement of the national cemeteries
to cause each grave to be marked with a
small maidstone or block which shall be
of durable stone. and of such design and
weight as shall keep it in place when set,
Whlch stone shall bear the name of the SOL
der and the name of his state inscribed
thereon. when the same are known, and with
the number of the grave inscribed thereon,
corresponding to the number opposite to
the name of the party in q register of
purlals to be kept at each cemetery, and at
the office of the quartermaster-generaI
which shall set forth the name, rank, COM
pany. regiment and date of death of the
officer or soldier or if these are unknown
TO have the same recorded.
Inc foregoing provisions were contained
IN the acts of 1862 and 1867 and 1873
In 1879 congress passed the following adj
ditional act viz:
That the secretary of war is hereby au-
thorized to erect headstones over the
graves or soldiers who served in the regu-
lar or volunteer army Of the United States
during the war for the Union and who
have been buried in private village or CITY
cemeteries in the same manner as provided
by the law above quoted for those inferred
IN national military cemeteres and for
TINS purpose, and for the expenses incident
TO such work, so much of the appropriation
or sl,eo,coo made in the act above men
TONED as has not been expended, and as
may be necessary. is hereby made availa-
bile.
Inc secretary of war shall cause to he
preserved in the records of his depa rtn,ent
Ine names and places of burial of all SOL
dlers for whom such headstones shall have
been erected by authority of this, or any
former acts. 10y
Respectfully yours
JOHN B. SANBORN