The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-16
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

| Correspondents should write each question on
separate sheet Of paper, give full name and adj.
dress and nn,riSit Correspondents Column" No
| attention will be paid to communications not
| companied with name and address of writer. II is
requested that stamp be inclosed for reply by
| letter. Postal cards will be replied to by mail
| only. Replies by mail will ordinarily be made
within a week. and If in this column within three
wecksl
Veteran. (HuntingdOn) Pa.-The soldiers
| would be pleased if you would publish the law
| granting medals for bravery" The ruling of
! the Secretary of War is, That no one who was
n soldier is entitled to the medal for gallantry
in action, for bravery on the field of battle, but
only from some act outside OF his duty as a SOL
/ der" If the language of the act is such as to
! allow such construction it certainly should
| be looked after by the present Congress and
changed. By this no officer or soldier could
receive medal for anything he would do
while on duty-ony for those off duty, skulk-
| ing, hanging back, doing something in the
rear, where no bravery would be needed. |
| have noticed some medals that were granted,
and wondered whether they could be obtained
/ by soldiels on duty. TO receive u medal under
| such an act, or under such ruling, would be
| disgrace. 1t seems that all laws passed in the
! interest Of soldiers are not for the benefit of
| the deserving. Anseer. The ruling is all
| right, and is based on the law, as you will see
/ from the copy here printed; the trouble is that
| you misnterpret it, as it is an essential that
| the act of valor upon which the medal
| is claimed should have been performed in the
! strict line of duty. 'Outside of his duty as a
| soldier" means the performance of some con-
! spicuous act of bravery far beyond those
! ordinarily due from soldier as to remove it
from the category of the duty as a soldier":
@. g. stOrming breastwork under orders is
not such conspicuous act of bravery as would
in general. support an application for medal
of honor, since the soldier is bound to do that
han but h.
stand of colors from the enemy while so storm
ing n breastwork might be regarded as such n
signal act of bravery as would eutitle the SOL
der to a medal of honor, such act not being
specifically required duty as soldier
The laws bearing upon the subject are as
follows:
NO BY Resolution to provide for the pres
sent aton of :" medals of hCnorn to the enlisted
men of the Army and volunteer forces who have
distinguished may distinguish, themselves in
battle during the present rebellion.
RESOLVED by the Senate and House Of representa-
tires of The United States Of america ia Congress as
sembled That the President of the United States
be- and he is hereby, authorized to 1000
"medals of honor" to be prepared with suitable
emblematc devices and 10 direct that the same be
presented in the name of Congress- to such nom
commissioned officers and privates as shall most
distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action
and other soIdierIike qualities during Inc present
insnrrection. Aud that the sum of $40 600 be- and
the same is hereby. appropriated out of any money
in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated for
the purpose of carrying this resolution into effect
Approved July II, leb2.
CHAP IXXIX-An Act making appropriations
for sundry civil expenses of the Government for
the year ending June 80. 1861. and for the year
ending the 30th oil june 1905 anu Tor other pur-
SIC G. And be IL further enacted. That the Presi-
dent cat,se a he struck ON the dies RECENTLY nre
pared mt the United States Mint for that purpose
..medaI of honor" additional TO those authorized
by the Act Resolution) of July II, 1862 and pre-
sent the same such officers non-commissioned
officers and prvates have most distinguished or
may hereafter most distinguish themselves in
action; and the sum of $4,000 ia hereby appro-
priated out of any money In the Treasury not
otherwise appropriated. to defray the expenses of
Approved March 8. 1863
p. o. s., Ne1U York Citu-Please inform mo
how to procure soldiers land warrant, and
the cost thereof? AnsWer. Land warrants are
to be had only for service rendered prior to
March 8, 1885, and therefore cannot be procured
for service rendered in the late war. The
ordinary charge for obtaining one is $50. which
fee must, however, be approved by the Com
missioner OF Pensions. We think that the
market price of land warrant is at the rate of
about $I.12 to about S1.15 an acre; possibly
little more.
w. F. c., Ham5urg W-Arc the minor chill
dren of a commissioned officer entitled to more
than tho 81 month that is allowed to tho
children of enlisted men? AnSwer. The 81
month allowed To WIDOWS on account OF, but
not to, minor children is the same in the case
of a widow of an officer as in the case of widow
of an enlisted man j. e., 81 amonth increase of
her Dension on account of each child under the
age OF Is years.
g. NJ, Ne,udrk, N. Please inform me
whether there is new rating of $40 for hernia
in place of the So rate. and when it became
law. Answer. You refer to the rating OF $40 al
lowed by ruling PAS, of Dec. A. 1891, for an
ingninal hernia of one side which passes |
through external ring; this rating is not by |
virtue of express law, but ruling of the Com |
missioner of Pensions. and has reference only |
to claims uader the general law.
H. H., ROsstoh, Had.-If soldiers widow t
loses her pension by remarriage. can she claim |
a pension when she becomes a widow the second /
time, her last husband having been non.
soldier. AnSuer. No.
A. l.. A., Jennings, La was married to
soldier drawing pension under old law. in
May, 1895. How much pension can get at his
death? Aud will the fact that | have few
thousand dollars worth of property bar me from
getting pension2 AHSlrer. If your husbands
death be not due to his service, you will get
nothing II it be due to his service, aud the
Pension Bureau will so concede, you will get So
a month Your financial condition will have
no bearing whatever. you not entitled
under the act of June q, 1890.