The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-04-22
SHORT-TERM MEN.
A 1OO-Days Man Makes q Plea for frater-
nifty. Charity, and Loyalty.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Your words
OF warning in the issue of Feb. III TO COM
rades who are discussing the pension ques-
ton, and who are continually depouncing
short-term men, and who are constantly
harping on "big bounties,' are certainly
very timely / find by the statistics that
s3,612 men enlisted in the service of the
United States between April % and July
Is. 1864, for 100 days; of this number Ohio
sent out AZ regiments, or SO, 254 men. These
men responded to the call just at the time
Gen. Grant ordered a forward movement OF
his entire army. Will our three-years COM
rades say these men did nothing to aid this
forward movement of all the armies in the
field? Will they say they did not risk DIS
ease, bullets, and rebel prisons? Will they
say they received big bountieS"? No,
they dare not. / say all honor to our long
term comrades, but | beg of you not to sheer
at the boys of 1864. who shouldered their
muskets and rushed to your aid in the dark
days when the final blow was being struck.
We knew going to war was a serious matter.
Many of our friends and neghbors had gone
ont before us never TO return; some had died
of disease, others had fallen III battle I;
others were starving in loathsome rebel
prisons. Many of my company were farm
ers: all of them suffered more or less by
leaving their farms. Some estimated their
loss during that Summer at 81 600. You
will observe, dear comrades, that money
wasn't in it. Statistics inform us that 3S6,-
46l men responded to the call for men for
one, two and three years, in July, 1864.
A great many of these 11th-hour men saw
hard service, many of them losing their
lives. Dia you ever think, comrade, that
these men by their ready response to the
calls of their country caused rebel sympa-
thiZers to look crestfallen? They showed
the organized hosts OF the enemy that the
North was united and in earnest, thereby
causing dismay in their ranks and thus aid
ing to bring the war TO a speedy close.
was not injured in the service of my country,
and have never made application for pen
SION but as q reader of THE NATIONAL
| TRIBUNE / have been led to express my
| opinion. The Service Pension Bill, / think
| is fair and reasonable, but would prefer thu
| pension laws to remain as they are at the
| present time, on account of the ungenerou:
| spirit which is manifested by scores of COM
rades. Judging by the views of many o.
them on the pension question, they forget
| what a great country this is they fought To
| save, and that all men are created free and
equal. Yes, comrades, if some Of you had
the authority to issue ratious TO us 1854 boys
you would, fear, dole them out as slim az
the rebs did to our poor comrades in prison.
Our bibles tell US that the lord of the vine,
yard paid all his laborers the same wages
| There is lesson here for us. Oh, why can't
all comrades have the same spirit toward
one another, as we find, by reading the
Memoirs Of Gen. Sherman, that Gems. Gram
and Sherman manifested toward each other
They were without envy or jealousy, honor
ing one another.-B. R. D., 18TH Ohio, Gross
Creek, 0.