The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-19
OF INTEREST TO SOLDIERS.
A Bill Recently Passed In the United
States Senate.

StdbcS ScHatCs
Incidents of Pension Bill Day-The sar-
gent Portrait of Speaker Reed ana Inc
Criticisms Thereon.
Washington, Jan. 1s-The House OF
Representatives has passed Dill. wh len
is now in the Senate, of interest TO the
old soldiers. This bill in full Is as fol-
lows:
Be il enacted, etc Tint section seven
tsen hundred and fifty -four OF the he
yised statutes of the United States,
| which read as follows: a..
aSec. 1854. Persons honorably dis
| charged from the military or naval ser
| vice by reason Ut disabling resulting
| from wounds or sickness incurred III tne
line of duty shall be preIerreu, lof ny ag
pointmsnts to civil offices, provided they
| are found to possess the business capaclty
necessary for the proper discharge OF Une
| duties of such Offices be amended SO as
| to read rs follows:
sSec 1854, Preferences in appoint
ments to the civil service OF the United
States sha be given to the persons ana
in.the order herein sdeslRnaoeu, ,l nhme,y;
| First. tn persons honorably d1scharRed
| from the military or naval service OF the
United States by reason Of disability re-
sultiur from WOUNDS or sickness incurred
in the line of duty; second, TO persons
honorably discharged from the military
aud naval service of the United States in
the war of the rebellion and the widows
of suoh honoraDly discharged persons:
Provided, That as to both classes they
are found to possess the business capacity
necessary for the proper discharge OF the
duties.of such Offices. :"
On Friday which was private bill day
in the II ouse, many private pension bills
were consid cred. One was to give to the
widow OF General John Gibbon pension
pf 500 mon tn. This led to a sharp de-
bate over the question of giving large
pensions to the widows of officers, there
being a strong sentiment in the House
against it. But General Curtis, (of Il t.
Fisher fame) mads determined fight
fol the bill, and with tho assistance of
General Grosyenor and others who were
not generals succeeded in passing the
bill by good majority.
Later in the day bill came up and
YVES passed which recalled some obscure
but Stirring scenes Of the early days of
the war. The bill was for the purpose
of giving pension of $50 u month to the
widow of General W. A. Nichols. Gem
eral Nichols was an old regular army
officer, veteran of the Mexican war,
who was assistant adjutant general of
the department. of Texas when the Re-
bel lion broke out. His superior in COM
mand was the infamous General Twiggs,
who tried to betray all the United States
regulars in the Southwest to the Con-
federacy. Adjutant General Nichols was
loyal aud though captured himself was
able to save others. In this Mrs. Nichols
assisted him. She did this by sewing in
her clothing valuable papers from the
headquarters of General Twiggs, and by
writing in the smallest hand upon the
silk paper takeE from the books on her
parIor ables orders dictated and signed
byEGeneral, then Major, Nichols, which
she concealedsin the center of new spools
of cotton, replacing the little round label.
These spools she m4haged to convey sue
cessfully to Major French, Of the artill-
cry, Colonel Waite. and others, thus saw
ing to the governments the valuable
Light Battery" and preventing Colonel
Waites entire command from being in
tercepted by the. Texan Rangers and de-
priyed Of their arms and munitions.
This idea of reaching these officers ana
saving their commands originated with
General Nichols, bub his messengers
I, ~, fai 1a1 fbo
| this plan was conceived and executed by
his wife. 1t was urged on the floor that
| Mrs. Nichols was entitled to pension
on her ownsa count. She belongs to a
family singularly associated with the
army and navy. Her grandfather,
Thomas de Russy, was an officer OF the
French navy, and during the war of the
| Revolution nerved on the Bon HonIme
| Richard with the renowned Paul Jones.
| Her father, Gen. e. E. De Russy, Corps
of Engineers, United States Army, was
one of West Points earliest graduates
| fought in the war of 1912. and devoted n
long life to the service of his country.
Her husbands father, Mr.. Il. B. Nichols
was EidshipmaA on board the frigate
| Chesapeake in the war Of 1912, was
wounded and taken prisoner
| The election of Sargent, the American
areaSV, 10 tile Hngl1sh Royal ACADEMY,
and the fsvora ole comments excited by
that event, have called attention anew
to the only example of Sargent's work
which hangs in the gallery Of the Speak
ers Of the House of Representatives. This
is his portrait of Speaker Heed, painted
after the close of the 5lst Congress.
This portrait has attracted much atten-
ton and 10 little criticism. Artists who
have seen it have expressed great admira-
ion for it. as q fine example of the por-
Trait painters art. But the average
membe of Congress rs well as many
visitors, do not think it a good likeness
of Mr.. Reed. Some, indeed, are hardly
| respectful TO the portrait. Mr.. Reed
himself likes it. 1t is, OF all the recent
portraits. at least the only one, which
| can DO said to be the work of great
| artist. And it is more criticised than
all the others together. 1t snffers espeo-
tally when compared with the chrome
like portraits of Randall and Crisp.
Most of the portraits in this gallery are
ogayon likenesses, of an antique and hor-
rifle school Of art; but, there are num-
Der of oil portraits. those of Henry Clay,
Robert @. Winthrop, N. F. Banks,
varnum and Muhlenburg being among
the number.