Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-23


cause Of their prosperous circumstances; OF
for sentimental reasons. or because they
kECW they are suffering from DISABILITIES
no pensionable under any law. vi course;
there Is no means OF inc tOldi
number comprised in these four classes,
bEt, my own observations as an eX-sOldlet
lead me to agree with Colonel AinsWoFtn
tfat the number must be large; that IL
must equal, II il does not exceed, the 10
626. which must be added to the 9A.lol ac-
bureau on June 20. 1895. in order TO make
l.l|iSl0, which is the total number of sur
ViyOrs. deserterS excluded, as how by
Ainsworth's original estimate. This is the
proportion of SlI-6l applicants, and ISIS
non-applicants per thousand Of all PEN
1t does not seem unfair to assume that
in every thousand honorably discharged
survivors there were on June 80, 1888. lA2
who, for various reasons, had never made
| application for pension, and that the eSti>
mate of Colonel AinswOrth as to the total
number of survivors on that date Is very
nearly correct. And If correct for that
date it is very likely to prove correct Tor
subsequent dates.
The special enumeration of survivors
made in taking the national census in $50
fixed the number at 1.03i.Ul3. which Is l9l.-
39S less than the of Colonel AIMS
worth for that year. There is ample data
upon which 20 base 4 reasonable conCll-
sion that the census aggregate fell Tar
short of the true number. In the hrst
place many of the eN-soldierS were out OF
| the country when the census was tdkes.
and many more failed or declined to be
enumerated as such for various reasons.
Again. il the census figures are correcs'
according to the life tables showing ms
average rate of decrease. this number
would have fallen in 1895 to Sl9.SSi. But
this iast number exceeded by only Sp,SI'
the number of survivors who are eithtr
already on the pension rolls, or had claims
pending at that date, and is 4,2SO less than
the number that can be considered TO nave
beer accounted for by the records OF the
pension office on hat date. 10 say nothing
of the very large number who had then
never applied for a pension. and OF whom.
of course, the pension authorities could
have no account. 1t is. therefore. pretty
certain that Colonel Ainsworth's estimates
ara more nearly accurate than the census
figures.
The record and pension office has recent
" made an examination of the records OF
all organizations known to have been IN
the service for less than ninety lays, ana
this has disclosed that 4. 1913 officers and
men served less than ninety days In them;
But some of these short term men served
under prior or subsequent enlistmentS. II
IS impossible to ascertain from the lois
how many men served under two or more
enlistments, because as a rule they 90 not
connect on enlistment with another, and
hence the same name does not definitely de-
termine to the examiner that 1t was the
same man. In other words; there were
perhaps thousands OF John Smiths IN the
army.
There has also been an examination of
the records of all organizations known to
have been in the service more than ninety
days and less than six months. As a result
il has been found that 23S. 1859 officers and
enlisted men served more than ninety days
and less than six months in such organiza-
tions. Adding TO this number 42.aZ5, those
who served less than three months and u
Is found that $50. 1872 officers and men served
less than six months in these respective
short term organizations. not taking, lnto
account those who were discouraged Ior
disability or who deserted. Very few or
these short term men did n hghting, eX-
Cept the 1900 called out by President Lin
coin. The same may be said generally OF
tho nfNo rannfhG man Uhn were MAINLY
used for garrison duty to relieve veterans
for service at the front.
As shown by the latest official state
ments the number of men furnished by the
different states and territories, under calls
from the president, throughout the whole
war was 2.17S.30L. Deducting seamen and
marines. IO5. eSS. leaves a total of 2.672. 341,
credited to the army. No official compila-
ton Of the total number of re-enlistments
in the army has ever been made, but va
rious estimates have been put out by diff
ferent authorities, ranging from $4,000 to
III 49,. The mean between the two num-
bers is 5iS.S93. which is thought to be a
fair approximation of their actual number.
Deducting these figures from the total
credited to the army leaves 2,12.9S as the
number of individual soldiers who served
during the war. according to the official
records. My own judgment is that the
actual number OF men actually in the SER
vice war far less. There were many hun
dreds of professional bounty jumpers in the
large cities who were on the rolls under a
dozen different aliases, and never served a
daN IN any command. A bounty juniper
WAS shot in my division at Kelly's Ford.
Va, in the fall of 1863. who had enlisted
thirteen times. of course in different COM
mands. He counts under the foregoing
estimate as thirteen different soldiers.
HeGucting deaths and deserters from the
Amy. 4I6. 1I5. leaves 1.652.lI3 as the prob
able number OF individual soldiers. accord
ing to the records. who were alive at the
termination OF service. and were not de-
~sorters. IL is probable that the bounty
jumpers. enormous frauds in enrollments
10 fill OUT quotas IN various parts OF the
Union. and on other accounts. would re-
duce the aggregate of individual soldiers
in actual service by more than lJo.O9 men.
If we then deduct the go, 1872 ninety-day
and six months men, who really counted
for but little in turning the scale, it is
found tina the Union army consisted CT
l.5S0. 900 men-including the dead, but eN-
GLIDING the deserters and 10000 fraudulent
names-men who were available for every
sort of service.
The number OF deaths in the army from
all causes was 59.52S. These figures IN
cludc the killed. those who died of WOUNDS
and disease. and in prison, etc. The num-
her of deserters was estimated at ll1.241 at
at the close of the war.
Comparing Colonel Ainsworth's statistics
with the actual number of pensioners on
the rolls, as shown by reports of the pen
sion bureau. is becomes apparent that on
20. 1895. there were 4iI.55l CX-SOldterS
still living who were not drawing pensions.
But of this number. some 266,O0O had applied
for a pension under the various statutes,
AMI about 10000 of these had been rejected.
Hence. out OF the 11S2.S SO survivors of the
war on that date. as estimated by Colonel
Ainsworth. more than twO-thirds were al
ready on the pension rolls from one cause
or another. This OF course by no means
shows the extent of the pension burden.
because there are large numbers OF widows
and orphans drawing pensions not account
ei for in the foregoing igures, which sim
ply relate to and cover the surviving SOL
diers Of the war.
Tho Prudent Wife.