Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-09

remove a charge of desertion standing upon
| the records against the name of an enlisted
man, unless it appears conclusively that
such charge has been enormously entered
or retained. The history of this country,
however, offers a somewhat anomalous eX-
ample of what might be called technical
desertion on a large scale, unattended by
the circumstances which cause odum TO
attach 10 the offense.
I'm the spring of 1865 a very considerable
number of volunteers, who had rendered
faithful service during the critical period
of the war, realizing upon the conclusion of
active host.lities that their duties We're
practically over, and that the purposes for
which they had enlisted had been honor
orably fulfilled, and being impatient to re-
sumo the pursuits of civil life, and having
III very many cases received leave of alb
sence pending discharge. returned to their
homes without awaiting the formal dis
bandment of the national forces 1t thus
happened that during the months OF May,
June and July, 1S65, while the federal
armies and fleets were being reduced from
a war to peace footing, thousands of vet
eran soldiers, sailors and marines who had
faithfully performed their duty throue bout
the whole or a considerable portion of the
of discharge.
The rtgor Of military law and usage re-
quired that the mark of desertion be en-
tered opposite the names of those persons
who had SO absented themselves from their
regiments, stations or vessels without due
authority, and they were accordingly mark
ed as deserters. In later years, upon maxi
ing application for pension, endeavoring to
secure municipal employment or seeking
ADMISSION to veteran organizations or he
neVolent societies, such men We're SURPRISED
10 learn that their failure to obtain regular
uascharse from the army or navy, as the
case might be, had left stain upon their
records which stood in the way of success.
Recognizing the equities of this class OF
desorters Congress, August II, lSSS passed
An act to relieve certain appointed or en-
M fha nj
from the charge of desertion,' which act
conferred upon the Secretary of the Navy
the power. in his discretion. to remove the
charge in cases where 1T appeared that the
applicant had deserted after May 1, 1865,
provided he had rendered faithful service
for period of at least six months prior to
that date. The beneficial provisions of this
act were, however, limited to five years
from the date of its approval and, accord
ingly, ceased to be operative August II,
1873. Since that date the department has
been compelled to decline to take action
upon all applications for relief received
from the class of persons for whose benefit
the act was intended, but who did not for
ward their papers in time. Many cases
thus rejected are in all essential features
as meritorious as those in which favorable
action had been taken during the life of
the act.
Navy Differentiated Against.
by the act of March ., 1889. entitled An
act for The relief CT certain volunteer and
regular soldiers of the late war and the
war with Mexico the Secretary Of War
was empowered to grant relief in meritori-
GUS cases falling within the category above
mentioned, and on March 2. 1895. Congress
removed all limitations of time within
which applications for relief may be re-
ceived and acted upon by the Secretary of
War in cases Of soldiers thus nominally.
but not eQuitably. charged with desertion.
No similar extension has. however, been
made with respect to the navy. and. in the
present state of the law. therefore. soldiers
who left their regiments irregularly in the
spring and summer Of 1855 may be and are