The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-04
SOUTHERN WAR CLAIMS.
SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS MAY
COME TO SAVANNAH.

,I savannah Claimants Among
those Named in the Bill Recently
passed by the HOuse-The Claims
nave Reen Pending Since 1871 or
,s-2 and Most of the Original
claimants Are Dead-COmpensa-
zion for stores and Supplies Taken
L.. the Union Army Allowed Only
Laval UniOnists--Mr. Isaac Beck
oft Recalls His work With the
court of Claims.
If the House BILL appropriatlng money
10 nav Southern war claims, becomes a
law several thousand dollars of the
amount carried by the bill Will come to
savannah. The bill passed the House by
two-thirds vote Wednesday. and the in
djcstions are that it will become law.
The Savannah parties, whose claims are
included in the bill and the amounts
awarded them are Richmond Butler, s122
John A. Carter $3.50, William G. Ebbs, ad-
Illustrator of william Ebbs, deceased,
81 80; Natalie Epstein $685.; Henry Field,
SOL: George Wagner, 50 1O5; Francis Till
man. 1852; Christian Ubele, 1855. and
tldrieS v. NSiululSNE VI IAlull5u duis Sl,VlO.
The majority of the parties named are
deceased, and the money will go to their
heirs, provided the bill passes Congress.
These are only a few of several hundred
claims which were filed from Chatham
county, and have been pending for nearly
thirty years.
An act providing for the investigation
of Southern war claims and the payment
a1af r1e ftr1A 20 h6 NOR rrfn nc
adopted by Congress in 1871, and the Pres
ideut was instructed to appoint three COM
H missioners to carry out the terms of the
act The act specifically limited the in
Il Vestigation and payment of claims TO those
II who were found to have been loyal to the
union during the civil war, no claims be-
ing allowed for the millions of dollars of
property belonging 10 the supporters of
the Confederacy which had been destroyed
or stolen during the war. Even the
claims of those who could prove them
selves 10 have been loyal to the union
4 were not allowed for property stolen or
destroyed by union soldiers, the only
claims to be considered being those for
stores or supplies actually furnished to
the union forces, and good proof was re-
Quired that stores and supplies were so
furnished at the time and not merely TAX
4 en- by laWless depredators.
Some idea of the depredations commit
ted by the union armies in the South can
be gained from the fact that claims for
over $50O00OO0 were filed with the COM
mission by Southerners claiming TO have
been loyal TO the union. If property to
this amount was taken from the unionists
Of the South what must have been the
losses of those who were loyal to the Con-
federacy?
Mr.. Isaac Beckett is probably more ia
& miliar with the subject of these war
claims than anyone now living in Savan.
nan, as he was attorney for a very largo
. number of claimants, and was successful
q In having number paid
There were several thousand of these
claims presented from Georgia. said Mr.
Beckett. There were several hundred
from Chatham county alone. most Of
Whlcn L represented. l also >represented a
q number throughout the state and was sue
81 cesslul IN securing the payment of a large
NUMBER, Most of these claims were from
negroes but there were a number from
whites also"
me essential thing in establishing a
rIdm, sand Mr.. Beckett, was TO estab-
~" 'Ae royalty of the claimant The COM
mission was particular also in seeing THAI
"a ~ NUessiVe Gains We're allowed and most
Gdoy' The loyalty of the claimant was
a nam thlngi though. The commission
ili Hrst investigated the claims went
80, Nt u eHes IN this matter For instance
q D1tar t Sntn would prove a claim for SUM-
nleS iufhlshed the union army for $500 and
n IN tt estaoish his loyalty to the union
aIIori must thorough manner. Instead M
II con,r,is9,. .Iis cidlm on this showing the
n ConfeJaro4. would make search of the
"a I, - ate archives at Washington and
=, 1oilh smith had ever sold the Confad
49, d mule, or a bushel of notatoes co.
tive 30 yer 1t was held to be proof rosi-
49,, VI ms disioyalty, and the clair, no.,
e,5ai'owed The fact that the cIainaaat T %eis
81 ConfaSa' eIed any service whatever 10 no
him , ~ was proof positive againsr
q urae ,,, ne result Of these extreme meas
q claims wer Ia an. tne large majority of the
, subsequently a reboor;,
& inatoa oy the Court of Claims Of wei
rr1,1 was mad where no sI,ob stri, 80.
a ale. were enforced, and tba raot a.
4 the CafSI' had merely sold sunnlias 40
a of dis1o,,ait aey was not held to he nroof
We're good" ms other proofs
pretty ouo ola claims would furnish some
II becoming history, history" said Mr.. Beckett.
os 'slleraole doubt of the lova1t' ndu
n er1t claimants. There was iitti. sin.
If H. Vi course In proving tba 1o,,ait,,
whites !, negro claimants, but with 1 thy
ser,'oS IL was different. Men VII Ia 'as
II IN ,t. :" the Confederate armies sv,oro
t 10 their loyalty to the uni @,li'es sWore
.oyh mad served against it under 0 dnra sna'
Hons ne Claims included in the nreso, .
Ca"rt p'll were allowed years AGO P h,7 tbe
bcforo ol Claims, and the matter has benn
W Wore every session of Congress naS s, peen
predon one ne house would allow the an miro,
would cn 10 pay the claims the other house
well nor r. out. The claimants will do
becomes a law ''''e until the bill