Sunday morning globe., 1901-10-27
THE OATMAN CASE.
A Card From a Veteran Soldier Ac-
quainted with the Facts-WiIl
President Roosevelt Give it
His Respectful Attention

Edif0y of The .SHUaar Glo5e,
DEAR SIR: see by am article in last Sun
days GLOBE why the late DR.. James j. Oat-
man, late of Co. B, nth Regiment, p X. c.,
was unable TO get his pension according to
Commissioner II Clay Evans letter to
Charles c. Emigh, of Fort Collins. Colo.
that "this claim was rejected In 1880 on the
ground of no record of alleged wound and
no evidence Of its origin in the service and
line of duty, and claimant, with the aid of
special examination, has been unable to
connect same with his military service:v
and that the claim was reopened July J.,
1900, an additional evidence, and was again
sent to the field for special examination.
The evidence obtained on such special ex-
animation showed an entire absence of
merit in the claim for shell wound of head
and the claim was again rejected December
j. 1899, on that ground"
According TO Bates History of Pernsyl-
vania Volunteers, volume ], page 858, Corpl
James ]. Oatman was mustered into service
June 10, 1861 Wounded and prisoner at
Charles City Cross Roads. June 80, 1862
Wounded at Fredericksburg, December I3,
1862, and at Gettysburg July p 1868; pro
noted to corporal October 81, 1868; mus
tered out with company June I3, 1864.
There appears to be a record Of being
wounded and taken prisoner In that engage
meut at least If there is no record in the
Record and Pension Bureau the Commis-
sioner could have found out why that was
so by looking up the testimony on file in this
case in his Office. ] belonged to the COM
pany at that time, aud as the other nine
companies Of the regiment were taken pris-
oner at Gaines Mills, June 27, 1862, and at
the battle of Charles City Cross Roads not
being attached to any command, we did as
General Mead, our brigade commander told
us, TO go i'm on our own hook when a
large part of the company struck ont in
small squads along the line where the fight
ing was going ON, where they could do the
most good. That is why there is no record
by the officers of the company, as most of
them were fighting amongst strange com
mands, and Oatman and bullies amongst the
rest And in regard to evidence-why they
are hanging criminals and sending them to
state prisons right along on less evidence
than there is on file in the Pension Office to
prove Oatmau's shell wound The great
trouble is that the claim would have made
too great a hole in the appropriation, and
that much less to turn back into the treas
ury. ! always thought that the one hun
ured and forty-odd million dollars was for
the express purpose of paying pensions.
Why was it not used for that purpose2
/ don't believe Congress expected any
part ofitto be turned back into the treasury.
There were surely enough unsettled claims
to have used il all and relieved many suffer
ing old veteran or his widows and children.
viii such actions instill any patriotism in
the sons of the old veterans 1t is no
wonder we hear the remark that its nothing
but the d. fool that goes to war. 1 sup
pose some will point to the late Spanish
war to prove the patriotism Of our rising
generation, but let me tell you that there
were many that hunger, an empty stomach,
not knowing where the next meal was
coming from and out of employment and
money, that had as much to do with it as
patriotism.
Mr. II. Clay Evans begs leave to assure
Mr.. Charles c. Emigh that this case has
received unusual consideration, etc" No
doubt that was what killed the case Had
it only received the usual consideration It
might have been all right, but the unusual
did the business, No doubt had it been a
six or eight dollar case il would have gone
through all right Perhaps there would not
have been such solicitude shown sending
it back TO the field as a special case to be
slaughtered
knew DR.. Oatman, He was a good sol
dier and could have gotten his discharge
from that shell wound, but would not take
IT, and was wounded twice after that, and It
is as meritonous a case as ever came before
the Pension Office.
Respectfully
c, SHANBAUGH