The Washington times., 1901-10-28
KEEPING ARMY RECORDS.
l nportant Bureau Work Reviewed
by General AinswOrth.
Ei,. Report Tells of Nearly 100000
Gases Disposed Of-PenSion. Re
muster, Dc-crtion, and Medal of
Honor Applications Acted Upon.


( The annual report of Brig. Gen. +.
{. AinsWorth, chief of The Record and
Pension OFfcc of the War Department,
/ made to the Secretary of War, shows that
! total Of lSl.gS2 cases were received and
/ disposed Of during the year ended June
! 20, l9ai. From the Pension Office the
/ number received was l03 80: from the
! Aulitoe OF the War Department, 32,52G:
! rcTauster cases, 1.7i0; doscrtion cases,
/ 2iiT. ana miscS llaneous cases, 1853 This
record shows "A reduction over the num-
| ler of cases Of the preceding year. Upon
| this point General Ainsworth says:
rs was to be expected from the large
| influx Of cases Immediately following the
muster out Of tine Spanish war volunteers,
| the reduction is largely in the number
of calls from The Commissioner Of Pen
sious and the Auditor for the War De
| partratrt for information from the rec
ores icr ESQ i'm the adjudication Of claims
! on account of service during the war
with Spain.
| "Cf the 1896 pension cases referred to
in the statistical table S4,235 were calls
| from the Commissioner of Pensions for
/ the military histories of officers and en-
| listed men in service during the civil
war or other wars preceding the war with
! Srain, or for specific information relative
to their service or that OF the organiza-
| tions to which they belonged, and 1861
| We-c calls from the same official for sim
| liar reports relative to officers and sol
| diers of the Spanish war and the organ
| iZatyns IN which they served. The cases
| received from the Auditor for the War
| Department embraced 173SS calls for mil
! iiary histories, or for information relat-
| ing to service preceding the war with
| Spain, and 1513S relating to service in
| that war
I Although the number of cases received
| during the year was less than the receipts
for the fiscal year 1890 the number was
fully up to the average for preceding
years. ana by reason of the new questions
| arising in connection with the status Of
officers and enlisted men of the Spanish
war volunteers. the administrative work
| of the Office was not diminished.
As usual since the organization of the
Record and Pension Office the public bust
ness has been promptly despatched, near
I y 80 per cent Of the cases received during
the fiscal year having been disposed of
within twenty-four hours from the time
they reached the office, and at the close
of business hours on the Goth Of June not
one case remained unacted upon.
Under the head of remuster are classed
the cases arising under the act Of Con-
gress approved February "a. 1897, to pro-
vide for the relief Of certain officers and
enlisted men of the volunteer forces This
act which is the last Of series of similar
enactments. provides for the payment Of
volunteer officers of the ciyil war for
services rendered under their commits
sions. under certain conditions, or which
they were prevented from rendering by
reason Of casualties Of the service. 1t
also provides for the recognition Of the
rank conferred upon them by their com
missions and gives 10 them and their
heirs the peusionabIc status accruing from
service in the grades as Of which rccog-
milton is extended.
a reduced number Of this class OF
cases was received during the last fiscal
year, from which it may reasonably be
inferred that the benefits of the act have
been applied in a majority Of the cases
. it was intended to reach II may be re
ma ed that the conditions rendering
necessary the legislation referred To were
peculiar to the civil war and that similar
( legislation is not necessary for the relief
OF volunteer officers in service during the
Spanish war and the Philippine insur-
rection.
The 'desertion cases referred to in the
statistical table consist almost exclusive
l. of applications for removal of the
charge Of desertion under the provisions
Of the act Of Congress approved March 2
1859. and the acts amendatory tEerof:
These acts relate only TO regular and
volunteer soldiers Of the civil war
and the war with Mexico. and
have no application to service
under more recent cnllstnents. Dc
sertion cases, which have numbered many
thousands in the past. are Crdduaily di-
minishing in number, ard large per
ceEtage Of those now presented are but
.|agusaH E4f
which have been repeatedly denied All
ui these cases. However. require careful
consideration and administrative action
and involve The expenditure Of much time
and labor in their adjudication.
But few applications for removal Of
the charge of desertion have as set been
presented 10y members OF the Spanish
war volunteers or the more recently dis
banded ro ogiments. There is. indeed, no
law under which such applications cen
be considered. and II is a well-est&blishtd
rule Of the Departme nt that. IN the alb
sence OF legislation requiring it. the War
Department cannot accept cy parte teStI-
mony to invaiidate the records OF dis
banded organizations I'm eases where the
records do not themselves afford reasons
for questioning their accuracy.
The consideration Of applica tions for
the award of the Congressional medal Of
honor to officers and enlisted men OF the
volunteer forces forms a part Of the bust
ness of the Record and Pension Office.
General Ainsworth gives brief history
Of the general subject of the issue OF
medals Of honor and similar decorations.
The Congressional medal Of honor is
but one OF several de decorations that have
been authorized or issued at various times
during and since the close OF the civil
war. As early as June 6, 1851. resolu-
ton was adopted by the Chamber OF
Commerce Of the State Of Ne" York
ordering the execution Of a series Of
medals of proper character to be pre-
scntcd to each officer, commissioned
officer and soldier engaged In The de-
fence of Fort Sumter and Fort ilckens
in the month of MAY, 1861, and on NO
vennhor 29 1k62. at meeting Of officers
representing the regiments which had
served under Mai. Gen. Philip hearny,
resolution was ahoptGh tT9r or ihe
purpose Of procuring a medal IN ms
honor" to be presented to al! officers ana
soldiers who should be pfomotr" TO the
grade OF commissioned oftcor previous TO
January I, 1863" and who had honor
ably served in battle under General
| Eearny In his division, and whose mill
tary records were without stain. This
medal was designated the kearny
medal -" and was to be presented upon the
written order of the presiding member
or secretary of the committee having
an order was issued by Brig. Gen.
u. y. Birney, cOmma nding the First
Division, Third Army Corps, dnnounc-
| ing that a cross Of valor. also known
as the "Koarny cross would be he
1 slowed upon such commissioned Off
GERS and privatos of that division ~ had
most distinguished themselves In battle.
| On December H. 1863, while the civil
war was IN progress, a special gold
medal was awarded by Congress to
Major General Grant, with the thanks Of
that body to the general and to the Off
GERS and soldiers who fought under his
command, for their galaniry and good
conduct in battle, and on January ., 1864,
Z gold medal was awarded by Congress
TO Cornelius Vanderbilt, I'm consideration
OF the gift to the Government Of the
steamship bearing his name.