The National tribune., 1902-03-27

high honors In 1856 he was given
years leave of absence and came to tn
United States with young wife. Nine
Turchin was the daughter of an aristo
cratic family and had been well educated
The two young people liked the Unitet
States and concluded to remain here. Col
| Turchin attempted to resign his position
in the Russian army, but in reply received
notice that he had been declared absen
without leave, and that the estates ant
records of himself and wife had been con
| fiScated by the Government.
At the breaking out of the civil war tht
Russian Colonel was an engineer in charge
| of construction of the Illinois Central Rail
| road The construction gangs were a
AIattoOn when Lincoln's first call fol
| troops echoed through the country. Tur
chin resigned his position with the rail
| road company and enlisted for service witt
the Illinois Volunteers. He was commits
| stoned Colonel of the 10Th ILL.,, and he and
his men. having only muskets for arma
ment, We're detailed TO guard duty at
Palmyra, Mo.
Here Turchin clashed with the War De
partment. lie levied on the country
around him for supplies, taking rations,
horses and equipment, and issuing youch-
ers. His regiment broke up the Confed-
crate enlistments; but Gen. Pope preferred
L
mont talked with Col Turchin and tore
up Gen. Pope's charges.
Mrs. Turchin was with her husband.
She went with him to Pilot Knob, Mo-,
then into Kentucky, and she had started
with the regiment for Washington when
the train went through bridge that had
been wrecked near Fincennes on Sept. II,
1861. Twenty-seven men were killed and
106 were injured in this accident. and as
bn SrnpH pf
chin tore up all but the dress she wore,
making bandages for the wounded.
Instead of going to Washington the reg
iment went to Elizabethtown, Ky, and
Gen. Buell. made Col. Turchin the chief
officer to Gen. Mitchell. Turchin captured
Bowling Green and planned and carried
ont the raid, capturing the Memphis IL
Charleston Railroad from Decatur to
Bridgeport.
As a Brigadier- General under Buell.,
Turchin's troops had poor rations and were
ordered to forage Buell. had Turchin and
his Colonels court-martialed, and while the
trial was pending Gen. Turchin, at Hunts
vile, received a telegram from Mr.. Wat
son. Assistant Secretary of War:
I'VE are advised that Gen. Buell., in
stead of guarding his communications, is
court-martialing good, loyal officers, and
thought it unadvisable to send Brigadier-
Generals commission to Huntsville, but
have sent it to Chicago"
After Gen. Turchin's death this tele-
gram was found among his effects. But
on Aug. 10, 1862, he was 'dishonOrably
His commission as Briga-
der General had taken effect on July II,
1862, but acceptance was not filed until
Sept. 1, 1862 Coming North, Chicago
gave the cashiered soldier demonstration
and afterward Turchin served with Rose
Grams and Garfield, organizing military di-
visions and fighting at Chattanooga, Chick
amauga, Missionary Ridge, and in nearly
every battle of the Atlanta campaign.
Finally, just before the close of the war,
he had to leave the army on account of
illness.
For a while he and his wife lived in
Kenwood. He was immigration agent for
the Illinois Central Railway, and as such
one of his greatest efforts was in founding
a colony of Polanders at Radon, Ill. Soon
he moved to Radon, and sew
araI years ago he and his aged wife were
in actual want.
REFUSED A PENSION.
In their distress the General applied for
/ pension, but the 'dishOnOrable dis |
,harge" of the Department stood against |
aim. Finally Senator j. +. Foraker, who |
was in Gen. Turchin's Brigade, took up |
he pension matter, and by special act |
he pension was granted in January, 1901. |
Before this aid came the old man had |
,een to,sed to earn a living by playing
he violin in public. On April Q, 1901, |
however, he was adjudged insane, and on
Iune IS he died. The Grand Army Post
It Nashville, H., had charge of the fu-
leral, and southern Illinois comrades, with
he 18th Illinois Club, of Chicago, raised
money for the burial.
Widowed and in need, Mrs. Turchin
pent her last money to prove her love
md loyalty to the memory of her husband.
Then J. L. Davenport, Acting Commits
ioner Of Pensions, refused to pay the
GENERALS pension to Mrs. Turchin be-
ause proofs Of their marriage could not
,e produced. 1t was through Col. L.
Of Nashville, ILL.,, that this
money finally was drawn from the Pen
ion Department, and when application
vas made for a pension for the widow,
he "dishonorable discharge" again was in
he way. Under date of Aug. %, 1901,
1. Clay Evans, Commissioner of Pen
ions, wrote to Mrs. Turchin:
Your above-cited claim for pension un-
er the date of June q, 1900, is rejected
N the ground of no title, the soldier not
aying received an honorable discharge
rom all enlistments for service during the
var of the rebellion"
Grand Army men took up the cause OF
he widow, and when the corrected record,
one by act of Congress, was forced upon
he attention of the Pension Bureau, the
department. asked for proof of marriage
0 Gen. Turchin. Mrs. Turchin, old and
rnubled, had forgotten dates. Affidavits
soldiers would not do. Russian records
ad been destroyed. Witnesses to the GER
mony were scattered or dead.
SENATOR FoRAKER's EVIDENCE.
The Department had won, when Sen
tor Foraker, after writing a letter inclOs-
* S100 TO Mrs. Turchin, wrote letter
D the Commissioner of Pensions:
Dear Sir: l herewith inclose n com
addressed to me by number :
T citizens of the State Of Illinois, among
hem the Hon. John G. Black, in behalf
{ a pension for the widow of the late
len. Jonu -. Turchin. | served in Gen.
'urchin's Brigade. He was pensioned
hortly before his death by special act of
ongresS, which | introduced. All the ,
lattcrs referred to in this letter were
one over III connection with that legisla-
on. The Congress by favorable action
assed Judgment that should be conclusive
nd binding. Mrs. Tgrcbin, the present
ppllcant, accompanied Gen. Turchin Oh
is campaigns. | knew her as his wife,
nd every man who belonged to his bri-
ade admired her as much as they ad-
ired the General. She was with him
instantly i'll the field, shared with him all
le privatIons of the camp and all the dam
crs of~battle. She ought to have q pen
on for her personal services, but surely
lere ought not TO be any question about
ranting her pension as the widow of
en. Turchin. | account it a shameful
iSgracp TINT this uoor old yynman tho