Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-27

AOE NnG W ar department
There isn't a genuine old soldier of the
Civil War nor a youngster Of the Spanish
picnic but who susta:ns President Roosevelt
in his vetoiug of bills restoring bounty
jumpers and deserters to the rolls Of honor
ably discharged veterans, as a principle.
There are, no doubt, exceptional cases of
deserving men who are entitled to have
their records of "desertion" or other inius-
tice recdfed. But they must be and are
few indeed, and considering the probabili-
ties that there are any such, the ex-soldiers
of all the wars Civil, Spanish and Filipino,
approve of the general policy of ending this
yearly Congressional grind" of bills for
their restoration by the Presidential veto.
The President has seen only the safe fringe
of war, but even his little experience in the
tented field" admOnishes him that there is
a ,dis) respectable per cent of coffee
coolers, " 'hukers" and general worthless
cusses and disreputable uniformed towards
misuamed soldiers in every army. And in
the enormous army the North placed in the
field from 1861 to 1865 it is small wonder
that there were thousands of these types OF
alleged soldiers.
"A
Gently in this city which will illustrate the
end we are driving at, viz, the total cessa-
ton of Congressional special pension bills
and restoration to the rolls of bounty
jumpers and deserters. For special pen
sion bills during the regime of Mr.. Evans
there was ample cause, but under the ad-
-ninistration of an honest soldier who has
seen service we may reasonably look for
ward TO fair treatment for all whose claims
are legitimate and meritOrious. The case of
fraud we are about to recite came TO the
surface ia the examination of the nles in
the Auditors Office of the War Department.
II appears that young lady playing an
engagement at one of our local theatres
formed a speaking acquaintance with one
armed veteran at the dining table Of the
hotel. Having ascertained that he lost his
arm in the war and that he was receiving
pension, the young lady said
my father fought all through the war
and neither got bounty, pay or pension"
The veteran expressed surprise and in-
formed the young lady that all volunteer
soldiers in the Civil War received and were
entitled to the bounty paid by the Federal
Government
Well, my father never got penny. He
is old and helpless now aud is dependent on
what send him from my salary" ret9rted
the young lady. Whereupon the one-armed
veteran, who is friend Of the Auditor for
the War Department promised there and
then to look into the case. He instructed
the young lady to write to her father aud
ascertain his regiment company and SER
giee and he would do the rest.
In two weeks the veteran received letter
from the young actress iuclosing one from
f.e -fe H.tk IA
-- -, and regiment, the Fifty-sev-
enth Pennsylvania, and his services, which
were indeed long and creditable. The one
armed veteran with benevolence and sol
dierly comradeshlp intent hied him to his
friend, the auditor, and presented the letters
Of the actress and her father.
"All right" said the auditor, and touch
ing bell, one Of his clerks appeared whom
he ordered to bring from the files the record
of -- -, of the Fifty-seventh Penn
sylvania. The eelerity with which the pack
age was produced astonished even the one
armed veteran. as it did not take three
minutesl When one considers the fact that
there were millions of enlisted men, it is
indeed amazing that on the designation of
name and regiment the record of any sol
dier of the Civil War can be produced
almost at the drop of a hat
The record of the actress father was in
,spected with the following result
Enlisted in Fifty seventh Pennsylvania
was taken prisoner and confined in Libby
prison Enlisted in the Confederate Army
and served in that army until taken prisoner
by the command, of which his own regi.
ment formed part. Tried by court-martial
and sentenced TO be shot. Pardoned by
President Lincoln, and restored to duty.
Served in the Union Army a few months
and deserted rejoining his Confederate
regiment with which he served until the
final surrender at Appomattox.
In the pigeon box containing this soldiers
entire record was that portion of the Con-
federate archives relating to his case! Thus
in few minutes the entire war history of
this soldier who never received pension or
bounty was laid bare and the one-armed
veteran who had interested himself in the
case because Of the actress daughter OF the
ex-Coufed, ex-Yank and deserter felt not
only cheap, but indignant.
In writing TO the actress, however, he
very considerably restrained this iudigna-
tion and simply informed her that her
father received everything he was entitled
20 from Uncle Sam
There IL no doubt whatever but that the
young lady was honest enough in believing
her father entitled 70 the pension and
bounty given 10 others aud that she was in
entire ignorance Of his dishonorable career
in the service Of his country. The old chap,
II may be assumed, took special care In re-
latipg his war experiences 10 conceal from
his daughter and all others his disreputable
record as a soldier And in his ignorance
Of the perfect system with which lthe war