The National tribune., 1904-06-02
BOUNTIr3.
EARLY LEGISLATION.

for the raising of So battalions to serve
for the war; offered "a money bounty of
so to each ou-commissiOned officer or
private soldier" and it appears from the
resolution of two days later that before
the date of former resolution bounty
of So had been offered
The act of January 10, 1912, "to raise
an additional military force offered "a
bounty of S1t" to recruits for tive-years
enlistment.
THREE MONTHS MILITIA CALL OF APRIL 10.
1861.
No bounty was offered. nor has any
since been provided for enlistments under
this call.
FIRST CALL FOR THREE-YEARS VOLUNTEERS.
BY proclamation Of May 3, 1861, the
President called for '42.034 volunteers,
to serve for the period of three years I'M
less sooner discharged" General Orders
Nos. II and - of the War Department,
dated May and %, 1861. respectively,
provided that besides certain pay and al
lOwances every volunteer, non-commis-
stoned officer. private, musician and artif-
icer who enters the service under this
plan shall be paid when hon
orably discharged the sum of
500" 1t will be noted that there was no
condition rs to length Of service. Notwith-
standing that the proclamation and the
War Department orders received legal
effect from the act of August 6, 1861.
persons enlisted Hereunder were regarded
as subject to the provisions of the act of
July %. 1861. until the passage Of the act
of April %, 1872, which provided that all
three-years volunteers enlisted into the
military service before July 90. 1861. and
actually mustered into service before
August 6. 1861. should be entitled to the
bounty. if honorably discharged The lat
est provision for three-years volunteers
enlisted before July %. 1861, is the act
of July 20, 1883, which removes the re-
quircment that the soldier must have been
actually mustered into the United States
service before August 6. 1861. 1t provides:
That the act entitled An act in rcla
ton to bounties,' approved April %. 1872.
be amended by striking out the words be
fore August 6. 1861 and said act. as
hereby amended. shall have full force and
effect from April %, 1872.
Sec. 2. That the proper accounting
officers of the Treasury be. and they are
hereby. authorized and directed to recon
slider the claims Of all soldiers and their
heirs who may have been denied the boun-
ty Of 500 granted by the act of April -.
1872 under any construction Of said act
which has been modified or rescinded. and
such claims shall, if found correct and
just. be allowed and paid, provided the
soldiers were enrolled or enlisted for three
years prior to July %. 1861. under the
proclamation Of the President of the
United States of May 3, 1861. and til"
orders Of the War Department issued in
pursuance thereof. and were actually mus
tered into the service of the United States
and honorably discharged"
Those enlisted for during the war. he
fore the date mentioned, are regarded rs
entitled; and discharge to accept promo
ton is now regarded as Il sufficient dis
.st1. fl,1 I,,.
The above is not an additional bounty.
1t is an original bounty due only to those
thrce-years volunteers enlisted before
July 90. 1861. who did not receive and
are not entitled to receive the original
bounty OF 500 allowed by the act Of July
ID. 1861. having been discharged before
two years service for reasons other than
the close Of the war or wound or injury
incurred in line Of duty.
T1IREE-YEARs VOLUNTEERS UNDER ACT or
july %. 1861.
The act Of July 22. 1851. authorized the
acceptance Of "voIunteers not
exceeding 100000" to he enlisted for
terms mot exceeding three wears nor less
than six months and provided that "cv-
cry volunteer. non-commissioned officer.
private. musician. and artifcer. who en-
tiers IT," service of the United States under
this act shall he paid if he shall
have served for a period Of two years. or
during the war, if sooner ended, the sum
of S10O."
This law covered all volunteer three
years cnl.StmertS from July 90. 1862. to
December %. 1863. inclusive into new or
ganizatiors. and from July 90, 1861. to
October %, 1863, inclusive, into old or
CARNATIONS.
DISCHARGE FOR WOUND IN BATTLE
The act of March 3. 1863. provided
1,,t iC,c-i,, ,c.I
private. or other person who has been or
shall hereafter he discharged from the
Army of the United States within two
years from the date of their enlistment By
reason Of wounds received in battle. shall
he entitled to receive the same bounty as
is granted or may be granted to the same
CLASSES OF persons who are discharged
after Il service of two years: and all acts
and parts of acts inconsistent with this
are hereby repealed"
DISCHARGE FOR WOUND IN LINE OF DUTY
The act Of March ,. 1860, provides:
''Scc. t. And be it further enacted.
That every non-commissioned officer. pr-
vatr. or other person. who has been, or
shall hereafter he. discharged from the
Army of the United States by reason of
wounds received in battle. on skirmsh on
picket. or in action, or in the line of duty.
shall he entitled to receive the same boun-
ty as if he had served out his full term:
and all acts and parts of acts inconsistent
with this are hereby repealed"
The law doeS not in terms declare any
thing else than wounds to be such Il
disabling cause of discharge as gives title
to bounty: but the word is understood in
the sense of injuries. hurts or other dam
age. as contradSinguished from disease
or sickness FIoStbte, if it causes the ac-
tnal loss, or loss of use. of a member of
the body: deafness. varicOcele and orchitis
if caused by external violence: hernia: in
jury by Il stroke of lightning: lameness
produced by Il sprain of the back ard
Sunstroke. are among the causes of dsa-
hi.i;y regarded as wounds" within the
meaning of the law.
The soldier must have been actually dis
charged by:ireason of the wound If dis
charged for two more causes, one of
which was, 4 wound" the wound of it.
self must Lave,heen sufficient to justify a
discharge in order to give title to bounty
As. for insfaIrce. in case a man were dis
charged hacaiJSe of loss of right thumb
and rheumatism. the loss of the thumb of
itself being regarded as sufficient cause for
discharge he would be entitled to the
bounty. IT, discharged for II self-nfiictcd
wound" or for one incurred in service
under n previous enlistment. he is not en-
titled. Nor,is lie entitled If discharged for
any disability which existed before his en-
listment into the service. unless he had
served two years. The hourly is paid in
such cases the principle that the cause