The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-19

tpr southern cause an SiNIes.
COmmissiOner Lindsey Writes ~
Am sorry"
81 am sorry for this poor fellow
Pension Commissioner Lindsey.
Denied the shelter of his boyhood
home in the North, because he fought
for the South and the cause of the six
ties; denied the friendship of his old
friends for the same reason; unable to
earn a livelihood because in his old
age paralysis has, disableE&im; home
less. friendless. and aloIe, Dewitt
Bruyn of Savannah. and an old Con-
federate soldier, has been denied
pension because the only man who can
testify to certain facts necessary I'M
der the law is dead.
Seventy-four years ago Dewitt
Bruyn was born in Ithaca. N. Y, of
good family and well-to-do. There he
spent his boyhood and there he studied
for his profession, that of an architect
and civil engineer. There, he would
have lived always. had it not been
that the justice of the Southern cause
drew him here.
In 1850. then a young man just in
his prime, he saw that war between the
states was inevitable. The principles
for which the South stood appealed to
him, and with the armies of the Con-
federacy he cast his fortunes. He
came to Savannah and enlisted with
the PhG@nix Rifles, under Capt. George
A. GordSn. and was stationed at Fort
Pulaski.
Served Through the War.
Friends in the North wrote to him
to come back and join his brothers in
the Federal army. He refused. His
brothers and father begged him to fight
with them and not against them. He
declined to leave his adopted home.
Then came the threat of disinherit-
ance and the denial of the parental
roof, but he refused even for this TO
give up what his conscience told him
was the right. Then came a letter for
bidding him his home and telling of
hate taking the place of friendship.
Undaunted, Dewitt Bruyn served
through the war. For time he was
with the Second Georgia. Then he was
transferred to the Forty-seventh Geor-
gia- He served with Gen. Joseph Z.
Johnson and with Gen. Hardee in all
parts of the South. He took part in
many battles and established a record
for bravery. In 1865, when there was
no longer a Confederate army in the
field, he was mustered out of service
at Chester, S. c. Then he returned to
assist in upbuilding the land for which
he had fought.
Disabled by Paralysis.
His profession came to his aid, and
he opened an architectural and stone
cutting office on Bay street, between
Bull and Whitaker. Here 1t was he
worked, earning a comfortable liveli-
hood and always doing what he could
to assuage the sufferings of those less
fortunate comrades who had lost
everything in the struggle of the six
ties. Those who have known him best
testify that never was there word of
complaint at his lot. He had done his
best and was satisfied.
A few years ago, when past the
seventy-year mark, paralysis disabled
him, and his only means of livelihood
were taken from him. Then only did
he ask the state for which he had
fought for aid. He applied to. the
Court of Ordinary for a pension, ask
ing just enough to provide him food
and shelter for his last years.
Efforts in His Behalf.
because the man VINO mad served
with him through all the years of the
war was dead, veterans and Judge
McAlpin saw there would be a flaw in
the pension application. To his aid
went everyone who knew of his plight
The officers of the Confederate Vete-
rams Association made afidavits that
he was the man he said he was and
that when he Joined their camp the
man who was needed to make the APP
,1f, ft1v, Il
testified to Veteran Bruyns record.
Members of the camp who knew him
best drew up the story of his life, of
his loss of home and friends for the
cause which he knew was right; of his
good citizenship and of his helpless
condition. This was signed by vete-
rams of the highest standing.
Judge McAlpin took a personal in
terest in the matter and wrote a
lengthy letter to the pension commits
sioner pleading for the pension. He
| told the pathetic story, beautiful In its
| devotion to principle, in a heartfelt
manner. He closed by asking that
the one technical defect be overlook
| ed.
Commissioner Is Sorry.
Yesterday came the word that the
pension could not be granted. owing
to this defect. The sadly beautiful
commissioner, and for the first time in
his life he commented on the case
with the brief but significant sentence,
II am sorry for this poor fellow"
The full return of the Pension Com
missioner Mr.. ]. w. Lindsey, Is, 1.-The
law provides that applicant must state
clearly in his claim for pension the
company and regiment in which he
served and was discharged therefrom,
and no lflngf pfOVa his otafarnQnfq nv
at least one witness. Hearsay infor-
nation and belief will not answer for
positive evidence. l am sorry for this
poor fellow
Many of the present generation will
remember Mr.. Bruyns place OF business
on Bay street and the kindly old SOL
der who built boats for them to sail
in miniature ponds and oceans, and
who told them stories of the struggle
| Of the iRn,a