The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-04-02
PENSIONS FOR
CIVIL WAR
ENcIN EERS.

Nlulhk ioi p'iiH''hs
ENGINEERS. Tor army locomotive
engineers and fire.
men These bills declare that all per-
sons employed by the auartermaster gen
ersl OF the army or by the authority of
the war department as represented by
army commanders in tho field as engin-
GERS or hremen. and who rendered six
months or more actual service during the
war Of the rebellion, shall be placed on
the pension rolls. This Is a novel pro-
posal - the line Of pension legislation,
but whatever its merits or demerits, It
serves AT least. 10 direct attention TO fea :
tures Of the .civl war that deserve greater
consideration than has ever been given
them, and TO a class of patriotic and
courageous men whose services during
the tremendous civil conflict have never
been fully appreciated nor adequately
requited
During the earlier months of the war
and before regular military lines were
established. engineers and hremen brought
trains through at great personal risk
Later on the operation OF railroads in
the border states became absolutely
necessary 10 the maintenance OF the
armies engaged In combat with an alert
and resourceful FOE. There are still
The times when trains arrived at Wash
ington, at Louisville and at St Louis
bearing the scars made by Confederate
bullets
Man. others will recall the iron shields
attached TO locomotives for the protection
OF engineers and fremen as well as boil
ers against the shots OF daring cavalry
men or guerrilla bands In those early
months Of the civil war engineers and
firemen frequently took their lives in
their hands, and the perils they encoun-
tered were as great as those faced by the
scouts and skirmishers of yhe army Sew
eral important railroads were put under
military control as the war progressed
and locomotives were armor clad for the
protection OF the men operating them
who were expected 10 obey orders as
promptly and willingly as the officers and
enlisted men in the army.
II was with genuine soldierly spirit
engineers and firemen, faced the dangers
too which they were constantly exposed.
ON the long runs between army bases and
the front they never knew at what mo-
ment they would be targets for Con-
federate bullets. or when attempts would
be made TO destroy their trains They
advanced with the army. taking the same
did the marching columns. SO rarely did
they fail TO adequately meet an emer-
gency that General Sherman I'm his
memoirs pays this tribute to their courage
and efficiency: IL am convinced that the
risk OF life to the engineers and men
on the railroads from Nashville TO At
lanta fully equalled that on the skrmish
line. called for as high an order OF cour-
age and fully eaualled 1t In Importance. f"
Unquestionably what was true OF the
railroad between Nashville and Atlanta
was true also OF other railroads under
military control, There were times. too.
when engineers ran short trains 10 the
scene OF battle, picked up the worsted
troops and bore them beyond the danger
line. In brief. the engineers and firemen
OF the civil war were a. brave. as patriotic
and as resourceful as the men who
shouldered muskets, and whether or not
they are granted pensions. tho splendid
service they rendered entities them to the
undying gratitude of the nation