The Washington times., 1906-08-25
PENSION REFUSED
ON POINT OF LAW
Civil War Veteran Had Been
Declared Legally
Dead.
LEFT ON THE BATTLEFIELD
Pension Commissioner Warner Relates
Story With Which He Was
Connected.

Several days ago the attention OF Com
missioner of Pensions Fespasian Warner
was called 10 a story Of John Brady
an ALLEGED civil war veteran who had
for years taken great delight in deco
rating a mound in a cemetery IN Flush
ing. Mass. under which he was sup
posed to be sleeping the slumbers OF a
martyr The story further stated that
Brady had been refused a pension by
Mr.. Warner because he was considered
dead. having been reported so al the
War Department.
Commissioner Warner laughed over
the story and said il reminded him OF
an actual case of man being reported
dead and encOuntering difficulty in get
ting a pension because he had been Sc
ported as killed.
The Commissioner Story.
II was first lieutenant in Company Z.
Twentieth Illinois Infantry" said Mr..
Warner between pu1s on his perIeCto.
In my command was a man named
Thomas c. Clark, a strapping big fell
low, clever Wit and good. husky soldier.
There was one thing peculiar about
him. however, and that was the way
his body. shoulders in particular. seemed
TO swing from side TO side like pen
dulum when he marched.
I'VE were ordered 20 shiloh in 62 and
hurried there, A bloody battle was
fought Clark and / were both shot,
He took his i'm the pit of the stomach,
j preferred mine in the leg where IL
could be tished out easily ana without
so much pain. j was carried OF the
field in an ambulance and here l am
now as bright and Chipper as three
year-old. Clark was left on the neid
for dead He was reported 70 the mrs.
sergeant as having been killed. and on
the report the next morning Clark S
name appeared among those who died
in performance Of his duty.
Wanted to Be Identified.
About fifteen or eighteen years later
4 received a letter from man signing
his name as Thomas c. Clark 1t
sounded familiar. and for hours / knit
my brow and thought my hardest, but
I could not place Clark. In his letter
he said ne was In my company at Shiloh
and was left IN the field 20 die Clark
stated that he had no intention OF dy-
ing but with a shot i'm his stomach, he
crawled across the fields 10 road where
he was picked up by a passing ambu-
lance and carried 10 the hospital 10 ole.
He refused to die there, SO they shipped
him down to Mound city. SJlI refusing
TO die. Clark hung on 10 his little
thread OF life and was sent to Louis
llama. thence 10 St. Louis, and aTteTWard
fwormed his way around to Green Val
ley. where he wrote his letter 20 m,
ssking for an affidavit to the effect that
he had served In my company and was
etill IN the land Of the living. 1 wrote
TO the War Department in regard 10 q
pension. but they told me that I was
dead said Clark. kindly let me have
your oath that L am alive.
Veteran Finally Turns Up.
Il informed the man that I would be
glad TO remember him and furnish the
necessary affidavit. but was unable "a
recall him to mind. i suggested that he
call at my office In Clinton, Ill, and
might be able to recognize him.
For several years ! heard no more
from the man. one summer day while
standing in the door Of my Office ] saw
a man stroll up 20 another and ask a
question The man who put the query
had his back 20 me. and when sa"
him walk / recognized those swinging
shoulders II was Clark I rushed out
10 meet him. and one look satisfied me
that I had guessed right. Clark was
furnished with the aff1daVlt, and he was
legally declared alive. He drew RAJ
pensiOn for ten years, that i know Of
and If he isn't dead sure enough he is
drawing It yet