The National tribune., 1907-10-31
THE UNITED STATES VOLUNTEERS.
The Gross Injustice OF Denying ifc
>. Broken Old Men Pensions.

Editor National Tribune: On March
81. 1907. Mr. Jesse r. Wilson. Assistant
Secretary of the Department oil the In
terror, rendered decision in the PEN
sion Department that Is so sweeping in
its effectSas to give it the appearance of
a very remarkable -docunent 1t seems
to exclude any member of 1st, I'd. 80,
4th, 5th and 6fh regiments, u. $. Vols,
from benefits of the Service Pension act
passed by the last Congress.
Mr.. Wilson is quoted as saying that
Congress did not intend TO pension
those who had no connection whatever
with the belligereat operations of the
war. Certainly not, but | Will try to
show that these regiments were con-
nected with the Union armies and we're
counted in the grand total, and equipped
and paid the same as other soldiers, an /
that their services were well rendered
is attested by their being honorably
discharged. their discharges bearing the
words. NO objections to his being re-
enlisted known 10 exist
Mr.. Wilson says the report is going
the rounds that the six regiments We're
the fst. I'd, Sd, 4th. 5th and Sth H..
which he states is a glarirg error. he
is right. The % and Sd regiments were
organized at Rock Island out of the
Military Prison. The order offering them
a chance to enlist was read some time
in September, 1864. The promises made
to the men We're that If they volun-
teered and We're accepted they would
be paid 500 bounty, and that all poll
tical disability would be removed: the
men to be sent to fight the Indians, and
their term of service to be IL months
or the war. This contemplated SER
-
short. This seems to me to tend to
Show the connection with the war. but
further connection may be shown in
taking the oath of service, in which you
were required TO obey any and all COM
missioned officers that may be appoint
ed over you. This seems to show that
these officers had the right to require
any kind of service of these men they
might deem necessary. If this is true,
then the officers could have used these
men anywhere they saw fit. But how
about these appointed officers? What
is their standing? They never had any
political disability, hut must stand
barred If they should have met with
Gen. Custer defeat. Well and good, all
the same. The decision of March 27,
1907, cites the case of George w. Nell
son, who was a member of Co. c, 10Th
La, c. S. A. Well, this is true; but was
he fully pardoned? Was all political
disability removed when he entered the
u. S. Army? If all his rights We're re-
stored on his becoming United States
soldier. what is the difference whether
he was from Louisiana or Germany.
whether he came afoot or horseback?
After the men had gathered in the
rendezvous at Chicago it was found
there was no law authorizing their en-
listmen and from this statement it ap-
pears that some one must have author
lied the enlistment of these six regi-
ments. but where and by whose authors
ty 1 do no. know; but the current re-
ports at the time the I'd and Sd were
organized show that Pennsylvania was
hard pressed to raise her quoto, and
that Judge Pettis, of Pennsylvania, OBJ
tanned authority from, President Lin
coin to raise az many men as he could
out of the rebel prisons. II this is true,
then one man stayed at home in Penn
sylvania for every man enlisted out of
the prisons. Rock Island Prison con-
tanned 81 or Sc barracks inside of the
fence, with a capacity. of 120 men to
the barrack. and at the time the I'd and
Sd regiments were organized they were
full mostly of young men and some
mere boys, who had entered the rebel
army in many cases not from choice,
but because it was the. only course open.
AS far as. known there was not man
III the DIiSOIl WuO Ietu ever IlCiu tiiis
office in the rebel army above the rank
of Orderly-Sergeant, and, of course,
could hardly be held for the acts of
others. The men accepted by the Gov
ernment had to pass rigid medical
examination, which would seem to indi-
cate that, they did not expect the men
to be mere dummies. but reliable, active
soldiers, all of which was authenticated
by their. service. .,l 1.f ,s
W. the trn1tmpnt
of these six ex-rebel regiments with that
accorded the Beers by the British Gov
ernment.st The Beers fought to the last
ditch with a stubbornnesS seldom ever
known before, but when they ran up
the white flag the British said we are
your friends, and the Government will
help you begin business again. That
the British people fulfilled their prom
Use has never been disputed, and now,
after about seven years, all political Cis-
ability has been removed, and King Ed
ward of England has granted free
pardon to Col. Arthur Lynch, who was
convicted of treason in 1908 for fighting
against the British in South Africa. He
was sentenced to death, but this was
commuted to imprisonment for life. In
January, 1904, he was released on Ii
cense. This did not remove his dis
qualifications to sit in Parliament nor
his other disabilities. The pardon wipes
out all of these, and the Colonel may
take the seat in Parliament to which
he was returned by the electors of
County Galway, Ireland, while he was
fighting in the Boer war. This has all
happened since 1901 and 1902 in Eng
land, but here in the United States.
after the war has been over something
like AZ years, we have pension ruling
that blights the last hope of a few old
gray-headed men. Well, may be there
are no Democrats over there. Is the
Pension Office politically out of balance?
The Service Pension act passed by the
last Congress was one of the most lib
eral ever passed, and should give gen.
eral satisfaction if impartially admins
tered. At glance it seemed to include
every man who served in the Union
army during the war of the rebellion
so days or more and who was honor
ably discharged. on attaining the age of
62 years. Proof of service was all; no
medical examination was required; no
attorney practically~invitedt to make the
application. Then why did the Com
missioner find it necessary to refer the
claim of the six regiments to anybody?
For several years, and especially
while the McCumber Service Pension
bill was being considered in Congress,
there was great deal said about the
unknown army that might apply inl
case the McCumber bill nassed, but who
expected TO find six regiments at one
q. hot -at1t out m hnI