New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-13
MEN NOT REASONABLE.
IN Explanation Made By the In
terror Department.
(From Tho Tribune Bureau.I

[From Tho Tribune Bureau.l
Washington June 1.-THE announcement that
a large number Of -ansions were being refused
and numerous pensioners stricken from the rolls
because of a ruling that in order TO benefit by
the service pension act veterans must have act
ually served in the Civil War, active service
distinguished from on furlough. which was
made exclusively in these dispatches of June D.
has led 10 the following comprehensive and cor
roborative explanation being given out at the
Department Of the Interior:
Under the general law any soldier who served
ably discharged and is disabled by wounds received
or disease contracted in the line Of duty IN sucn
service, Is pensionabe regardless OF the length OF
Under the act Of 1892 any soldier who served in
ninety days honorably discharged, and since
own vicious habits. has become in any degree
able TO earn his support by manual labor Is en-
Under the act Of February 6 1897, any soldier who
served in the federal army In the Civil War ninety
pension at the rate of So a month after he has
after ne has arrived the age of seventy, and sd
month after he is seventy-tive years old. on &C
1t will be noted that under the general law
soldier is pensionable because Of wounds or dis
ease contracted by him In the line of duty in the
service regardless of the length of his service that
ties not due to his own vicious habits occurring
ninety days in the civil Var and was honorabIy
discharged. and that under the McCumber act he
in the Civil War and honorably discharged.
1t Is not necessary that the soldier served in the
same organization the ninety days that he had
sum total Of his services II he had more than one
enlistment is ninety days which satisfies the re-
qurements OF the law. but the service or services
It appears from the ' offoal records that in 1861
ment; which was atterWard designated as the Doth
Illinois Infantry mechanic Fusillers): that he
Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin upon fraudulent
promises that they would receive than the
kinds OF services as skilled Iaborers. mechanics
cation rendezvoused at Chicago. but upon learning
Of the deception and fraud Practised in their en-
be mustered in. Upon a consideration Of all the
facts facts in the case directions were given by the
out Of service infantry. and. in accordance with
regiment were mustered in and out Of service as
infantry various occasions between January Is
OF rendezvous and never having performed any
actual service IN the CtHi war Pa1, on me con
dteTs and become a part OF the federal army
9th United states Volunteers were Confederate prs
oners and enlisted for frontier service alone with
a distinct understanding that they were not TO De
sent South to meet in battle their recent cOmpan-
tRe IN Rs af Rs9 fee have had 9n
days service in the Ciyil War in the Army OF the
"iG riI gH Ss TUG +b p PSasisssnt caIsd for ~ 90
promptly filled by enlIstments. The men, assembling
by companies mustered into the service for
n term OF three months and the companies
signed 20 regiments with designated numbers Many
Of these regiments remained AT their places OF
rendezvous IN their respective states, and never
drilling and preparing 10 perform the duties OF sol
dieTs from forty TO seventy days, Wnen II was
found that It would not be advisable 10 attempt to
them in actual service IN the Civil War their
enistments being for short time, and the Pres-
dent In June 1851. called for 5000 volunteers for
for three months were asked TO volunteer and en-
three years, their regiments being organized
regiments. instead OF three months regtments, and
to their credit a great majority OF those three
months volunteers stood by their guns ana taelr
country, and not only promptly enlisted FOR three
years, but later. after more than two years OF
soldier life. with all its dangers and hardships.
small proportion of the Mechanic FusIiers and
a small proportion Of those three months men re-
Mechanic Fusiliers were mustered in and mustered
out substantially on the same day. the three
months men, who refused 70 enlist for three years
after having been drilled. fed and clothed by their
their home states from forty to seventy days were
given furloughs for the remainder OF the three
months for which they had enlisted ana returned
10 their homes and civil pursuits never afterward
reportina or serving. and while their country was
soreIy in need OF and begged for more soldiers
until the last days Of the war, giving large oounes
steadily refused TO lift hand to help
None of them served one day In the civil War
front and they now ask the government they
refused to aid in time OF need to support them
department that on their records they are not
pensionable. and il would seem that the holding
of the department is correct and Just. They GER
tainly have neither legal nor an equitable claim
against the government
i'm the Civil War and were honorably discharged
are entitled to a pension under the law Those
least ninety days In its time OF need are not en-
titled 10 a pension, and one would think they
should be interested in a profound silence as to
their military records and their claims as soldiers
~ the country