The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-26

/ arranged that the soldiers should not be
paid until they were within the re.
stralnlng and protecting influence OF
their own homes. The soldiers. their
pay in their pockets, would certainly
| have deserted in shoals in the delays
at rendezvous and camps. and most of
them would have been easy prey for
the crowds Of sharpers which gathered
at every point, hoping that payday
would put the men in their power. This
Reorganization was prevented by max
ing payday the last day in the process
of disbandment. The matter was the
more important because the sum to be
distributed was so large, The Army of
the Potomac has not been paid since
December 81. 1864. Sherman s and
Thomas S armies not since August, 1864
There were bountles coming to many
men and officers. The aggregate amount
paid out to 100000 men discharged by
November 18th was about S270 900 900.
Thus 1T was that though a man
reached his State camp pepniless he
found himself free a few days later
with comfortable sum in his pocket.
The first use he made Of his money in
most cases was to buy the arms he had
carried through his service. These arms
belonged to the government and were
to be deposited in the State arsenals
unless bought by the men. Many pre-
ferred to do this, and so. with knapsack
on his back, musket in hand. the SOL
dies presented himself at last at his own
home door.
Leave Rendezvous
It was on Nav %, as has been stated,
that the first soldiers left their rendez-
vous. By August 7. General Vincent
was able to report S40,S06 volunteers
mustered out; by September IA, 741 .l07; /;
by November IS, SO0,963; by February
l5, 1866, 952.452.
In nine months practically the whole
force of volunteers had been returned
to their homes. The disbandment had
been accomplished so easily, so quickly,
that the country had hardly realized
what was going on. General Grant did
not say too much when, in October, he
wrote Mr.. Stanton that 100000 men
had passed from the army TO civil life
so quietly that it was scarcely known
"save by the welcome to their homes
received by them. -
And yet this feat, which at the time
passed UNDECIDED, was the greatest feat
in handling men which this or any gov
ernment has ever performed, It's sue
cess was due primarily to the fact that
the administration, instead Of organic.
ing new bureau for the work and fill
ing 1T with experienced men. used the
trained men it had on hand in the de-
partment which had been mastering
men into the army; secondly, to the fact
that the reversing of the great engines
of the mUstering.in bureau took place
at once, and from the beginning to the
end of disbandment the great Napoleon
JIG war rule-tlme is eyerythiug-Was
vigorously enforced
What followed was even more won
derful
The soldier was at home, and now,
according TO all prophets, the country
must see trouble AS soon as the order
to dishand the volunteers had gone
forth, the North had begun to ask it
self what they were going TO do with
the million men about To inundate them
Those of the country who took fore.
thought, who knew the history of peo-
pies who had studied the phenomena
of population, looked with foreboding
on the coming deluge, They recalled
that after the Napoleonic wars France
was alive with beggars and cripples,
that the end OF the Thirty Years War
filled Germany with marauding bands of
that the close of the italian
wars made Italy unsafe for travel The
newspapers began TO warn and ad
wise. Police departments increased their
asked the War Department for troops
to keep the disbanded soldiers in order
Vet by November, 100000 men had been
and nothing had happened
The men seemed to disappear: what
had become of theml
All Wanted Work.
As matter Of ract, the men had
gone TO work, The soldier of 1865 did
not ask to be coddled He was man
ly, matter-offact individual, who, hav-
ing done his best Mt fighting, and hav-
ing enjoyed it for the most part. came
home, the job done, with ORC idea in
his mind-to get another. He had not |
begun to estimate how much the coun-
try owed him. he had no stomach for !
and he wanted work He |
took of his blue coat, hung up his knap. |
sack and musket, and went out TO
hunt n Job. -
In his digni6cd task he had the coun.
try with him. From the time that the
order for disbandment was made pub
lie, the North had been discussing its
OWN duty to the returned soldiers.
Gradually the people had made up their
minds 10 certain things; the soldier
must never be allowed to become n
Dauper. If disabled. he must have p
pension, If he could work. lie must do
go, anu NoEh HIhst n' pToNldcu Tor MN
n preference to other men, This was
o he the country Is reward to him-to
SEQ that he got work, steady work, and
1T once. To the carrying out of these
principles il gave its whole mind The
disabled were already in the care of the
Pension Office, the roll in the summer
If 1865 being about $4,000 $4,000 of
whom were soldiers. The appropriation
,or these $4,000 pensions amounted to
,ver 100000, and tho Tribune in
OF the figures, estimated
hat when all the pensions arising from
he war should have been paid the
mount would be about $l3,000,0O0 nm.
,ually,
The invalids disposed Of there was
lice task in finding work for the semi