The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-06-13
RECENT PENSION DECISIONS.

Wilson, Assistant Secretary of the De-
partment of the Interior. The article
| in question seems to refer to two de-
cisions. one made in January on the
case of William H. Newport, formerly
in Co. C, seth Ill. (Mechanic Fusi-
leers). He was granted a pension in
1899 under the Act of June 81. 1890,
which was subsequently raised to $500
a month. Aug. 4, 1906, his name was
dropt on the ground that he did not
| serve 90 days in the war of the
rebellion and had performed no duty
as a soldier to give title under the Act
of June 81, 1890. Newport appealed.
lcontending that the records were erro-
Ineous and that his discharge showed
that he served for a period of more
than 90 days. He asserts that he was
mustered in Sept. 10, 1861, and mus
tered out Jan. IS, 1862. 1t appears
from the records that j. w. Wilson was
authorized to raise Il regiment which
was afterwards designated as the 56th
Ill (Mechanic Fusileers), and that he
enlisted several hundred men in Illi-
HDlSr lIIdht, N'llio anu " iSNohs'''
upon promises that they would receive
more than the ordinary pay of SOL
diers and be employed as skilled labor
crs, mechanics, carpenters, etc. When
they were gathered in the rendezvous
at Chicago it was found that there was
such a regiment, and the War Depart
ment finally ordered the regiment to
be mustered in and out of the service
as infantry. which was done on va
rious occasions between Jan. % and
Feb. S, 1862. The claimant says that
he served on camp guard and fatigue
duty at Camp Douglas. but the Assist
ant Secretary holds that the perform
ance of such duties did not constitute
actual military service and nothing has
been found to show that the members
of the regiment were armed or eQuipt
or performed any military service. The
regiment was mustered in and out of
the service i'll order to permit the pay
ment 10 them of soldiers pay while
they were away from their ordinary vo-
cations and in some measure reimburse
them for the losses they had sus-
tanned. The men had refused to serve
as common soldiers.
The next decision was that of March
LEI, 1907, in regard to the pension
status of those who had served in the
LIST, I'd. Sd. 4th. 5th and 9Th U. S. Vols,
a body Of troops who We're enlisted
from Confedcratcs in military prisons
for service against the Indians. The
article which is going the rounds
makes it out that these were the 1st,
I'd, Sd. ith. 5th and 9Th ILL.,, which is
glaring error as the State of Illinois
had no infantry regiments bearing
those numbers. Assistant Secretary
Wilson refers to previous decisions of
the Department interpreting the ex-
preston during the late war of the
rebellion" to the effect that Congress
did not intend to pension those who
had no connection whateye with the
beiligerent operations Of the war. were
not upon the theater of the conflict
and had nothing TO do with the OBJ
jects of the war" Further:
Service pensions lfdva been uni
formly granted by Congress only in
view of the fact that the services were
rendered in some necessary connection
with and in pursuance of the objects
sought to be attained by the particu-
lar war under consideration.
Therefore, in the case of George w.
Nelson the Assistant Secretary finds
that he was a member of Co. C. 18th
La, c. S. A. until captured by the
Federal force at Mission Ridge. Nov.
| IS, 1863. and sent as a prisoner of war
| to Louisville. KY. and thence to Rock
Island. He had served up to the time
of his capture more than two years in
the Confederate forces and after being
nearly year in prison, he enlisted
Oct 81, 1864. in the Cd u. S. Vols. for
frontier seryice.' This regiment was
| sent to Fort Kearncy. Ncb. and did
service on the frontier escorting wagon
trains and coaches and guarding the
telegraph line and property of the citi-
zens and the Government until the reg
imert was mustered out Nov. %, 1865.
AS there were a number of these
eases coming up the Commissioner of
Pensions referred the matter to the As
sistant Secretary for examination and
decision and the Secretary decides adj
versely to the pensionable status
of all in those organizations. He
points out that these men were enlisted
-for frontier service" that they were
promised they would not be used against
their former comrades in arms: that
/ they were not So used and consequent
| ly did not contribute toward the success
of the Union arms. but were exclusive
| ~ employed in the far West in opera
lions against the Indians and in the
protection Of public and private prop
erty. This vas near the end of the
var. but in utter irrelcvance to it; a
service which the conditions then ex-
isting would have required even tho
the civil war had never been fought"
Consequently, while this service may
have been to certain extent contem-
porsneous with the civil war it was in
dependent of il and those who rem
tdere9 that service we're not TO be con-
sidered at all in the same light of those
engaged in the suppression of the re-
bellion.
Another exceedingly misleading
statement which is going the rounds is
4 n.