Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-12-20

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officers who served witch noaor and
credit for one year or more during tie
Civil War has gained ground through
out the country, ana Congress wal,
without doubt. be in mood TO grant
the relief asked by the few surviving
officers of the most destructive war
through which the nation has ever
passed.
The pending bill provides that the
name of each surviving officer of vol
unteers may be entered on a roll 10 be
known as The volunteer retired list, pro-
vided that each one so entered shall
have served not less than one year in
the field with troops between April 15
1861, and July Is, 1865 shall have been
honorahly discharged; shall not belong
TO the regular army; or If not In the
service in the field for year, must fur
nish evidence of discharge from service
because of wounds received In battle.
1t is provided that each applicant
shall be entered as Of the highest rank
held by him while serving In the volun-
teer army and that he receive one-half
pay at the age Of 66 years and three
fourths pay at the age OF 20 years, ac-
cording to his actual rank, which pay
shall be the same as that Received by
retired officers OF like rank in the regu-
lar army, provided that the retired pay
OF no officer shall exceed the full pay
of captain of the cavalry Of the regular
army.
Every person who becomes a benef-
ciary Of this act Will be required TO re-
llnquish any pension which he may now
enjoy The largest sum that viii be
paid to any one man under this regu-
lation is $1,000 a year.
1t is estimated that the law, IL passed
at once, will affect 10000 veteran Off
GERS These will be, most OF them, be-
low the rank OF colonel OF the l31
major generals Of volunteers who serv-
ed during the war, and who would be
affected by the proposed measure only
| two are now living, and OF the $40 brig
adler generals who thus served, only
twenty-eight survive.
There Is precedent for the retiring of
volunteer officers on pay, in the treat
ment, by the people, and the United
States Congress, OF he officers of the
Revolutionary War. Grants of great
tracts of land were made 30 these ofIi-
GERS, and, May Is, 1928, surviving Off
GERS Of the continental line were placed
on the retired list on full pay not to ex-
ceed the pay of a captain, said pay to
begin March 3, 1926.
Later, OH June Z, 1882, all surviving
officers of the Revolutionary army who
had not been provided for by the for.
mer law were, under certain provisions
as to service, placed upon fall pay OF
their rank, for life, not to exceed the
pay of captain.
The general discussion of this meas
ure by the press Of the country reveal;
a cordial feeling toward 1t on the par
Of the public, and everything lookl
bright for the veteran volunteer officers
| who led their men to victory, fighting
| like seasoned soldiers until peace hat
been compelled, literally, by force Of
arms, to make her home Ia half river
and distracted country. Then, wher
the tumult and the strife was over
these men, most of them, entered civil
life again and took up the occupations
they had laid down at the dawn OF
war.
Many of these invaluable leaders are
spending their age In dependence upon
their children, or in weary battle for
bread, in the rush of modern profes
slonal or industrial life. That the ma.
| ton should remember them nj this time
In substantial manner is certainly fit.
ting.
Most of those who come under the
provisions of this bill were Of mature
years when they entered The army
They are, most of them, In the seven.
ties or the eighties, now, and the snort
list of their names will soon dwindle
to the vanishing point. Jour
nal.