The National tribune., 1908-08-20
ANSWERSG0
CORRESPONDENTS

ave W A<AAS4V
CORRESPONDENTS.
81
L. J. NJ, Orleans, Neb.. asks: ~
Were the so-ealled ironclads on the
Mississippi River armor-plated. espe-
the Tyler? t2) What is the flag ETH
quet for Memorial Day.
4 ~ The fact that many important
points below Cairo, on the Mississippi
River, were in the possession of the
Confederates at the beginning. of the
civsl war. and as they constructed bat
teries at many Of these places, which
closed the river TO the Federals. led
the National Government to build a
f1otilla of ironclads. The first seven OF
these, including the Benton. Cairo, Ca
rondelet, and DeKalb, were built under
contract with the War Department. and
were mostly converted Mississippi
steamboats,. The armament was mount
ed in easement erected on the deck
armored for the most part with 2 1-2
inch plates, which, with the heavy
backing, were placed at an angle of As
degrees; this was vulnerable to heavy
guns, such as the eight and ten-inch
smoothbores used by the Confederates
at several points. The records of the
Navy show that these vessels, faceti-
i ously called 'tin-clads,' did some of
the most severe and effective fighting
of the war; their officers never hesitat-
ed, when the occasion required it, to
run by or engage the heaviest fortifi-
| cation on the river. ca On Memorial
| Day the flag should fly at half staff
from sunrise until noon, and full staff
from noon to sunset.
r. F., Brooklyn. N. Y, asks: Where
can find list of the battles fought in
the Revolutionary War?
The Alphabetical List of Battles,
| with dates from 1884 to 1900. or En-
cyclopedia of Wars" may be. recom-
mended, and you will find it advertised
in the columns of The National Tribune.
J. T.. Kingfisher, Okla. asks: Can
you tell me the amounts raised and ex-
pended during the civil war in cash and
| supplies: First, by the Sanitary Com
mission; second, by the Christian Com
mission; third, by other kindred organ
izations?
| % The total receipts of the United
| States Sanitary Commission from June
81. 1861, to Jan. 1, 1856, were 1924
| 4S0.99. The value of supplies sent the
Commission, in various kinds of dry
goods, raw material and made up. yege-
| tables, fruits, wines and cordials, and
all else. was roughly estimated at 49,
| 100000. We must refer you to the
Official History of the Sanitary Com
| mission" by Mr.. Charles. j. Stille, of
Philadelphia, for an audited account of
the disbursements, which will be found
on page SAT. ca With regard to the
Christian Commission. which must be
distinguished from the Sanitary Com
| mission by its more especial attention to
| the religious needs OF the troops. CO.
operating with the Chaplains its dis
bursements4 are estimated to. have been
about 100000. See Annals of the
Christian Commission" (3) Concern
ing other kindred organizations, they
were too numerous. too varied in their
| scope, and their records too imperfectly
kept, to make it possible to furnish any
estimates. sa'-'ari $50. F..
I IS. AR, Altoona, Pa, asks: What are
the necessary requirements of one wish
ing to enter atSoRiiers Home, and how
should one proceed in. making -applica-
ton for admissieh? Does the .appli-
cant have to surrender his pension?
Would man from Pennsylvania be adj
mitted at Hampton, Va? 1910.
The requirements for admission to a
National Soldiers Home are am honor
able discharge, from the United States
! service during a war In which 1t was
engaged. and disability which prevents
the applicant from earning mis- living by
labor. For details in regard to the
Home at Hampton Va, write direct
to the Superintendent of the Home.
An inmate OF a Soldiers Home is not
| required to-. givefup his pension. but
must forward. with his application for
admission his discharge paper and his
pension certificate. s~.
VIC. MEG, Portland, Me-. asks: Is
there a law forbidding POstmasters TAX
ing pension checks? took one to ours,
! and they did not want to- taeeSit on
| Sv~In eafT f1,n r.tla n
not allow them to do SO. T-a
EIJ0uTr'understandin Of the situation is
that Postmasters can accept cash only
in payment Of postal orders, under
which circumstance the Postmaster was
justified in acting as he did. In some
parts Of the country, especially when
there are NO banks IN the vicinity,
where 1t works hardship on the old
soldier to cash his pension check, Post
masters. are authorized, when they have
the money on hand, to cash them.
J. c. B., Saugatuck, Mich, asks:
What course can 1 take to have a land
patent recorded when 1t has been lost,
and to whom to apply? 80
If the grant is National one, the
only safe course for you to pursue is
to communicate directly with the Com
missioner of the General Land Office,
Washington, D. c. e7s
G.. p, Norwich, Conn, asks: Is there
any better system of stenography for
general reporting purposes than A. ].
Graham's?
AS it is estimated that the number
of shorthand systems in actual use in
the United States extends to 200, 1t be-
comes exceedingly difficult to say which
one is the best. The system that orig
mated with Isaac Pitman and was de-
veloped by his younger brother, Benn
Pitman, is highly thought of, as is also
the one brought out by Munson in 1866.
Most shorthand writers modify the
system that they have been taught so
as to make 1t more or less their own.
The Graham system has always stood
very high in the estimation of stenog-
raphers, and II has the reputation Of
one which permits very high speed in
writing, but of being somewhat difficult
to read.
d. E., Boston, Mass: Referring back
to our answer to you in The National
Tribune Of June 25. concerning the
Alabama award, we find the following
information that Is Of interest: One
coin certificate for the full amount of
l$15,500, 900 was issued to Drexel. Nor
gan & Co.; Morton, Bliss & Co., and
jay Cooke & Co., and made payable to
their order These bankers Endorsed
the certificate the joint order of H.
B. M. Minister, or Charge d'Affaires at
Washington and Acting Consul General