Smyrna times., 1910-03-16
SURVIVORS OF THE SIXTH
DELAWARE ARE HOPEFUL
BILL NOW BEFORE CONGRESS
WOULD GIVE THEM A PENSION
Over 400 Survivors of Civil War,
Many of Whom Reside in Smyrna
and Vicinity, Would Be Benefited


R. H. Cummins, of Meadow Lawn
Farm, near Clayton, is much inter
ested and has furnished valuable data
toward the effort now being made to
give a pensionable status to the sur
vivors of the Fifth and Sixth Della
ware Regiment of the Civil War,
many of whom survive in Smyrna
and vicinity. Senator H. A. Dupont
who has introduced bill in Congress
(which has had two readings and has
been referred to the Pension Com
mittee) sets forth in memorial the
claims of the survivors of the above
named regiments and it makes in
teresting reading. The memorial
states among other things that "from
service in October and Novbemer,
1862, until June, 1868, the Fifth and
Sixth Delaware Volunteers were reg
ularly and assiduously drilled, under
the direction of the officers, in local
tiles convenient to their homes. At
the same times these regiments
protected the railroad bridges and
canal locks, within the State, as we'll
as the powder mandatory, being
also employed on various occasions
in subduing demonstrations made by
southern sympathizers, in assisting
the p-ovost-marshal to make the
draft, and generally in performing
duties of strictly military nature,
which, if they had not been present,
would have required the service of
other troops.
Direct and Positive Violation of Orders
I'm June, 1868, in direct and
positive violations of the stipu-
lations made by the Secretary OF
War at the time of mastering in,
the two regiments were ordered away
from their homes,- portion of the
Fifth Delaware being sent to Fort
Delaware, where they performed the
arduous and responsible duty OF
guarding the>many thousands of con-
federate prisoners who were in con
finement at that post. Detachment:
of this regiment also served as
guards on the prisoner exchange -shiI
Daniel Webster on its trips to City
Port, Va, and also on the steamer
Eagle. The rest of the Fifth Della
ware and the Sixth Delaware wer,
ordered to the State of Maryland an,
relieved the Fifth New York Artil
lery in guarding the railroads be
tween perryville and Baltimore
where it continued to serve unit
mustered out.
Our Soldiers Right to Recognition
"In view of the special duty whic
they performed in the State of Delf
ware while stationed at their home:
which, as heretofore shown, was nj
only important, but of absolut
necessity; and in further view of ii
fact that all such duty did not CO..
the United States one cent for pa!
rations or quarters; and, thirdly.
view of the fact that the Governmel
was forced by the necessities of Wi
to deliberately violate the condition
made when these volunteers we
mustered into the service, it wou
seem that the members of the Fif
and Sixth Delaware regiments a
entitled to special and exception
consideration. Taking one instan
alone-that of the Twelfth Regime
of Maryland Volunteer Infantr
which served on guard duty for o
hundred days to enable veteran reg
ments to proceed to the front. 1t
submitte that the aggregate of t
nine months service of the two D.
aware regiments, while costing t
Government much less per man, "
far more important than the q
hundred days service of the MAJ
land regiment Just mentioned. N
withstanding this the members
this Maryland regiment have a p,
sionable status under the act of il
q, 1890, while the members of
two delaware regiments nave n
400 Survivors Will Be Benefit
"There are probably about 400 s
vivors of the two Delaware re
ments. They are all full of ye
and many of them exceedingly inf
and in very destitute circumstant
Senator Dupont hopes that Congl
will not be deaf to their appeals,
will be moved by sense of JUS
and equity to enact such legislat
as will put them on pensions
status under the act OF June
$780," Senator Dupont is confider
having the bill recommended
looks for its early passage.