The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-07-07
OF 2,77S,3O9 Soldiers Who Ser
we'd During Civil War, Thers
are 100000 Drawing
Federal Pensions
ZOO VETS Die EACH MONTH
Grim Reaper Likewise Reducing
Ranks of Confederate Vets at Rap
id Rate-No Records Avail
able for Rebs, However.

washington, July 7.-Soldiers and
sailors of the Union army in the Civil
war are dying at rapid rate. About
ninety names day are dropped from
the pension rolls. This average is
equivalent TO about 200 deaths a
month, or about $4,000 annually among
federal survivors of the war carried
along on the pension lists. How many
survive who are not on the pension
roll is not recorded in the pension Of
fec or the adjutant generals office of
the department. The officials refer to
these unrecorded soldiers as the 'un-
known army" and there is such an ar
my of survivors on both sides, Confed-
crates as well as Union. Many of
them belong To Grand Army posts of
Confederate Veteran camps, but there
are undoubtedly "a number who are
neither pensioners nor Identified with
organizations. Every once i'm while
survivor of the war who had been
lost sight of turns up i'm some out-of-
the-way corner OF world and applies
for pension through congressman
or under general statutes.
The old soldiers of both armies are
vanishing rapidly. Just how many sur
vive will not be known until after tho
completion of the thirteenth census
and can only be approximated now
outside of those whose names are car
ried on the pension rolls. as havins
served i'm the Union army. There Is
no such record of the Confederates
for they get no general pensions, anC
their names and places of residence
are not a matter of official record. a
number OF Confederate soldiers can be
located through the rolls of the vet
eran camps I'm the South, but these
records are not nearly so complete ~
those of the Grand Army of the Re
public. The law providing for the TAX
ing of the census of 1910 stipulated
that there should be included a tabula
tion OF the number of Union and Con
federate soldiers and sailors living
The census of 1900 contained no sucl
tabulation.
The most generally accepted estim
ate of the total number of "individ
uals" serving in the Union army am
navy during the civil war is 2,672,34
enlistments credited to the army alone
exclusive of 16,422 men who were serV
ing i'm the regular army. 1t is estln
atcd that of these 2,672,3i1 there wer
543,S93 re-cnlistments. which whe
subtracted leaves the estimate OF in
dividual volunteer soldiers I'm the wa
2.12G,94S. There were cnorIh reAen
listments In the navy to br''g the ac
tual number of individuals g the nav
down To Si,417, making the numbe
serving in the war on the Union sid
2,gl3,365. This is the only official es
innate ever made. and how far 1t var
les from the actual number can neve
be determined.
General Ainsworth I'm his cstimat
of fourteen years ago stated that
appeared that at the close of the wa
there were 1,727,353 individuals of tn
Union army surviving. deserters eS
Guided lie estimated that the numb,
of survivors I'm 1890 should be 1.2S5
AL and 1,125,725 I'm 1896, while he pr
dicted that, at the rate at which Il
men were passing away, the arm
would bc reduced to about $4,000 SUI
vivors In 1900.
The number OF survivors of the CIV
war on the pension rolls on June 3
1902 was 593,961. At the close OF Il
Spanish war. in 1898, there were az
4i6 Civil war survivors on the pei
sion rolls. These figures relate on
To soldiers and sailors who actual
fought i'm the war and do not inclu'
widows. children or orphans. III
number of names of Civil war survi
ors stricken from the pension rolls
account Of death last year was 1888
In 1908. 34,333; in 1907, S1,201; i'm 10
29.20S, or total of 127573 dropp
from the rolls on account of death
four years, and the fiscal year, viii
will close with the end of the preso
month. will show about $4,000 me
dropped on account of death. This
the rate at which the pensioned {
soldier is passing.