The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-03-03
TO PENSION THE
INDIAN MILITIA
SERVICE IN THE CIVIL
WAR is FACTOR FOR
BILL.
Home Committee Has Completed
Investigation Part Taken
Home Guard.

home GudrQ.
Washington, March 2.-Sever-
al bills are pending in congress
to give military status as of the
service of the United States to
the officers and men of the state
militia and other military organi-
cations called into service dur
ing civil war by the governors
OF the various states. The OBJ
Ject OF this proposed Legislation
is, of course, to give a pension
able status to such troops. There
were, as is we'll known, many per-
sons engaged in some way in the
war of the rebellion as members
OF state militia, home guards and
other state military organizations
who were not regularly enlisted
and mustered into the military
service of the United States.
These men were called out and
served in various emergencies
during the war. The border states
and northern states, in which
hostilities actually occurred, were
the scenes of the operations OF
these bodies of militia. Indiana,
Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio,
PENNSYLVANIA, Tennessee. West
Virginia and Delaware furnish
ed many such troops. =
The committee on pensions OF
the senate has just completed a
careful investigation as TO the
service rendered by these home
guards" with the view of finally
disposing of the bills that are
pending. Whether this commit
tee will recommend THAT such
military status will be given
these troops that will entitle them
TO pensions has not yet been de-
cided. The committee is of the
opinion that eff any legislation of
this character is enacted it should
be extended TO include all troops
of this description, instead of CIV
ing a pensionable status to some
particular company Of organiza-
ton"
Organization of Indiana Militia.
The committee holds that the
Indiana legion and minute men
should be recognized in any leg
islation Of this character. In re-
porting on the part the Indiana
State Militia took in the war the
senate committee shows that the
Indiana militia was organized un-
der an act of the legislature ap-
proved May II. 1861, and was
called the Indiana legion. The
law provided that the organiza-
ton OF the legion, complete,
should be that of single army
corps with two divisions of nine
brigades. This organization, the
committee says, embracing the
whole state, was not, however,
completed or maintained. In the
central and northern parts of the
state, where there was little or
no danger of raids, the Indiana
legion was either not organized,
or. if organized, was not main
tanned, and therefore, amounted
to nothing.
Some of the northern and CEN
trail companies of the legion turn
ed out in the Morgan raid in July
1868, but with this exception they
performed little or no duty dur
ing the war. In the southern
counties of the state, the senate
committee says, the case was DIFF
ferent, and it was there that the
active anc energetic organization
of tlE. militia was maintained.
The committee points out that
Kentucky, just across the Ohio
river. was made free use of by the
enemy during the whole war, and
that state was tfavorite recruit
ing rendezvous for the southern
army. 1t was also infested with
guerrilla parties, says the senate
committee, and was overrun with
maraudfng bands, always intent
and ready to pounce upon and
p1under unprotected communi-
ties of Unionists, north or south.
Hence the necessity for maintain
ing an efficient force of militia in
Indiana along the whole river
border.
The committees report says
THAT the active Indiana legion
consisted of First to the Twelfth
inclusive. regiment from Jen-
nings county improperly num-
bered the Ninth, and an unnum-
bered regiment from Crawford
county.
New League Nears Organization
!, The organization of the lndi-
n n n