The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-17
DEATH CLAIMS
PROMINENT Nj N
That of Chief Justice FULL
the Most Important
SOME PENSION FIGURES
From Rolls of Union Pensioners
Every Day, But Great
Many Yet Remain
BY RALPH M. wHIrEsIDE

Washington, July Especial death
certainly has been busy among the great
these early days of the summer. Chief
Justice Fuller and Senators Daniel and
McEnery are the most notable of the
men high In the affairs of the nation
who have been taken.
OF these the death of Chief Justice Full
Ter will perhaps have the most import
ant bearing on the affairs of the country.
permission granted him by Congress to
retire this will make three vacancies in
the highest court in the land to be filed
by President Taft before the court con-
venes in the fall Upon the men who are
to be appointed will depend the settle
ment of some of the gravest questions
passed upon by the court In many years.
In the absence of the President and most
of the other statesmen whose opinions
are worth consideration, any suggestion
of names to fill these vacancies is the
merest guess work, and 1t has been too
hot to do any serious guessing.
It is safe to say though that the Pres
ident will In all human probability ap-
point men who will be inclined to take
his view on questions which are to come
before the court in the fall. President
Taft has as wide and intimate acQuaint-
anoes among the lawyers Of the country
of supreme court size as any man In
the United States and will need little
advice in making his suggestions.
| OF the two senators who have Joined
the great majority that Of Senator Nc
Emery will alone affect the vote of the
Senate. and that only on tariff matters.
The Louisiana senator always has been
protectionist. This was perfectly I'M
lderstood In Louisiana when he was nrst
elected. His successor may or may not
share his Views on tariff matters.
The successor of Senator Daniel will in
all probability vote as he would have
done.
About 80 names day are dropped
from the pension rolls. This average
Is equivalent to about $500 deaths a
month or about $4,000 annually, among
federal survivors of the civil war car
lied on the pension lists.
How many survive who are not on
the pension roll Is not recorded in the
pension office or the adjutant generals
office of the war department. The Of
ficials refer to these unrecorded SOL
diers as the unknown army.
The old soldier of both armies are
vanishing rapidly. Just how many
will "a until after
the completion of the thirteenth CEN
sus and can only be Appropriated
now.
The law providing for the taking of
the census of 1910 stipulated that there
should be included a tabulation of the
number of union and confederate SOL
diers and sailors living. The census of
1900 contained no such tabulation.
The most generally accepted estimate
of the total number of individually
serving In the union army and navy
during the civil war Is 2,213,365. This
estimate was prepared by Major Cen
eral Ainsworth, adjutant general of the
army, IA years ago, and is the one to-
ward which pension officials and 9TH
ers turn for data relative to the size
of the union forces in the war. But
1t was only an estimate. The records
showed that the total number of en-
listments from the various states ard
territories during the war under Pres
idsnt Lincolns various calls aggre-
gated 2.77S,304. But of this number
there were 105,963 enlistments of sea-
men and marines, leaving 2,673,341 en-
listments credited to the army alone,
exclusive of 16,422 men who were
serving in the regular army. 1t is es-
timated that of these 2,672,341 there
were 543,39S re-enlistments, which.
when subtracted, leaves the estimate of
Individual volunteer soldiers In the
war 2.l2S,946 There were enough re-
enlistments in the navy to bring the
actual number Of individuals in the
navy down to 84.417, making the mum
be rserving in the war on the union
side 2.213,365. This is the only or
fetal estimate ever made, and how far
1T varies from the actual number can
never be determined.
| Senator McCumber of the Senate nen-
sion committee has just caused to be pre-.
pared an interesting table relative to the
ages of soldiers at the times of enlist
ments. This table shows that of the total
| number of enlistments at various ages
800 for the Union army and navy, the