Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-08
OLD SOLDIERS In CONGRESS-
Veterans of the Great War Are Not
Numerous There.
NUMBER STEADILY GROWS LESS
Passage of Years Sees Representation
of Men who Fought in 61-65
DwindIing to Vanishing
Point.
(From a Staff Correspondent.l

From a Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7-(Special)-Vet-
Grams of the great war OF 1s6l-65 who have
been honored with public office are grow
ing fewer just as the ranks of their com
rades in the private walks of life are sadly
diminishing. The number of veterans of
that war in congress is less than at any
time since the year following cessation of
hostilities. M
At the beginning Of the present congress
the veterans fthe war holding seats were:
Senate: Union-BulkeIey of Connecticut.
Burrows of Michigafn Du Pont OF Della
ware, Nelson of Minnesota, Elkins and
Scott of West Virginia, Warner OF Missouri
and Warren of Wyoming, total of eight.
Confederate-Baeon Of Georgia, Bankhead
Of Alabama, Daniel Of Virginia, johnson
Of Alabama, McEnery of Louisiana, Nc
Laurin OF Mississippi. Martin OF Virginia,
Money of Mississippi and Talferro of
Florida, a total of nine.
House Of Representatives Union-Alex-
ander Of New York. Barclay. Bingham and
Graham of Pennsylvania; Bradley of New
York, Calderhead of Kansas, Capron of
Rhode Island, Gardner OF New Jersey,
Hollingsworth, Keifer and Sherwood OF
Ohio; Howell Of New Jersey, Hull of Iowa.
Morgan of Missouri and Wiley OF New
Jersey, a total of fifteen. Confederate
Estopinal of Louisiana Gorden of Tennes-
see, Jones and Lamb of Virginia, Living
ston OF Georgia, Richardson of Alabama,
Spight OF Mississippi, Talbot OF Maryland
and Taylor of Alabama, a total of nine.
Tax Former COngresses.
This gives a total of rorty veterans of
the war in the senate and house at the be-
ginning of the present, congress. Their
number has been reduced by three through
the death of Senators Daniel, McEnery. and
McLaurin. 1t will be seen from these fig
ures that but per cent of the membership
of the Sixty-first congress were veterans
of the civil war. Nearly half the member
ship of congress twenty years ago were
union and confederate veterans. In the
congress at that time-the Fifty-first-there
were twenty-seven confederate veterans in
the senate and nine union veterans, while
In the house there were seventy confed-
crate veterans and forty-two union veter-
ans. Considerably over half the members
from the southern states were confederate
veterans
Nearly half or A per cent of the mem
bershlp of the Fiftfy-first congress were
veterans of the war Men who entered the
army in lS61-65, when in their teens, are
fathers. The average age of the veterans
of the senate is 50 years. The average
age OF the veterans Of the house is 81 years.
Thus the average age of these veteran
statesmen, when the war began in 1861, was
10 years. The oldest union veteran is GEN
eral Isaac II. Sherwood, representing the
Ninth Ohio district, who is 70. The oldest
confederate veteran is Private Leonidas +.
Livingston OF the Fifth Georgia Districts.
The youngest union veteran is Representa-
/ tive Alexander of New York--64 years old.
The youngest confederate veteran is Rep
| resentative George w. Taylor of Alabama
61 years old The highest ranking veteran
| OF the union army is j. Warren Keller Of
Ohio, who was a major general of volun-
teers. Sherwood of Ohio and Bingham Of
Pennsylvania were brigadier generals. The
highest ranking confederate veteran in con-
gress is George w. Gordon Of Tennessee,
who was a brigadler general, and who is
now commander-in-chief of the Confeder-
ate Veterans association.
The next congress Will see a still further
| reduction of the number OF war veterans
in congress. Senators Money and Taliaferro
retiring, will reduce the number OF con-
federate veterans, and the defeat of Rep
resentatives Hull of Iowa, and Colderhead
OF Kansas, will cut down the representation
of union veterans in congress- The con-
federate veterans will recover one in the
probable election OF Charles NJ. Steeman.
the democratic candidate for the house in
the Fifth North Carolina district.
Change I'm Monetary Commission.
One death and five reirements Of promi-
nent members will make a serious inroad
upon the membership of the finance COM
mittee of the senate after the 4th OF next
March. The chairman OF the committee,
Senator Aldrich. and Senators Hale and
Flint republicans, will retire at the close
OF their terms next March. as viii SEN