The National tribune., 1910-03-10
THE Ex-pRIsoNERs OF WAR.

House bill 2243, introduced by KEEP
resentative Taylor, of Ohio, and which
provides for the payment of 81 day
to all ex-prisoners of war who We're
confined in Confederate prisons for 80
days or more, has been referred to the
Committee on War Claims, and Satur-
day, Feb. &c, Mr.. Taylor appeared be-
fore the committee and made an argu-
ment in its behalf. He stated that he
had introduced this bill in previous
Congress and had now reintroduced it,
and that it was strongly favored by
every Ex-Prisoners of War Association
thruout the country. He considered it
disgraceful that Congress had closed
its eyes so long to a recognition of the
just claims of these men who had suf-
fered such terrible hardships, and he
made this strong plea:
Il take it that nearly every one of
the prisoners of war. if not all of them,
are being carried on the pension rolls,
but / believe if an investigation were
ma lie that you would find that they
are, as a class, receiving less pensions
than their more fortunate brothers,
who, while suffering the dangers and
binary horrors and punishment of con-
finement in the prisons.
The reason / make this statement Is
that there were no proper records kept
in these prisons, and the man who was
taken iii and suffered, whose system
absorbed the germs of disease and dis
ability, had no means of proving to the
Pension Bureau that his subsequent
condition, upon which he based his
claim for pension, was due to service
origin. Those who were in the field
had the hospital records, the testimony
Of their comrades and officers, the si-
lent witnesses of gunshot wounds, all
of which went to give them prompt
recognition by the Government, and in
most cases adequate pensions for their
disabilities. But these men, Isolated
from their comrades in arms, who con-
tracted disabilities which have bur-
dened their lives since the day of their
release, have of necessity great diff
Guilty in proving, and in most cases are
absolutely unable TO prove, that the
disabilities from which they suffer We're
sabilities incurred in the line of duty.
And in any event the pensions paid these
men by the United States Government
in no way compensate them for the
sufferings which they have endured
since their discharge from prison. the
physical and mental anguish while in
carcGrdte0, tnG loss Oh NlBDT anu lilt
suffering which has been their lot for
these many years. Only those who
went thru the ordeal of Incarceration
in a military prison know the horrors
and sufIerings endured and the indeli-
BILE impress these sufferings have made
upon those who were compelled to sub
nit to them.
1.-THE claim presented in this bill is
not for a pension, but for a bounty or
recognition Of the extraordinary suf-
ferings endured by class of men who,
in the performance of their duty, were
captured and confined in Confederate
prisons. Their numbers are growing
less every day, and the drain upon the
Government will be small In compari-
son TO what it owes them. BY reason
of the fact that it is not a pension. this
bill has been referred to your Commit
tee on War Claims, properly, | believe,
and il is in their hands to report ii to
the floor of the House for the consid-
GRAFTON of that body.
Il propose to present these views to
the members of this committee, and
can, If necessary, bring disease-raclled
witnesses from every part Of the coun-
| try whose appearance alone, without
one word being spoken in their behalf,
will justify my contention that their
claim is a just one"
Mr.. Taylor next proceeded to discuss
the probable cost to the Government
of this measure, and he read the fol-
| lowing letter from Gen. F. C. Aims
worth, the head of the Bureau of Rec
ords and Pensions in the War Depart
ment:
| According TO the best information
now obtainable, it appears that 2l1, All
| Union soldiers were captured during
the civil war, of which number 1868
were paroled on the field, and that con-
Isequently 194,743 were held in captiv-
ity. !. also appears that 30,21S Union
soldiers died while in captivity; but
the records of Confederate prisons in
the possession of the War Department
are by no means complete, and the
number of deaths of Union prisoners
of war is doubtless much greater than
the number herein stated.
The total number of deaths In Confed-
crate prisons will never be definitely
known"
He cited other authority, and came
to the conclusion that about 57,671
Union soldiers left the prisons alive.
Certainly so per cent of these have
died. This would leave about $4,000