Evening star., 1911-05-31

PENSION IS REFUSED
Mrs. Bliss, Report Says, Did
Mot Serve in Civil War.
HER STORY INVESTIGATED
Woman Declared She Went Into
Army With Uncle and Was
at Vicksburg.

Mrs. Louisa e. Bliss Of Sheridan. Wyo.:
Augusta county. Virginia. and several
other places. who has put in claim for
. pension on the ground that. dressed as
q man, she served many months in the
Federal army as q member of Company
g. SD Illinois Infantry. during the civil
war, viii not receive any Of Uncle Sans
money on the ground of being an old
soldier. Commissioner Of Pensions Dav-
export said today that thorough inves-
tigatfon Of the woman's story had been
made, and 1t was found to be untrue.
Her story, however. had been widely
circulated through the west. and at least
one woman who sympathized with Mrs.
Bliss wrote to President Taft asking that
he take up the matter.
In her declaration Mrs. Bliss stated that
while in the army she was married 20
John Siiber. who. II was said, served In
the same company with her. her.-
The report made 10 the commissioner
of pensions on Mrs. Bliss claim Is. In
ra1a. as foliows:
This claimant 10 the same woman
who as Louisa e Bliss diied .ss an apPh- Ph.
widow Of Leander c. Bliss. late SER
geant, Company A. Sd California IN
fautry. which. after a special examina-
tion; was rejected in August. 1896. on
the RT09BQ tnat Oy ACE OWA SO4sS0Ss
she had forfeited her right to pen
sion as the soldiers widow.
Married to silber.
eshe was married to Bliss March II.
1874. at South Pass City. Wyo.. and In
the claim filed as his widow she repeat
edty stated under oath that she had
never been married prior to her mar
riage to him. but 1t Is evident that she
WeaA married to John Silber. who served
fA1Company @. SD Illinois Infantry, as
siSs now states. for 1t Is shown In the
case of Elender NJ. Silber. widow OF
John SHber. Company G. SD Illinois
Infantry. that Silber obtained a divorce
from her in the circuit court OF Union
county. Ill, May 81. 1866.
"while prosecuting her claim as the
widow Of Leander c. Bliss she stated IN
deposition taken by a special examiner
that she was born In Austria and came
TO this country with her parents when sne
was ten years of age: that they settled at
Jcneshoro. H.. her father being John
Stegmuller, which name was corrupted
into Stagmilier. She said that when she
was fourteen years old her uncle. John
Gestrick was q quartermaster Of the 63d
as helper: that she was dressed as
boy, and went with her uncle until he re-
signed: that she was at the siege OF
vicksburg, and that Gen. Logan. VINO
that she was a girl. asked her to become
a nurse. and she put on a wornan's cloth
ing and went into the hospital as
nurse under DR.. Mckinney of the SD
Illinois Infantry. and that she did not
know whether she was enlisted or not.
but that she was three years in the
army.
Had Many Occupations.
THAT the claimant was married at least
twice is clearly shown by the evidence:
first to John Silbef, who wa divorced
from her in 1854. and aftt yard to
Leander c. Bliss. whose widow claims
to be.
Whether or not she was married to any
other person does not clearly appear.
After the war she seems to have lived
along the line Of the building of the
Union Pacific railroad for some years.
She has at different times been nurse.
q seamstress. q brewer. clearinghouse
kaep~r and n ma 9uettr healer