The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-14
DONOVAN REMOVES STIGMA FROM NAME
 OF OLD SOLDIER
Ben Buffers Harsh Ruling Overturned By Congress at Solicitation of "Jerry."
(specdal to The Farmer )


 had its attention drawn to 8 poor 1g- norant worllngman in Pennsylvania who had served over 20 years in a Pennsylvania prison for a crime that hes never committed. Recently the president pardoned poor Blackfoot Indian who was incarcerated in a federal institution for 34 years for protecting his women. and children from a. drunken soldier.
 Yesterday the U. S.. Senate passed a bill clearing for Marcus L. Pelham his record as a soldier and restores to him the standing that belongs to him as a defender of the Union.
 A veteran of s5 battles, and a. hero of many of them, Marcus Pelham, who enlisted early in 1861 and who was promoted to be 9 first lieutenant, suffered from the anger of Major Gen. eral Benjamin Butler at the close of the war. A court martial which rec commended rclemency was overruled by the pacifier of New Orleans who, with one sweep of his pen, destroyed the reputation of Pelham as a soldier, and condemned him to live for a half century nursing the sting that came with the humiliation of being. de prived of the honor that went with three and a, half years active service as an enlisted man and officer of the Union army.
 Marcus Pelham returned to Con-
 
 concerned with him 1t was g. closed book He was made a. town constable and later became chief of police of. Norwa1l1
 His faithfulness as civil officer won his advancement as had his ser, vice in the army won aairn his shoulder straps. Few people knew the bdg po- Iiceman's secret.
 Finally some of the tlDoys of 'e1'' who had fought with him tried to clear his record for him. They enlist ed the services of senators and repre- sentatives in Congress. Senator Mor- gan Bulkeiey had the case after Con- gressman Ebenezer T. HilI for a num- Der of sessions.
 Jerenniah Donovan heard little something about Pelhams case before he went to Congress. When he cam" to Congress he said that he would take up the matter and those who had been familiar with it were rather dubious that anything could be done. MT Donovan introduced his bill in April 1918, and for fifteen months he has labored to see that Pelham got a. other thing in Congress he will know that he has lighted wrong that sup- jected man to a living shame
 UnAnowingly, Pelham permitted some soldiers to get hold of liquor and for that General Ben Butler sen, fencSd him to WnAI was A IlVaIlS dS<bIu to a. soldier and man of PeIhanais tenn perament-
 we feel that the humiliation caused by this order has been a great and unnecessary punishment to Lieut.. Pelham and that the cIernency re- quested to be shown him by the board of officers which heard and deter mined his case. should now be exer- cised.' was the finding of the House committee on military affairs.
 Here is the record of Marcus L.. Pelham: eEntered the service as pri- vate Company Third Reginent' Conn Vol. Infantry, May IA, 1861; on duty in Department of Washington, D. CTyler's Brigade-and later at Glenwood, D. C., Roach's Mills, Wien na and Falls Church, Va. advance on Manassas, and Battle Bull Run. Was mustered oq1t August 12, 1861, and re- entered the service as a private in Company H, Eighth Connecticut Vol tnteer Infantry, September 14 1881; reinlisted for three yesars, or for the war, December 24. 1883. Was promot- ed to corporal in 1862; sergeant in July 1863. and for gal1antry at the battle of Cold Harbor was commits stoned first lieutenant in July, 1864.
 Participated in the following bat ties: Bull Run, Roanoke Island siege of Fort Macon; sl1irmishesf and bonn bardments from March 23 to April 26,
 
 fense of Sufrollx; volunteered in 1883 for duty on boat which captured rebel battery on Potomac river, which bat tery prevented passage of Union gun boats: took part in engag cement driv- ing enemy from SuffoIk to Blackwa- ter; si1irmashes at Harper's Ferry and Pleasant Valley, Hills Point and cap ture of Battery Huger; Dix's expedi- ton to Richmond (Blacldberry Raid); expedition into North Carolina; cap ture of Newburne. N. C.; Deep Creek, Va: operations against Petersburg and Richmond in 1864; blowing up of rebel fort at Walthum Junction; Swift Creek; Shippen House; Fort Darling; Dewery's Bluff; Bermuda Hundred; Proctor's Creek; Hallway House; Fog Fight at Fort Darling; Cold Harbor; Gaines Farm: assault on Cold Harbors assault on Petersburg Works; charge on Fort Harrison; Seven Pines and Darbytown roa.d.''
 Lieut.. Marcus L. Pelham was tried before a general court martial at Fort E Monroe Va, October 22, 1864. on the charge Of giving an enlisted man an order for intoxicating liquor and per nlitting enlisted men to use the same to the prejudice of good order and military discipline"
 Pelham pleaded guilty to the spec ifications and the charge which con sisted of giving the orders for two canteens of whiskey. Evidence was heard and the accused, who asked no questions and called no witnesses, made the following statement in de- fense:
 | 1T can say that this is my first of- fenSe. It dS the first time I was ever before a court I have been in the service for three years and a half, and never had any trouble before. I was mustered as a. lieutenant in Au- gust, 1864. from a first sergeant am sorry that anything of this kind has happened. did, not understand that an order could be used, and told the man whom gave it to that I did not think that it would do any good. But he urged 1t, gave it to him. understood, afterwards that