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ON DETACHED
SERVICE.
706. ENLISTED men on detached service, unattended by a
commissioned officer, are frequently at a loss how to provide
themselves with rations and transportation. The following general
principles should be borne in mind under such circumstances
707. When soldiers are detached from their companies for periods
extending beyond a muster-day, they should be accompanied by their
descriptive lists and clothing accounts. If this is not done, they
cannot be mustered, or paid, or receive clothing, during their
absence. It is always best to send descriptive lists, as the
exigencies of the service may keep the men away from their companies
longer than was originally intended.
708. Soldiers on detached service should always be accompanied by
the order detaching them, and showing the duty they are on — which
order it is necessary to present to the commanding officers of posts
and districts through which the men are required to pass, who will
give the necessary orders in the case for the transportation and
rations that they require.
709. Where it is very inconvenient to carry rations, or where
they cannot be obtained, the soldiers can purchase their own food at
their discretion, and will subsequently be reimbursed by the
commutation of the ration. Under any circumstances, where a soldier
does not receive his rations in kind, they can always be commuted at
the cost-price of the ration, when due. (See paragraphs 36 and 37).
710. Where, from any circumstance, soldiers find themselves
separated or detached from their commands, without the necessary
means or authority for rejoining, in order to prevent their being
reported as deserters, they should at once report in person to the
nearest post or command, and state their case to the commanding
officer, whose duty it is to provide for them and have them
forwarded to their proper commands at the earliest opportunity.
711. The soldier should bear in mind that any failure to take
proper steps to join his command, when separated from it, no matter
what the cause, involves inconveniences and troubles that are not
overcome without much difficulty. Sickness, insurmountable
accidents, &c. all require to be established by conclusive
testimony, to free him from the suspicions that always attend an
unusual absence from his proper post..
MEDALS.
712. By a resolution of Congress, approved July 12, 1862, the
President was authorized to cause two thousand "medals of
honor" to be prepared, with suitable emblematic devices,
"to be presented to such non-commissioned officers and privates
as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action
and other soldier-like qualities during the present
insurrection."
713. This is the only instance in our service of legislation for
rewarding soldiers with medals for meritorious services. During the
Mexican War, "Certificates of Merit" were given, that
insured an increase of pay; and, as a rule, soldiers have generally
been rewarded with money or land for extraordinary services.
714. Medals are lasting mementos of meritorious actions: they
survive changes of fortune and station, are cherished with pride and
reverence by descendants, and are, therefore, commendable objects of
a soldier’s ambition. It is well at all times for soldiers to
procure certificates from their immediate commander for whatever
services they have rendered, and the manner in which they have been
performed. It is recommended to enlisted men to provide themselves
with a little blank-book, in which such certificates may be entered
and preserved.
715. These certificates are particularly valuable to individual
soldiers serving on expeditions where their proper companies or
regiments are not represented, and where the muster-rolls and
reports will fail to show that they participated. Such papers become
exceedingly valuable in the lapse of time, and may, in many
instances, involve extra pay or pensions.
SOLDIERS’
LETTERS.
716. Before the 11th section of the act approved July 22, 1861,
soldiers are allowed to send letters without prepayment of postage,
the postage to be collected on the delivery of the letter. The
Post-Office regulations require that such letter shall be endorsed
"Soldier’s Letter" and signed by the commanding officer
or a field officer of the regiment to which the soldier
belongs.
PENSIONS.
717. THE following are the instructions published by the Pension
Office, relative to the manner of procuring pensions by those who
are entitled to them. They are plain and simple, and there is no
necessity of feeing a lawyer to make out the applications for a
pension. Any intelligent soldier can do it himself.
"GENERAL PROVISIONS.
"Under the act of Congress approved July 14, 1862, pensions
are granted to the following classes of persons:—
"I. INVALIDS, disabled since March 4, 1861, in the military
or naval service of the United States, in the line of duty.
"II. WIDOWS, of officers, soldiers, or seamen dying of
wounds received or of disease contracted in the military or naval
service, as above.
"III. CHILDREN, under sixteen years of age, of such deceased
persons, if there is no widow surviving, or from the time of the
widow’s re-marriage.
"IV. MOTHERS of officers, soldiers, or seamen, deceased as
aforesaid, provided the latter have left neither widow nor children
under sixteen years of age; and provided, also, that the mother was
dependent, wholly or in part, upon the deceased for support.
"V. SISTERS, under sixteen years of age, of such deceased
persons, dependent on the latter, wholly or in part, for support,
provided there are no rightful claimants of either of the three last
preceding classes.
"The rates of pension to the several classes and grades are
distinctly set forth in the first section of the act. Only one full
pension in any case will be allowed to the relatives of a deceased
officer, soldier, or seaman, and in order of precedence as set forth
above. When more than one minor child or orphan sister thus becomes
entitled to pension, the same must be divided equally between them.
"Invalid pensions, under this law, will commence from the
date of the pensioner’s discharge from service, provided
application is made within one year thereafter. If the claim is not
made until a later date, the pension will commence from the rime of
the application. Pensions of widows and minors will commence from
the death of the officer, soldier, or seaman on whose service the
claim is based.
ARMY PENSIONS.
"Declarations (including
evidence of identity) are required to be made before a court of
record, or before some officer of such court duly authorized to
administer oaths, and having custody of its seal. Testimony
other than that
indicated above may be taken before a justice of the peace, or other
officer having like authority to administer oaths; but in no case
will any evidence be received that is verified before an officer who
is concerned in prosecuting the claim, or has a manifest interest
therein.
"The subjoined forms, marked, respectively, A, B, C, D, and
E, will guide applicants for pensions, of the army branch, in the
several classes. The forms should be exactly followed in every
instance. No attorney will be regarded as having filed the necessary
declaration and affidavits, as contemplated by the sixth and seventh
sections of the act, unless the forms, as well as the instructions
given in this pamphlet, are strictly complied with.
"In support of the allegations made in the claimant’s
declaration, testimony will be required in accordance with the
following rules:— "1. The claimant’s identity must be
proved by two witnesses, certified by a judicial officer to be
respectable and credible, who are present and witness the signature
of the declarant, and who state, upon oath or affirmation, their
belief, either from personal acquaintance or for other reasons
given, that he or she is the identical person he or she represents
himself or herself to be. "2. Every applicant for an invalid
pension must, if in his power, produce the certificate of the
captain, or of some other commissioned officer, under whom he
served, distinctly stating the time and place of the said applicant’s
having been wounded or otherwise disabled, and the nature of the disability;
and that the said disability arose while he was in the service of
the United States and in the line of his duty.
"3. If it be impracticable to obtain such certificate, by
reason of the death or removal of said officers, it must be so
stated under oath by the applicant, and his averment of the fact
proved by persons of known respectability, who must state
particularly all the knowledge they may possess in relation to such
death or removal; then secondary evidence can be received. In such
case the applicant must produce the testimony of at least two
credible witnesses (who were in condition to know the facts about
which they testify), whose good character must be vouched for by a
judicial officer, or by some one known to the department. The
witnesses must give a minute narrative of the facts in relation to
the matter, and must show how they obtained a knowledge of the facts
to which they testify.
"4. The usual certificate of disability for discharge should
show the origin, character, and degree of the claimant’s
disability; but when that is wanting or defective, the applicant
will be required to be examined by some surgeon regularly appointed,
unless clearly impracticable.
"5. The habits of the applicant, and his occupation since he
left the service, should be shown by at least two credible
witnesses.
"If the applicant claims a pension as the widow of a
deceased officer or soldier, she must prove the legality of her
marriage, the death of her husband, and that she is still a widow.
She must also furnish the names and ages of decedent’s children
under sixteen years of age at her husband’s decease, and the place
of their residence. On a subsequent marriage her pension will cease,
and the minor child or children of the deceased officer or soldier,
if any be living, under the age of sixteen years, will be entitled
to the same in her stead, from the date of such marriage, on the
requisite proof, under a new declaration. Proof of the marriage of
the parents and of the age of claimants will be required in all
applications in behalf of minor children. The legality of the
marriage, in either case, may be ascertained by the certificate of
the clergyman who joined them in wedlock, or by the testimony of
respectable persons having knowledge of the fact, in default of
record evidence, which last must always be furnished, or its absence
shown. The ages and number of children may be ascertained by the
deposition of the mother, accompanied by the testimony of
respectable persons having knowledge of them, or by transcripts from
the parish or town registers duly authenticated.
"A mother, to be entitled to a pension, as having been
wholly or partly dependent on a deceased officer or soldier, must
prove that the latter contributed to her support for a certain
period, showing specifically in what manner and to what extent.
"If the claimant be a dependent sister, like proof will be
required of the marriage of her parents, and of her relationship to
the deceased.
"Guardians of minor claimants must, in all cases, produce
evidence of their authority as such, under the seal of the court
from which their appointment is obtained.
"Applicants of the last four classes enumerated on page 274,
who have in any manner aided or abetted the rebellion against the
United States Government, are not entitled to the benefits of this
act.
"Invalid applicants who are minors may apply in their own
behalf without the intervention of a guardian.
"Attorneys for claimants must have proper authority from
those in whose behalf they appear. Powers of attorney must be signed
in the presence of two witnesses, and acknowledged before a
duly-qualified officer, whose official character must be certified
under seal.
"In all cases the post-office address of the claimant must
be distinctly stated, over his or her proper signature.
"Applications under this act will be numbered and
acknowledged, to be acted on in their turn. In filing additional
evidence, correspondents should always give the number of the claim
as well as the name of the claimant.
"JOSEPH H. BARRETT,
"Commissioner.
"PENSION OFFICE, October 1, 1863."
A.
FORM OF DECLARATION FOR AN INVALID PENSION.
STATE [DISTRICT OR TERRITORY] of ____________
County of __________ }
ss.:
On this _________day of ______ A.D. one thousand eight hundred
and _________, personally appeared before me, [here
state the official character of the person administering the oath] within
and for the county and State aforesaid, A. B., aged years, a
resident of ____________ in the State of ____________ , who, being
duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical
____________ who enlisted in the service of the United States at
____________, on the ____________ day of ____________, in the year
____________, as a ____________ in company ____________, commanded
by ____________, in the ____________ regiment of ____________, in
the war of 1861, and was honorably discharged on the ____________
day of ____________ in the year ______; that while in the service
aforesaid, and in the line of his duty, he received the following
wound (or other
disability, as the
case may be): [Here
give a particular and minute account of the wound or other injury,
and state how, when, and where it occurred, where the applicant has
resided since leaving the service, and what has been his
occupation.]
My post-office address is as follows:
(Signature of claimant.)
Also personally appeared ____________ and ____________ residents
of (county, city, or
town), persons whom
I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who, being
by me duly sworn, say that they were present and saw ____________
sign his name (or
make his mark) to
the foregoing declaration; and they further swear that they have
every reason to believe, from the appearance of the applicant and
their acquaintance with him, that he is the identical person he
represents himself to be; and they further swear that they have no
interest in the prosecution of this claim.
(Signatures of witnesses.)
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this ____________ day of
____________, A.D. 186 --; and I hereby certify that I have no
interest, direct or indirect, in the prosecution of this claim.
(Signature of judge or other officer)
B.
FORM OF DECLARATION FOR OBTAINING A WIDOW’S ARMY PENSION.
STATE [DISTRICT OR TERRITORY] of ____________
County of __________ }
ss.:
On this ________ day of ________, A.D., ________________
personally appeared before me, ________________
of the ________________, A____ B____, a resident of
________________ and State [Territory or District] of
________________, aged _____ years, who, being first duly sworn
according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration,
in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of
Congress approved July 14, 1862: That she is the widow of
________________, who was a ________ in company ____ , commanded by
________________, in the ________________ regiment of ________ in
the war of 1861, who [here
specify the time, place, and cause of death]. She
further declares that she was married to the said ________________
on the ________ day of ________ in the year ________; that her
husband, the aforesaid , died on the day above mentioned, and that
she has remained a widow ever since that period (or,
if she has remarried and again become a widow, the fact must be
stated), as will
more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed. She also
declares that she has not in any manner been engaged in, or aided or
abetted, the rebellion in the United States. My post-office address
is as follows:
(Declarant’s signature.)
Also personally appeared ________________ and ________________,
residents of (county,
city, or town), persons
whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who,
being by me duly sworn, say that they wore present and saw sign her
name (or make her
mark) to the
foregoing declaration; and they further swear that they have every
reason to believe, from the appearance of the applicant and their
acquaintance with her, that she is the Identical person she
represents herself to be, and that they have no interest in the
prosecution of this claim.
(Signature of witnesses.)
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this ________ day of ________
, A.D. 186__; and I hereby certify that I have no interest, direct
or indirect, in the prosecution of this claim.
(Signature of judge or other officer.)
C.
FORM OF DECLARATION FOR MINOR CHILDREN IN ORDER TO OBTAIN ARMY
PENSIONS.
STATE [DISTRICT OR TERRITORY] of ____________
} ss.:.124
County of __________
On this ________ day of ________ , A.D. ________ personally
appeared before the ________________ of the ________________. A____
B____., a resident of ________________,in the county of ________,
and State [Territory or District] of ________________, aged ____
years, who, being first duly sworn according to law, doth on oath
make the following declaration, as guardian of the minor child of
deceased, in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by
the act of Congress, approved July 14, 1862, granting pensions to
minor children, under sixteen years of age, of deceased officers and
soldiers; that he is the guardian of [naming the minor child or
children, his ward or wards], whose father was a ________ in company
________, commanded by ________, in the ________ regiment of
________ in the war of 1861, and that the said ________________ died
at ________________ on the ________________ day of ________________,
in the year ________________ [here
state the cause of death], that
the mother of the child ________________ aforesaid died (or again
married, being now the wife of ___________) on the ________ day of
________ in the year ________; and that the date of birth of his
said ward __________, as follows:
________________________________________________________________.
He further declares that the parents of his said ward
________________ were married at ________________, on the ________
day of ________ in the year ________________ , by ________________.
My post-office address is as follows:
(Guardian’s signature.)
Also personally appeared ________________ and ________________,
residents of (county,
city, or town), persons
whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who,
being by me duly sworn, say that they were present and saw sign her
name (or make her
mark) to the
foregoing declaration; and they further swear that they have every
reason to believe, from the appearance of the applicant and their
acquaintance with her, that she is the Identical person she
represents herself to be, and that they have no interest in the
prosecution of this claim.
(Signature of witnesses.)
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this ________ day of ________
, A.D. 186__; and I hereby certify that I have no interest, direct
or indirect, in the prosecution of this claim.
(Signature of judge or other officer.)
D.
FORM OF DECLARATION FOR MOTHER’S APPLICATION FOR ARMY PENSION.
STATE [DISTRICT OR TERRITORY] of ____________
County of __________ }
ss.:
On this ________ day of ________, A.D. ________, personally
appeared before the ________________ of the ________________ , A____
B____, a resident of ________________ in the county of
________________ and State [Territory or District] of
________________ ,aged ____ years, who, being first duly sworn
according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration,
in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions made by the act of
Congress approved July 14, 1862: That she is the widow of
________________ and mother of ________________, who was a ________
in company ________, commanded by ________________, in the ________
regiment of ________, in the war of 1861, who [here
state the time, place, and cause of death].
She further declares that
her said son, upon whom she was wholly or in part dependent for
support, having left no widow or minor child under sixteen years of
age surviving, declarant makes this application for a pension under
the above-mentioned
act, and refers to the evidence filed herewith, and that in the
proper department, to establis h her claim.
She also declares that she has not, in any way, been engaged in,
or aided or abetted, the rebellion in the United States; that she is
not in the receipt of a pension under the 2d section of the act
above mentioned, or under any other act, nor has she again married
since the death of her son, the said ________________.
My post-office address is as follows:
(Declarant’s signature.)
Also personally appeared ________________ and ________________,
residents of (county,
city, or town), persons
whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who,
being by me duly sworn, say that they wore present and saw sign her
name (or make her
mark) to the
foregoing declaration; and they further swear that they have every
reason to believe, from the appearance of the applicant and their
acquaintance with her, that she is the Identical person she
represents herself to be, and that they have no interest in the
prosecution of this claim.
(Signature of witnesses.)
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this ________ day of ________
, A.D. 186__; and I hereby certify that I have no interest, direct
or indirect, in the prosecution of this claim.
(Signature of judge or other officer.)
E.
FORM OF DECLARATION OF ORPHAN SISTERS FOR ARMY PENSION. STATE
[DISTRICT OR TERRITORY] of ____________
County of __________ }
ss.:
On this ________ day of ________, A.D., personally appeared
before the ________________ of the ________
________, A____ B____, a resident of ________________ in the
county of ________________, and State
[Territory or District] of ________________ , aged ____ years,
who, being first duly sworn according to law, doth on oath make the
following declaration, in order to obtain a pension under the act of
July 14, 1862: That he is the legally appointed guardian of [here
give the names and ages of his ward or words], who
the only surviving child , under sixteen years of age, of
________________, and ________________, his wife, and sister of
________________, who was a ________ in company ________, commanded
by ________________ in the ________ regiment of ________________, in
the war of 1861, who [here
state the time, place, and cause of his death]. That
the brother of his said ward ________________, upon whom they were
wholly or in part dependent for support, having left no widow, minor
child or children, or mother, declarant as guardian, and on behalf
of his ward ________, refers to the accompanying evidence, and such
as may be found in the department, to establish her (or
their) claim under
the law above named. He further declares that his said ward
________________ not in the receipt of any pension under said act.
My post-office address is as follows:
(Guardian’s signature.).
Also personally appeared ________________ and ________________,
residents of (county,
city, or town), persons
whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who,
being by me duly sworn, say that they were present and saw sign her
name (or make her
mark) to the
foregoing declaration; and they further swear that they have every
reason to believe, from the appearance of the applicant and their
acquaintance with her, that she is the Identical person she
represents herself to be, and that they have no interest in the
prosecution of this claim.
(Signature of witnesses.)
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this ________ day of ________
, A.D. 186__; and I hereby certify that I have no interest, direct
or indirect, in the prosecution of this claim.
(Signature of judge or other officer.)
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