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SOLDIERS TAKE NOTICE. . CHICAGO, June 27th, 1885, EDITOR PLAINDEALER:—For the benefit 1¢ may be to deserving but dis couraged soldiers, will you kindly give Space in your columns to the following brief history of a Pension Claim which was lately brought to a successful elite by William H. Cowlin, of Woodatock? As a near relative of the claimant I was deeply Interested In the matter. Standing between claimant and attor ney a great deal, I was able to watch the honest, earnest management which won the case wherein, as the history proves, many more pretentious attor neys failed. The claimant was well and hearty and a good soldier until, while on the “Tupelo Campaign,” he was taken prisoner and confined in rebel prisons, where a s light scratch on an ankle, in connection with his unhealthy food and waters, resulted in gangrene, and he hobbled on crutches to muster out with his company. While he has since discarded the crutches and cane, he was permanently crippled and his sys tem otherwise broken and diseased by the prison life. His regiment was marching near the rear of the column, one hot July day, halted about noon under some trees for reat. It marched on leaving him lying asleep, and he was not awakened until the wagon train was passing the spot. He could not overtake his regiment. The best he could do was to move on with the wagon train and overtake his regiment when it next halted, but in a very short time rebel cavalry made a ‘ ; ; and crippled, paroled only in time to muster out with his company. At first he was too patriotic to apply for a pension from his government which was steely financially distressed; but necessity and observation soon taught him that the refusal of a prof fered “gratuity” was patrioticm mis- directed. His application for pension first revealed to him the astonishing fact that notwithstanding his posses sion of an honorable discharge he was recorded as a deserter upon the records in the War Department. The War De partment reused to change the record, saying that his blame or blamelessness made no difference—that “desertion” simply meant ‘‘absence from the ranks without expressed leave;” and It was after advised by those whom we con sidered good authority that the Pen sion Department would not grant a pension while that record stood, and that a special Act of Congress was our only remedy. Preliminary to such “Act of Congress” I engaged Mr. Cowlin’s attention in the case, fully determined and half expecting, to drop the case only when I do my gray hairs, perhaps fifty years hence, after reasonable time given Congress to “Act,” although at that time I had never seen any of the papers in the case nor heard its history or its merits. In the language of the claimant, “My first attorney was M. C. Pike of Alton, Ill. He had my case on his docket for five years, and I think he never did anything with it as he never advised me in any way. Then I wrote BF. Pritchard, of Tnodltanapolis, Ind., upon having seen an advertisement of his. I then paid Mr. Pike his fee and gave the claim to Mr. Pritchard with all the evidence he asked. Afterward Geo. E. Leman, of Washington, notified me that he had purchased the business of Mr. Pritchard, and he asked me for more testimony. Finally he returned my discharge, saying that he thought my'case a just one but that he would advise me not to try any more. Under my advice, the claimant put the case in the hands of M. M. Clothier, ‘OP Richmond, Il., who, after investi gating it thoroughly, and seemingly doing all possible to prosecute the case to's successful issue, finally told me his opinion was that nothing but an act of Congress could secure the pension; and the case was received by Mr. Cowlin as an “Abandoned Claim.” Through no fault of the claimant, he ‘wa captured; through no fault of his to wae recorded a “deserter ;” through no fault of his ‘hiie health and strength were broken forever; and through no fault of his, his claim was delayed by attorneys “who Were, as the result proves, either negligent or Inefficient. Theilength of delay can be no easier realised tht by d0fsidering the fact ‘that thed while grew from childhood to machoed and the uselessness of It ead ‘be ‘not’ Sasser Mulized’than by con sideration OF the’fact that Mr. Cowlin successfully @nished it in the course of a very‘few midntes, at a time when the prosecution of claims was no easier or simpler, but if anything more difficult than at any time previous. To those whose claims are lying in the desks of foreign attorneys, covered by years’ accumulation of undisturbed dust, the foregoing must give a benefi cial hint; for my observation is that no business in the world so frequently and greatly suffers from negligence as does the business of pension claimants, Mark Foors, important to Ex-Union Soldiers. There being now pending In the War Department great numbers of volun teer pension claims which cannot be satisfactorily verified for want of in formation which missing records of discontinued volunteer commands would afford; and it having transpired in many instances that officers of the late volunteer forces have still in their possession, or under their control, books and other records pertaining to their corps, division, brigades, regiments and companies. Adjutant-General Drum has issued a circular calling at tention to the fact that all such books and records should be deposited in the adjutant -general’s office, and earnest f requests that they be forwarded with out delay to the adjutant-general at Washington. No expense other than postage, or proper express charges when packages exceed four pounds (the limit for avail parcels) can be paid by the Government. In the interest of the great number of widows, orphans, and disabled soldiers whose claims are involved, the newspapers of the coun try are requested to give the substance of this circular the greatest publicity. THE CHRISTIAN 1LEAGUE OF CONNECTI curt, Vol. II. i we Oy RE. en Phy soe £aper « . Potion Pe Publishing Co Co., St. Louis. The interesting religious experiment recorded by Washington Gla tden, of which Bradford, Conn., was the thea ter, has excited a large degree of in terest in the religious world. There is hardly a town or village in the country there is not a strong latent feeling of the need of union, and many places are ripe for a similar experiment. The causes that led to the effort to unite the efforts of religious denominations at Bradford, and to make them vir tually the difficulties in the way, the main which these were over come, and the character of the union effected have been well described by ‘Mead them. When our fore neGaced the British stamp act they had not the slightest dream of ae the great independent Re public. Consequences seem to have resulted also from the steps taken by the earnest men who founded the Christian League of which they had no forethought. It was not to be expect ed that their first compact would meet every difficulty which would arise. From its very nature a serious friction arose in the early days of the League. This at first threatened Its destruction but has been happily surmounted, and there has been another step for ward. The work named above gives the history of the workings of the League, the friction that arose; the counsel and prayers of earnest Christians who made the Savior’s prayer for unity their own, the manner in which the serious difficulties were overcome, and the present working basis of the League. Tn the preface a short account of the original League is given, a con densation of Washington Gladden’s history, and then the historian pro ceeds to record the subsequent history of the League. To all who are inter ested in the religious movements of our times, and especially in the long ings of the good and holy for a united church, the faithful, vivid and thought ful continuation of this history will be of rare Interest. Recently the Ameri can Congress of churches has met In Hartford, Conn. Is it not possible that the Christian League of Connecticut is responsible both for the Congress and its place of meeting ? The following summary of the heads of the chapters will give the readers some idea of the matters that come nder review in the work: ‘Trouble in the Christian League Club; A Crisis in the Affairs of the League; Christian Union in the Christian League ; Report of the Committee on Union; Action of the Church on the Proposition for Union; The first Meeting of the Church of Christ in New Albion. t n~ ‘The Franklin, Ga., News tells the following remarkable story: “Mr. Z. B. Claxton, who lives a mile from town, has the most remarkable baby we ever saw. The child is now a little more than two years old. Very early in its babyhood it became a victim to fits, and the most skillful, medical aid proved to be of no avail. But what is so remarkable is that when it was not more than three months old it showed an intense desire for tobacco. When anyone would take a chew in its pres sence its little face would be lit up with smiles as its small growthless hands stretched out for it. This action of the little Inv. was noticed for some time, and finally its father determined to give it tobacco, notwithstanding the strong protestations of the family. It took it eagerly and chewed it, swal lowing everything. The child showed no symptoms of sickness from it what ever, and from that it began the regu lar use of tobacco. This produced a happy effect, and the child began to fatten. Medical treatment, of course was dispensed with, and it is now the chubbiest and most healthy looking of all Mr. Claxton’s family. Its recovery is attributed wholly to the use of to bacco, but since it has been cured it seems not to crave the weed, and re fuses to take it when offered; and now Mr. Claxton thinks it will never use tobacco again. This is indeed a won derful case.” Letter from Vineland, ZEpher PLAINDEALER,—' having very dry and warm present. On account of the dry the strawberry crop has been shorten ed and all the crops have suffered. These droughts are of annual coverance and are a great hinderance © farmera, but we cannot expect a thing as we would wish it, so, content with what weather “Old sends us. This is the strawberry, son and, noshwithstanding their; weather, carloads and carloads been sent to the different adjac city markets. A great many are employed to pick them, some gek= ting one and a half cents a quars, others two cents. During: berry time, hardly a child, that is large enough to pick, can be seen on the streets, al most all being engaged in picking strawberries, raspberries of black berries, in their season. A week , a strawberry fair was held and many handsome and various kind berries were exhibited. On the occasion the ladies of the Society gave an exhibition of roses, which was very fine indeed and which reflected much credit on their labor in rearing such beautiful and large flow ers. Premiume to the amount of ¢ fifty dollars were offered for the ‘best display, quality, etc. of the straw berries. The beacon is about open for to go to the different watering pla although two weeks will find, a larger number moving eastwards and southward. A great many Vineland people own seaside cottages and very pleasant times they have in then when the hot summer days come. 'There is one little watering place to which we are only attracted. It is about three eid and really is one of the mountful spots on the Atlantic Coast. This is Holly Beach City, so far large holly island on which it is situated is five miles long and about one miles wide; a great part of It is covered with quite a forest of trees and I particularly re member its large hollies and’ oaks. This place is about 81x miles acre emtiRe of Cape May City and is is a beautiful sail from one pless eit ‘Tatrow Wetande” Treurrs During the summer time there “are many excursions to these different dea side resorts. At present one of the greatest bleating at home here, is a street sprinkler, which has just been manu factured. A very public spirited citizen started it and has generously, offered to run its week, free of . Our streets, especially Landis Ave., the principal one are very dusty during the dry weather and the sprinklers comes as a great blessing. The business me and women of a certain portion of Landis Ave. are expected to support it in the future. — _ The skating Rink has closed for the season, but the Salvation Army is at at work, endeavoring to save souls and convert people to their way of think ing. They have had a division © her however, and it has been thought bet to have two armies, instead of — Even the Salvation Army have diffi tles and cannot cling together, oat suppor it all tends to the — ment of humanity, that we differ in opinions,and start out on new ‘coitrass. Although this is not the usual time for lectures in Vineland, we are bein favored with them from noted persons. Mr. Burnham Wardwell is one of them. He had charge of the Virginia State Prison two years and made many improvements in the treatment ‘of the prisoners. He abandoned the use of the whipping-pest, buried the dead prisoners in a more humanitarian way, and showed what that great power of love, rightly used, could do. He, made prison reform his study and we for the last twelve years, and wndbhin ors everywhere he goes, to investigate, into the manner of treating the prison ers, insane, and paupers and reporting the same to the public. He has been imprisoned himself and almost starved to death for exposing the treatment of the jailers towards the prisoners. It is very evident that the prisons, in sane asylums and almshouses In our free and liberty leying country are not conducted as they should be. Prof. R. W. Hume, of N. Y. is lectur ing here on Government, Values, Land Tenures, etc., and is considered a very able speaker. Youre truly, Emma A, Far.
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McHenry Plaindealer
Mchenry, Illinois, US
Wed, Jul 08, 1885
Page 1
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Phil D.
USA 29 Jan 2026
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McHenry Plaindealer
