ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.-This act provides pensions, for service in the Continental line, State Troops, Volunteers and Militia (not including the French Army), of full pay for two years' service, at the same rate for less service, not being less than six months, and not to exceed in any case the pay of a Captain, in other words, the half-pay for service not less than six months nor exceeding two years. To commence on March 4, 1831, and to continue for life.

Service under this act, in the continental line, to be computed up to September 3, 1783, whenever it commenced before April 11, 1783.

Whenever a soldier, who would have been entitled to a pension under this act, died after March 4, 1831, and before March 4, 1832, the pension from March 4, 1831, to his death, is payable to his widow or children-see 2d section, act July 4, 1836, page 42.

ACT OF JULY 4, 1836. (3d SEC.)-This act provides pensions to the widows of such persons as would have been entitled to the benefits of the act of June 7th, 1832, whose marriage took place before the expiration of the service of their husbands, at the same rate their husbands would have been entitled to under the act of 1832. To commence on March 4th, 1831, and continuing during widowhood.

Widows of those wars-men who entered the service before April, 1783, are entitled under this act if married before November 3, 1783, but the service is computed only to September 3, 1783, the date of the definite treaty of Peace. See act March 3, 1937, page 43; and refer to cases of Dorcas Blake, deceased, of Massachusetts, admitted under act of 1836, and Susanna Holbrook, of Connecticut, admitted under same act.

ACT OF JULY 7, 1838.-This act provides pensions, for similar service and at the same rates, to those widows whose marriage took place before January, 1794, for five years from March 4, 1836; continued under act of March 3d, 1843, from March 4, 1843, for one year; continued under act of June 7, 1844, from March 4, 1844, for four years; and under the act of February 2, 1848, from March 4, 1848, during widowhood.

JOINT RESOLUTION, JULY 1, 1848.-This Resolution provides that if the husbands of such widows had been pensioned, the evidence upon which they were pensioned should be considered conclusive of their service; and the widows should be pensioned at the same rate the soldier would be entitled to, if living.

ACT OF JULY 29, 1848.-This act provides pensions, for similar service, and at the same rates, to those widows whose marriage took place before the year 1800, commencing on March 4, 1848, and to continue during widowhood.

ACT OF FEBRUARY 3, 1853.-This act provides pensions, for similar service and at the same rates, to widows (whose husbands served in the army) whose marriage took place subsequent to January, 1800, to commence from the date of the act and continue during widowhood.

ARREARS OF PENSIONS, TO WHOM DUE.

Arrears of soldiers' pensions are payable: first, to their widows, if surviving at the time of the allowance (for arrears) being made; and, second, to their children, and not to grandchildren or other heirs.

If no widow is surviving at the time of the allowance of a soldier's arrears, the fact that the soldier had a wife, and the date of her death, must be proven, as also, the fact that the children claiming were recognized as his.

Arrears of widows' pensions are payable to their children; but not to grandchildren, or other heirs; and to entitle children to a widow's arrears, it is only necessary to prove that they are her children, and her only children surviving, without regard to their paternity.

Arrears of soldiers' pensions are payable, under the act of 1818, for any fractional period of less than six months between the last semi-annual payment and the date of their death. Under the acts of 1828 and 1832, from the time that the soldier would have been entitled to pension until the day of his death excepting only such time as he may have drawn his pension. Under the acts granting pensions to widows,

arrears are payable to their children for all such pension moneys as they were entitled to, but did not receive.

No arrears are due, where the person in whose right they are claimed was not living at the date of the act granting the pension, nor are any pensions (except arrears as above) due to children of Revolutionary soldiers, or of their widows.

RATES OF PENSIONS. With the exception of the Act of March 18, 1818, the preceding Acts, in providing the amount of pension to be allowed under them, refer to the full pay of the officer or soldier while in the service. To determine the rate of

pension, reference is had to the rate of pay received by the person on account of whose service the pension is claimed. As various changes were made in the rate of pay during the war, reference should be had to the pay table commencing on page 337, which has been carefully compiled from the Journals of Congress, they being the only official evidence of the amount of pay, and of its increase and decrease during the continuance of the war. Such increase and decrease will appear in the table, with the dates of the same, and the amount at the close of the war, as far as the Journals contain the same.

For the service of an officer or soldier for two years, or more, the pension is computed at the rate of his pay per year. If the service was for eighteen months, the pension will be the pay for nine months per year. If the service was for twelve months, it will amount to one half of the pay per year. If for six months, it will amount to the pay for three months' service per year, or to one-quarter of the yearly pay. No service for less than six months entitles the claimant to a pension. Over six months and not exceeding two years' service, entitles at the rate above, months and days being computed in settling the pension.

REVOLUTIONARY PENSIONS.

ACT OF MARCII 18, 1818.

This act was the first passed by Congress providing pensions on account of service in the war of the Revolution. It is still in legal existence, and embraces in its provisions, the officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates of the army of the revolution, on the continental establishment; the officers of the hospital department and medical staff; together with the commissioned and non-commissioned officers, mariners, (sailors) and marines who served in the naval force in said war. Nine months' service is required to entitle the claimant to a pension, and the benefits of the act restricted to those, who at the date of its passage, were resident citizens of the United States, and who were at the time, or should afterwards, by reason of reduced circumstances, be in need of the assistance of the country for support.

The act requires that previous pensions should be relinquished-a declaration under oath be made and transmitted to the Secretary of War, (now of the Interior,) and that the pension should commence from the day of oath.

No application should be made under this act for the reason, that the pension if allowed, will commence from the completion of the proof. No person could establish a claim, unless he proved nine months' service—the same service, if proved under the act of 7th June, 1832, would entitle the claimant to a pension (if a private of infantry) of $30 a year from the 4th March, 1831. For these reasons it is not deemed necessary to insert forms and instructions relative to this act or the acts supplemental thereto.

ACT OF MARCH 18, 1818. AN ACT to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service

of the United States in the revolutionary war.

APPROVED, MARCH 18, 1818. Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That every commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer, musician, and private soldier, and all officers in the hospital department and medical staff, who served in the war of the revolution until the end thereof, or for the term of nine months, or longer, at any period of the war, on the continental establishment; and every commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer, mariner, or marine, who served at the same time, and for a like term, in the naval service of the United States, who is yet a resident citizen of the United States, and who is, or hereafter, by reason of his reduced circumstances in life, shall be in need of assistance from his country for support, and shall have substantiated his claim to a pension in the manner hereinafter directed, shall receive a pension from the United States : if an officer, of twenty dollars per month during life; if a non-commissioned officer, musician, mariner, marine, or private soldier, of eight dollars per month during life : Provided, No person shall be entitled to the provisions of this act until he shall have relinquished his claim to every pension heretofore allowed him by the laws of the United States.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That, to entitle any person to the provisions of this act, he shall make a declaration, under oath or affirmation, before the district judge of the United States of the district, or before any judge or court of record of the county, State, or Territory in which the applicant shall reside, setting forth, if he belonged to the army, the company, regiment, and line to which he belonged; the time he entered the service, and the time and manner of leaving the service; and, in case he belonged to the navy, a like declaration, setting forth the name of the vessel and particular service in which he was employed, and the time and manner of leaving the service, and shall offer such other evidence as may be in his power; and on its appearing, to the satisfaction of the said judge, that the applicant served in the revolutionary war as aforesaid, against the common enemy, he shall certify and transmit the testimony in the case, and the proceedings had thereon, to the Secretary for the Department of War, whose duty it shall be, if satisfied the applicant comes under the provisions of this act, to place such officer,