46-2Invalid PensionsAmendment of Revised Statutes. [1938] To allow pensions for volunteers in the Sioux outbreak of 1862 in Minnesota.1880-16

House of Representatives Report No. 1657, 46th Congress, 2nd Session (1880)

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46TH CoNGRESS, } HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. { REPORT 2d Session. No. 1657 . .. ---- -TO AME:ND ARTICLE 3 OF SECTION 4693 OF THE REVI~ED STATUTES. Ju~m 4, 1830.-Referre:l to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. l\1r. 00FFR01'II, from the Committee on Invalid Pensions, submitted the following REPORT: [To accompany bill H. R. G93G.] The Oomntittee on Invalid Pensions, to toh01n was referred the bill (H. R. 5936) to amend article 3 of section 4693 of the Revised Statutes, hat'e had the swne under consideration, and respecif'ltlly report : That on the 18th day of August, 1862, there occurred in the State of Minnesota an Indian outbreak, known as the Sioux Indian massacre, by which hundreds of the settlers on the frontier were killed and many others wounded and permanently injured by the Sioux Indians engaged in the war upon the people. The residents in the neighborhood of Fort Ridgeley and the village of New Ulm fled to those places for protec-tion and safety. The Indians had already swept the valley of the lfin-nesota to those points, where an organized resistance was made, and a fight kept up for eight days with such re-enforcements as could be has-tily gathered together from other parts of the State. The determined resistance of those who were defending New mm saved the State from beillg oyerrun by the most brutal savages that ever raised a hand against a quiet, orderly people. It is impossible to estimate the number of lives and the millions of dollars worth of property saved by the hero-ism displayed at New Ulm. So sudden was the call to arms that no regular method of enrollment could be made; the emergency was great; the savages must be stopped at these points or a great part of the State would have been doomed to destruction. No men ever deserved more who defended their country than those who fought at the battle of New Ulm. The stand made at Fort Ridgeley and New Ulm stopped the march of the savages, and saved the women and children of the State from a fate worse than death. In the fight a number of persons who were called out by the sheriff of Brown County were either killed or wounded. To provide for them and their families Congress passed an act, approved July 4, 1864. (See article 3, section 4692, Revised Stat-utes.) Shortly after this act was passed a number of pensions were allowed by the Commissioner of Pensions to those who were called out by the sheriff. Afterwards the Commissioner of Pensions, in the year 1871, decided that persons who were called out by the sheriff were not entitled to pensions under this law, as they could not be considered volunteers. Your committee are of the opinion that the men who responded to 2 AMENDMENT OF REVISED STATUTES. the call of the sheriff to defend the town against the Indians were as useful as if called out by the President of the United States. It is true the men who were engaged in the fight at New IDm were not under United States officers, as none were near to take command. It was one of those cases where the most active man takes command by common consent. The result of the fight was the safety of the State. we therefore recommend that the bill do pass. 0 

To amend article 3 of section 4693 of the revised statutes.

https://shareok.org/bitstream/11244/38387/1/House-46-2-Report-1657-Serial-1938.pdf

To amend article 3 of section 4693 of the revised statutes.

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