GENERAL MANSON - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Much inquiry has been made since the announcement of the amount that General Manson received as a pension, and knowing the facts would be of interest to the old veteran's friends, were submitted showing that The Journal sought an interview with Chas. M. Travis, the General's attorney. .Yes." said Mr. Travis, "I have noticed a great many comments in the newspapers of the State upon the pension recently issued to Gen. Manson. It has been spoken of as a pension for his service in the Mexican war, and as a new pension just issued for services in the war of the Rebellion, and one paper had It that he received $3,000 per month. etc., etc. I claim to know the facts of the case as I was Gen. Manson's attorney in the claim and will tell you just how it is: "Gen. Manson has drawn a pension for a number of years, at $15 per month on account of shell wound of right shoulder and arm received at Rosacea, Ga., May 14, 1864. In March, 1886, he told me of his injuries, and mentioned that he had received wounds that the pension office had never taken into consideration when they rated his pension in the first time. It is not necessary to say that Gen. Manson is one of the worst used up men that passed through the war. His body is covered with wounds, besides, a hernia, which alone would have entitled him to more than $15 per month. I know private soldiers who are drawing $18 per month for the same kind of an injury.

But in conversing with him, I learned the extent of his wounds and injuries, and felt sure he was entitled to increase of his pension, also re-issue include a gun shot wound of the right thigh, received at Richmond, Ky., Aug. 30, 1862, and also an injury to his left wrist and right breast, (the wrist bone and breast bone both being broken) caused by his horse falling with him, at Louisville, Ky., in Sept., 1SUJ. He had never been rated on account of these[injuries, though he could have been drawing pension for them years ago, if he had urged his claim. His application was made March 22, 1886, and after examination by two medical boards, at Crawfordsville and the records of the War Department and Surgeon General’s office, the claim was allowed January 5, 1888, at $22.50 per month from Dec. 22, 1864, and per month from April 21, 1886. deducting the $15 per month which he had received through all these years. So you see instead of the Government doing any very great thing for Gen. Manson, she has given him simply $7.50 per month pension. upon wounds and injuries for which many a soldier is today receiving $18, $24 and $30 per month. This increase rate dating from Dec. 22, 1864, made a total of $2,220, arrears of pension—and any soldier would have received the same, under the same circumstances. I have been led to believe that the claim of Gen. Manson was scrutinized, and delayed longer than a similar claim would have been if made by a private soldier because so many claimants are ready to pick up at the least sign of favoritism and accused the department of being partial."  -- kbz