SENATE

54TH CONGRESS, 2nd Session
Report No. 1436

WILLIAM M DALZELL

February 10, 1897 – Ordered to be printed.

Mr Mitchell, of Wisconsin, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following

REPORT

(To accompany H. R. 1498)

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 1498) directing the Secretary of War to grant an honorable discharge to William M Dalzell, have examined the same, and report:

The report of the Committee on Military Affairs of the House of Representatives, hereto appended, is adopted and the passage of the bill is recommended.

[House Report No. 969, Fifty-fourth Congress, first session.]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 1498) granting an honorable discharge to William M Dalzell, having examined and considered the same, report the bill back to the House with a recommendation that it do pass.

From a report made by the War Department in this case it appears that -

"William M Dalzell was enrolled May 27, 1861, for three years, as corporal of Company B, Second Iowa Infantry, and is reported on the muster roll of the company for September and October, 1861, as having been transferred to the recruiting service for the State of Iowa October 1, 1861.  With the exception of the roll for July and August, 1862, on which he is similarly reported, his name is not borne on any muster roll from October, 1861, to the date of muster out of the company on July 12,, 1865.

"The application for honorable discharge previously submited was denied on December 10, 1880, on the ground that there was no evidence of the alleged transfer to the United States Navy, and that the applicant's unsupported statement did not warrant a change in the record.

"An investigation, brought about by a similar application in September, 1888, elicited the following facts:

"The Navy Department reported that there was no record of claimant's service in the United States Navy.

"The Second Auditor reported that there were no papers on file in his office relative to the case.

"On September 20, 1888, the claimant was informed that no record had been found of him from October, 1861, to June 15, 1862, when he accepted civil employment in the Quartermaster's Department, and that no favorable action could be taken in his case except upon satisfactory evidence of his discharge from the military service prior to his employment as a civilian.'

An inquiry of the adjutant-general of Iowa elicited the following reply:

"William M Dalzell was reported transferred October 1, 1861, and also August 1, 1861.  Report of transfer does not state to what organization transferred, but in remarks says to Iowa State recruiting service.  He is supposed to have been transgerred to Marine Brigade.  There are no records in this office going to show in what organization, other than the Second Iowa Infantry, he served."

The claimant makes the following statement under oath as to his whereabouts after the transfer above referred to:

"About October 1, 1861, Capt. R M Littler, of Company B, Second Iowa Infantry, transferred me to the Navy Department under command of Captain Penneck, who was then in charge of the naval station at Cairo.  Having for many years previous to enlistment been a steamboat captain, I was ordered by Captain Pennock to take charge of the steamer Eugene, which I did.  I ran said boat until October 1, 1862, on which date I was ordered to go with the boat to Memphis, stopping at Randolph, Tenn., to find out about the killing of a lieutenant a few days before.  While ashore at Randolph I was taken prisoner, but saved the boat by calling to the pilot to back her off.  Later I was paroled and released.  Returning to Cairo, I was informed by Captain Pennock to go home until he got an exchange of prisoners.  I afterwards learned that there had never been an exchange of naval prisoners; that I could not go back to my company, as Captain Pennock claimed me, and that I was a paroled prisoner."

Quincy McNeil, of Quincy, Ill., swears that he was in command of Island No. 10 from May, 1862, to October, 1862; that he is well acquainted with William M Dalzell, of Davenport, and has so known him for about forty years; that said William M Dalzell was a steamboat captain, and as such was in command of the steamer Eugene in the service of the United States in the war of the rebellion; that he frequently saw said steamer with said Dalzell in command; that some time in October, 1862, said steamer landed at Island No 10, at which place affiant was then in command, and reported that at a place about 12 miles above, Captain Dalzell, while ashore, had been taken prisoner.  Affiant placed Company L, Second Illinois Cavalry, on the boat to proceed to New Madrid, Mo., and in conjunction with Company D of said regiment to pursue the captors, which was done.  Captain Dalzell was not rescured, although the expedition returned with about twenty prisoners of the marauding party.

Abram H Clark, of Peoria, Ill., swears that he was a member of Company B, Second Iowa Volunteers, in which company and regiment said Dalzell served until October 1, 1861, when he was transferred to the naval transport service, in which he served for one years; that he was taken prisoner while in command of the naval transport steamer Eugene, and afterwards paroled and sent home.

It also appears from the report made by the War Department that there were other affidavits in support of the statements made by said Dalzell, including the affidavit of Captain Littler, who was in command of Dalzell's company at the time the transfer is said to have been made.

So far as any record appears bearing upon the question of transfer to the marine or naval transport service, such record sustains the claim and statements of the beneficiary, and on this evidence the transfer, although perhaps not made strictly as it should have been, must be conceded to have taken place.  That William M Dalzell was in the naval transport service and was taken prisoner and paroled is sustained by the affidavits of Col. Quincy McNeil, who from May to October, 1862, was in command of Island No. 10, and Abram H Clark, of Peoria, Ill., who was a member of the same company with said Dalzell.  The soldier's affidavit shows that there never had been any exchange of naval prisoners, and that he was informed by Captain Pennock, under whom he served on the naval transport Eugene, that he could not go back to his company while a paroled prisoner.

Your committee have arrived at the conclusion that no intention to desert appears in the case, and that the charge of desertion has grown out of the peculiar circumstances surrounding the soldier, and for which, in the opinion of your committee, he should not be held accountable.

Transcribed by M E Collins