| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 52D
CONGRESS, 1st Session CHESTER F GRANT February 5, 1892 – Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed. Mr Bowers, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT (To accompany H. R. 1336) The Committee on Military Affairs have had under consideration the bill (H. R. 1336) granting an honorable discharge to Chester F Grant, and report as follows: From the military record furnished the committee by the War Department it appears that the said Chester F Grant was a member of Company C, Thirty-ninth Iowa Volunteers, enrolled August, 1862; that he served faithfully until about December 20, 1862, when he was captured at Shady Grove, Tenn.; that he was released March 6, 1863; was sent to Benton Barracks, from which place he is reported as having deserted in September, 1863. From the affidavit of Capt. D Marsh, captain of said company, it appears that the said Chester F Grout had a wife and several children living at Adel, Iowa; that they were poor and in destitute circumstances; that the said soldier was an ignorant, uneducated man, with but little knowledge of military law or discipline. From the affidavit of the soldier and his comrades that while in parole camp at St Louis he received word of the severe sickness and destitution of his family, and he left the camp without permission to go to them; that one of his children died soon after his getting home; that the family was utterly destitute, and he remained with them to care for them. In view of all the facts presented, your committee believe this is a meritorious case and recomment that the bill do pass. The record and affidavit are hereto appended and made part of this report. Case of Chester F Grant, an
alleged late private in Company C, Thirty-ninth Iowa Volunteers. Record and
Pension Division, January 22, 1892 The name Chester F Grant has not been found on the rolls of Company C, Thirty-ninth Iowa Volunteers. Chester F Grout was, however, a member of that organization, and from the official records it appears that he was enrolled August 11, 1862, to serve three years, and served faithfully until on or about December 20, 1862, when he was captured at Shady Grove, Tenn. He was released March 6, 1863, and was sent to Benton Barracks, Mo., where he is reported to have deserted on or about September 1, 1863. He did not return to his command, which remained in service until June 5, 1865. No testimony has been submitted to this Department looking to a removal of the charge of desertion, and in the absence of evidence as to the cause of his failure to return to the military service the status of the soldier under the statute for the relief of soldiers charged with desertion can not be determined. Respectfully submitted F C
Ainsworth, Major and Surgeon, U S Army The Secretary of War
On this 7th day of April, AD 1891, before me,
A M McColl, clerk of the district court in and for Dallas County, Iowa,
personally appeared Isaac D Marsh, whose age is 67 years, and whose
occupation is that of a retired farmer, and whose residence is Adel,
Dallas County, Iowa, and whom I certify to be respectable and entitled
to credit, and who being by me first duly sworn, deposes and testifies
as follows: The he was
captain of Company C, Thirty-ninth Regiment Iowa Infantry Volunteers.
That affiant knew Chester F Grout, who enlisted in said
company in Adel, Iowa, in the summer of 1862. That my
recollection is that said Grout then had a wife and several children
living in Adel, Iowa, and that they were very poor, in fact almost in
destitute circumstances. That said Chester F Grout served in
my company, in the regiment aforesaid, from the time of his enlistment
until the latter part of December, 1862. That he was captured
by the rebels the latter part of December, 1862, at a place called
Shady Grove, in the State of Tennessee. That he never again
returned to my company, and his record is that he deserted.
That said Grout was an ingorant, uneducated man, with but
little general information and with but little knowledge of military
law or discipline. That I never knew said soldier prior to
the time he enlisted, and I am in no way related to him, and I have but
little recollection of him. Isaac D Marsh Sworn to and subscribed before
me and in my -presence by said Isaad D Marsh on this 7th day of April,
AD 1891 [SEAL] A M McColl, Clerk of the District Court On
this 7th day of April, AD 1891, before me, A M McColl, clerk of the
district court in and for Dallas County, Iowa, personally appeared C G
D Rickerson, whose age is 61 years, and whose occupation is that of a
carpenter, and whose residence is Adel, Dallas County, Iowa, and whom I
certify to be respectable and entitled to credence, and who, being by
me first duly sworn, deposes and testifies as follows: That he was a member of Company B, Thirty-ninth Regiment Iowa Infantry Volunteers. That he enlisted in said service in the summer of 1862, and that he well knew Chester F Grout, who was a private soldier in Company C of said regiment. That said Chester F Grout was captured by the rebels the latter part of December, 1862, at a place called Shady Grove, in the State of Tennessee, and my recollection is that he never again returned to the regiment, and I am informed that his record is that of a deserter. That said Chester F Grout was very poor and he was ignorant and uneducated. He had but little general information and but little knowledge of military law or discipline, and my recollection of his is also that, while he was with said company in the service aforesaid, he was a good soldier, and always did his duty cheerfully. I am in no way related to said Chester F Grout, and yet I have no doubt but that his disability should be removed, and that he should be granted an honorable discharge from said service. C
G D Rickerson Sworn
to and subscribed before me and in my presence by said C G D Rickerson
on the 7th day of April, AD 1891. [SEAL] A M McColl, Clerk of District Court On
this 8th day of April, AD 1891, before me, A M McColl, clerk of the
district court in and for Dallas County, Iowa, personally appeared
Thomas Ashton, whose age is 57 years, and whose occupation is that of a
farmer, and whose residence is Adel, Dallas County, Iowa, and whom I
certify to be respectable and entitled to credence, and who being by me
first duly sworn, deposes and testifies as follows: That he has long known Chester F Grout, who was formerly a private soldier in Company C, Thirty-ninth Regiment Iowa Infantry Volunteers. That said Chester F Grout enlisted in said service in Adel, Iowa, in the summer of 1862; that affiant was a member of the same company with said Grout. That about the last of December, 1862, said Chester F Grout, while in said service, in the company and regiment aforesaid, and while he was in line of duty, was captured by the rebels at a place called Shady Grove, in the State of Tennessee. A few days thereafter, at the battle of Parkers Cross Roads, in the State of Tennessee, affiant was captured. That both affiant and said Chester F Grout were soon thereafter paroled and sent to a parole camp at St Louis, Mo., where we were both kept without being exchanged until in September, AD 1863. That while said Chester F Grout was at said parole camp at St Louis under said parole as a prisoner of war, and before he was exchanged, he received word that some of his family, in Adel, Iowa, were dangerously sick; he then had a wife and several children living in Adel, Iowa, who were almost in destitute circumstances. Upon receiving such word, as to the dangerous condition of his family, he left said camp without leave and came home, and, as affiant is informed, he never returned to his regiment. That said Grout was a good soldier up to the time he was captured, as aforesaid; that he is an ignorant, uneducated man, with but very little general informaiton or knowledge, and he had always born the reputation of being honest, industrious, and reliable. I am not in any way related to said Chester F Grout, and I believe that his disabilities should be removed, and that he should be granted an honorable discharge. Thomas Ashton Subscribed and sworn to before
me by Thomas Ashton this 8th day of April, 1891. [SEAL] A M McColl, Clerk of the District Court of Dallas County, Iowa |