The records of the War Department fail to show that there was a colonel
of the Twenty-sixth Indiana Regiment named Richard O'Neal, but it does
appear that Richard Neal was lieutenant-colonel of said regiment; that
he was mustered in August 31, 1861, and resigned June 30, 1862.
If this is the officer whose widow is named in the bill, the proposition
is to pension a widow of a soldier who, after ten months' service,
resigned, and who seven months after his resignation died of disease
which was in no manner related to his military service.
There is besides such a discrepancy between the name given in the bill
and the name of the officer who served as lieutenant-colonel in the
regiment mentioned that if the merits were with the widow the bill would
need further Congressional consideration.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 19, 1887_.
_To the Senate_:
I herewith return without approval Senate bill No. 1626, entitled "An
act granting a pension to John Reed, Sr."
The report of the Senate Committee on Pensions merely states that the
mother of John Reed was granted a pension, commencing the 5th day of
December, 1862; that she has since died, and that the proposed bill is
to secure a pension to John Reed, Sr., the aged and dependent father of
the deceased soldier.
The records show that the beneficiary named in this bill filed an
application for a pension in 1877, alleging that he was the father of
John Reed, who died in the service, and that his wife, the mother of the
deceased soldier, died May 10, 1872, and that he, the father, was mainly
dependent upon his son for support.
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