They Asked For Relief And Got It.

In today’s world when we hear the word ( Relief ), we automatically think of ( Welfare ), but that wasn’t the case in the old day’s. The Government passed the relief act to help those in need. In the 1700’s & 1800’s money was hard to come by, and work was hard to find and as many families lived far a part and if something was happen they had little or no one to turn to. The relief act was to help those in need, but that didn’t mean all those that asked for relief got it.

The government tried to be fair to all but many would not receive any. Many who asked for help were those that lost something like a husband, father or son in the time of war. In the time of war many would loss something a family member a farm or house or even a horse. Then there were those who lost money or had it taken away from them, even the loss of land for one reason or another. The Government was glad to help as long as what the people was asking was fair and had proof of their loss, the following people asked for relief and got it.

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Mary A. Baker and Edward D. Baker.

Chap. CXXXIII. — An Act for the Relief of Mary A. Baker, Widow of Brigadier General Edward D. Baker.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he hereby is, authorized and directed to place the name of Mary A. Baker, widow of Brigadier-General Edward D. Baker, on the pension roll, at the rate of fifty dollars a month, from the twenty-first day of October, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, to continue during her widowhood.
APPROVED, March 3, 1865.

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Eliza Berry and Hiram G. Berry.

Chap. CXXXV. — An Act granting a Pension to the Widow of the late Major-General Hiram G. Berry.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the interior be, and he hereby is, authorized and directed to place the name of Eliza Berry, widow of Major-General Hiram G. Berry, on the pension roll, at the rate of fifty dollars a month, from the third day of May, anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty-three, to continue during her widowhood.
APPROVED, March 3, 1865.

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Almira M. Berry and Hiram G. Berry.

CHAP. CXLV. — An Act to amend an Act entitled “An Act granting a Pension to the Widow of the late Major-General Hiram G. Berry.”

Whereas in the act granting a pension to the widow of the late Major General Hiram G. Berry, approved March third, eighteen hundred and sixty-five, said widow is erroneously called Eliza Berry: Therefore, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be authorized and directed to place the name of Almira M. Berry, widow of Major-General Hiram G. Berry, on the pension rolls instead of Eliza Berry, as provided for by the act aforesaid.

APPROVED, June 27, 1866.

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Eliza B. Anderson and Duncan L. Clinch.

CHAP. XXXIII. — An Act for the Relief of the Heirs of the late General Duncan L. Clinch, deceased.

WHEREAS Eliza B. Anderson, wife of Major-General Robert Anderson, and daughter and heir-at-law of the late General Duncan L. Clinch, deceased, has an equitable claim, in her own right and to the exclusion of all other heirs of said Clinch, against the Government of the United States, they having released all demands in the premises; and whereas the family of the said Robert Anderson need for their support the amount which she may be entitled to: Now, therefore, in consideration of the premises, and in consideration of the distinguished services of the said Major-General Robert Anderson and his permanent disability: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there be, and hereby is, appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars to Lars Anderson in trust for the exclusive use of the said Eliza B. Anderson during her life time; and any part thereof remaining at her death to be held in trust for her children full satisfaction of the claim against the United States of the said Eliza B. Anderson, for and on account of any demand of the late Duncan L. Clinch, deceased.
APPROVED, March 19, 1868.

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Christina Elder and Alexander B. Elder.

CHAP. CVIII. —An Act for the Relief of Christina Elder.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior, is hereby directed to pay to Christina Elder, of the city of New York, the arrears of pension to which Jessie Elder, mother of the said Christina Elder and of Alexander B. Elder, late lieutenant-colonel of the tenth regiment of New York volunteers, would have been entitled, had the certificate of W. T. Otto, acting Secretary of the Interior, countersigned by Joseph H. Barrett, Commissioner of Pensions, and bearing date on the twenty-fifth day of November, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in favor of the said Jessie Elder, been granted in his lifetime.
APPROVED, June 6, 1866.

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Ulysses S. Grant.

Chap. CVI. —An Act for the Relief of Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in the settlement of the accounts with the treasury of Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant, as commissary and regimental quartermaster, fourth infantry, there shall be allowed the said Grant the sum of one thousand dollars, on account of the loss of that amount of public funds in his hands by theft on the night of the sixteenth f June, eighteen hundred and forty-eight, the loss being without neglect or fault on the part of said Grant. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, if the accounts of the said Grant have been fully settled at the proper accounting office of the treasury, and the said amount of one thousand dollars accounted for, then and in that case there shall be paid to said Grant the sum of one thousand dollars out of any money not otherwise appropriated.

APPROVED, June 17, 1862.

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Marian Mulligan and James A. Mulligan.

CHAP. CXIX. — An Act for the Relief of the Widow and Children of Colonel James A. Mulligan, deceased.

Whereas James A. Mulligan on the fifteenth of June, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, was mustered into the service of the United States as colonel of the twenty-third Illinois infantry, known as the “ Irish brigade,” marched to the front in July, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, and from that time, (excepting two months when a prisoner of war,) was actively engaged in the military service of the republic against armed rebels until he fell on the battle-field of Winchester, the twenty-sixth day of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-four; and whereas during two years of that military service he was assigned to the command of brigades and divisions, and performed the duties of brigadier and major general, but received only the pay of a colonel; and whereas the widow and children of the said Colonel James A. Mulligan are justly entitled to, and need for their support, the amount of pay which he would have received if he had been commissioned according to his respective commands in the field: Now, therefore, in consideration of the premises, Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and is hereby, directed to pay to Marian Mulligan, widow of said Colonel James A. Mulligan, the sum of five thousand dollars, to be paid out of the money appropriated for the pay of the army.
APPROVED, July 3, 1868.

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Mrs. Frances S. Richardson and I. B. Richardson.

CHAP. XVIII. — An Act for the Relief of the Heirs of the late Major- General I. B. Richardson, deceased.

Be it enacted by the Senate and Rouse of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there be, and is hereby, appropriated, out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of four hundred dollars to Mrs. Frances S. Richardson, widow of the late Major-General I. B. Richardson, deceased, in trust for Israel P. Richardson, minor child and heir of said Richardson, deceased; the same being in full compensation for one mule and four horses stolen from deceased in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-two by the Apache Indians, while he was on duty in New Mexico as an officer of the United States army.
APPROVED, March 2, 1868.
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CHAP. CCXXXI. — An Act granting an Increase of Pension to Frances T. Richardson, Widow of the lute Major-General Israel B. Richardson.
Be it enacted by the Senate and house of Representatives of the United States of America in congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be, teal Ito is hereby, authorized and directed to place on the pension roll the name of Frances T. Richardson, widow of the late Major-General Israel B. Richardson, for pension at the rate of fifty dollars per month from the third day of November, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, on which day General Richardson died from wounds received in the battle of Antietam on the seventeenth day of September, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, said pension to be continued during her widowhood, and if that should terminate, then to be continued to Israel Philip Richardson, sole surviving child of said General Richardson, until he shall become sixteen years old. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the pension heretofore allowed to said Frances T. Richardson, under general law, be discontinued, but the sum received by her under the same shall be deducted from the pension hereby granted, and this pension shall be subject to the provisions of the general pension law.
APPROVED, July 23, 1868.

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Fanny Mactier Smith and Charles Ferguson Smith.

Gen. Charles F. Smith, Died: April 25, 1862 of a foot infection he got in jumping from one boat to another in opening stages of Shiloh Campaign.

CHAP. CLXII. — An Act for the Relief of Fanny Mactier Smith.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorized and required to place the name of Fanny Mactier Smith, widow of the late Major General Charles Ferguson Smith, of the United States army, on the pension roll, at the rate of fifty dollars per month, from the first day of May, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, for and during her widowhood.
APPROVED, July 12, 1862.

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Margaret L. Stevens and Isaac I. Stevens.

CRAP. CXXVIII. — An Act for the Relief of Margaret L. Stevens, Widow of Brigadier General Isaac L. Stevens.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he hereby is, authorized and directed to place the name of Margaret L. Stevens, widow of Brigadier-General Isaac I. Stevens, on the pension roll, at the rate of fifty dollars a month from the first day of September, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, to Continue during her widowhood.
APPROVED, March 3, 1863.