EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 23, 1886_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
I return herewith without approval House bill No. 6192, entitled "An act
granting a pension to Mary Norman."
The husband of this claimant was enrolled May 22, 1863, and was mustered
out of the service June 1, 1866.
He was wounded in the head February 20, 1864; was treated for the same,
and returned to duty September 3, 1864.
In her declaration for pension, filed in February, 1880, the claimant
claims a pension because of his wound and deafness consequent therefrom,
and that he died after he left the service.
In a letter, however, dated October 13, 1880, she states that her
husband was drowned while trying to cross Roanoke River in December,
1868.
Her claim was rejected in 1881 on the ground that the cause of the
soldier's death was accidental drowning, and was not due to his military
service.
In an attempt to meet this objection it was claimed as lately as 1885,
on behalf of the widow, that her husband's wound caused deafness to such
an extent that at the time he was drowned he was unable to hear the
ferryman, with whom he was crossing the river, call out that the boat
was sinking.
How he could have saved his life if he had heard the warning is not
stated.
It seems very clear to me that this is not a proper case for the
granting of a pension.