Show REWARDS FOR HEROES 4 flow Army Board Is Conducting Its Labors + BREVETS AND MEDALS + TOE DEEDS OF BRAVERY TN > THE LATE WAS + Plan Pursued By the Special Board Appointed to Consider the Subject No Eewards Except For Extraordinary Extra-ordinary Deeds of Gallantry In Presence of the Enemy + Washington Jan 7Attention has been drawn recently to the work being done by the sneuiaJ army board charged with the recommendation of the officers of-ficers and men lor brevet rank and tor rewards and medals of honor for gallant gal-lant and heroic services Such state iTi nts as have been made have failed to oitlose the actual state of the work and the methods which are being fol Jo 1 in KS prosecution and in order o p ent a misconception in the public pub-lic mind that might tend to a depreciation deprecia-tion of these tokens of a nations gratitude grati-tude the board today made ublic the following statement The board appointed to make recoin men < iations for the awarding of brevets bre-vets medals and certificates of merit in the Cuban Puerto Rican and Phil iplre campaigns has met with con sidcraMe difficulty bn account of the manner in which the representations wre rreDared It must be remembered remember-ed i peciall in the campaign atSan tia0 that a great deal of sickness pr < uied in the army immediately sub stunt to the battle and the troops nad to be landed without books desks or papers so that it was almost im jji jble to got accurate reports in regard re-gard to the part performed by individuals individ-uals of each organization in these cam 11mgn The nature of ths country and the manner in which the action was fought I of course prevent any commanding of 1 flEx from seeing a very large partf I his regiment at one time The board has been guided in its action entirely b > the recommendations which have I been kid before it and the only tests appijed have been those prescribed bylaw by-law and order The statute regulating I brevets specifies that the honor shall be conferred for distinguished conduct and public service in nresence of the I enemy The regulations require that 1 In order that the congressional rcoa1 of honor may be deserved service ser-vice must have been performed in action ac-tion of such a conspicuous character as to clearly distinguish the man for gal lartry and intrepidity above his comrades com-rades ser ice that involved extreme jtoardy of life or the performance of extraordinarily hazardous duty Rec omnundaions for the decorations will be judged by this standard of extraor diiay merit and incontestible proof of performance of the service will be exacted ex-acted acteJ J Eoldiers of the Union have ever dtej > layed bravery in battle else vic tori s could not have been gained but as courage and selfsacrifice are the characteristics of every true soldier such a badge of distinction as the congressional con-gressional medal is not to be expected as the reward of conduct that does not cle iiy distinguish the soldier above othir iTen whose bravery and gal lantjv have been proved in battle 3 Itcommendations for medals on ac ibnt of services rendered in the iner army during the late war and in the regular army Drevious to Jar 1 1S90 will if practicable be sub nittcu bj some other than the proposed propos-ed rt cipitnt one who is practically fa imiar with all the facts and circum st2js claimed as justifying the award but the aDDlication nay be irade by the one claiming to have earned earn-ed the decoration in which case it will b1 in the form of a deposition reciting a irative description of the distinguished distin-guished service performed If official curds are relied on as evidence proving prov-ing the personal service the reports of I the action must be omitted or cited I but if these records are lacking the testimony must embrace that of one c r more witnesses who under oath describe de-scribe specifically the act or acts they saj herein the person recommended or applying clearly distinguished himself him-self above his fellows for most distinguished distin-guished gallantry in action It is hardly possible that all acts of bravery which should be rewarded are included in those before the board It is possible that some of those reached may not be receiving as much as they desrr On the other hand it may be that many who have received nothing may be just as deserving as those who like been recommended It is believed ho ever that the publication of the recommendations of this board by the v ar department will result in bringing to liht a large number of cases which JIT < e been heretofore overlooked by subordinate commanders It should be remembered that when a company or regiment goes into battle it s difficult for those in authority to distinguish between men who are aD ramtly equally bravo It is impossible for a board to make any distinctions except on recorded eidi > n e Where any officers or men are neglected it is the fault of those > vhcse duty it was to call attention to such cases Of course where superiors v trt disabled by wounds or disease thost under them suffer in consequence but every effort is being made to bring all such cases to light The board will rot complete its work for some time and no reports have yet been made in any cases e IZI |