MEMORIAL 
OF 
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 
OF 
INDIANA SOLDIERS’ HOME ASSOCIATION. 
REFERRED TO A SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF ONE FROM EACH CON- 
GRESSIONAL DISTRICT, AND THREE HUNDRED COPIES ORDERED 
TO BE PRINTED, NOVEMBER 17te, 1865. 
INDIANAPOLIS: 
W. R. HOLLOWAY, STATE PRINTER. 
18 6 5, MEMORIAL 
OF THE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF THE INDIANA SOLDIERS’ AND 
SEAMEN’S HOME ASSOCIATION. 
To the General Assembly of the State of Indiana: 
Gentlemen:—The undersigned Officers and Directors of the 
Indiana Soldiers’ and Seamen’s Home Association, most respectfully 
present a summary of the condition and plans of our organization ? 
in the hope that your careful consideration of the whole matter may 
lead to such legislation as shall conduce to the best interests of, our 
disabled soldiers, and the soldiers’ orphans of our State. 
As you will observe, the Governor, who is ex officio President of 
this association, has given you, in his message, so full a history of our 
organization and opperations, that we deem it unnecessary to do 
more than present a few items not fully elaborated in that docu- 
ment. 
The Governor informs you that, up to the date of his writing, forty- 
six disabled soldiers have been admitted into the Horae, twenty-one 
of whom were enabled, after careful treatment, to go out again and 
care for themselves. 
We deem it proper to say to you that, owing to the limited funds 
in our hands and at our command, we have been compelled to limit 
our benefactions to the most hepless and most destitute cases that 
were presented, while all applications in behalf of orphans were 
suspended until additional funds can be secured. For the same rea- 4 
son soldiers were not retained in the Home longer than was abso- 
lutely necessary for medical or surgical treatment. Had we been 
able to afford suitable accommodations, we are quite certain that the 
number of occupants of the Home, during the time named, would 
have been doubled, if not quadrupled. 
We have not dared to throw open our doors and extend a general 
invitation to all disabled soldiers, who need help, to come in, because 
we had neither the means to support, nor accommodations to render 
comfortable those who would come. Hence we have quietly done 
what we could for the worst cases coming under the observation of 
our agents, while the greater portion of our disabled soldiers are not 
aware that we are receiving any into our temporary institution. 
Indeed many persons in our State, not being so situated as to see the 
necessity of our enterprise, and being ignorant of what we are accom- 
plishing, are even now opposing our efforts with the assertion that, “if 
we were to build a splendid Soldiers’ Home, no soldier would come 
into it! ” The best answer that can be made to this assertion, will be 
found in the extract from the Report of the Superintendent of the 
temporary Home, given below. That there are disabled soldiers 
who will never live in the Home, is doubtless true, for they have 
friends who can take care of them elsewhere; but wealth is not the 
heritage of the masses, who gave to the nation her soldiers. The 
only resources of most of our soldiers were their physical powers, 
and these being now destroyed or impaired, they have a right co 
expect from those for whose security they gave their all, some just 
recognition of iheir sacrifices. 
Many of our disabled soldiers have families, and the father was 
their only dependence. That we owe them a support is beyond all 
doubt. He would have supported them had he not been disabled, 
and now that he is disabled in our behalf, we must do it. The same 
argument applies with still weightier import to the orphans of the 
fallen. 
The plan that we propose is this: We would procure a tract of 
good land, sufficient to yield all necessary vegetables for the Home. 
Upon this ground we would provide suitable habitations, both for 
single men, families, and orphans. Having convened these all in 
one community, we would afford them all possible facilities for con- 
tributing to their own support. This would be done chiefly by 5 
erecting work-shops, where such trades could be carried on as dis- 
abled men could work at—such as making brooms, baskets, brushes, 
shoes, &c. Here the remaining faculties of partially disabled men 
could be educated to good trades, whereby they might support them- 
selves independently, outside of the Home, in a few years, if they 
should desire it. 
By bringing these families into one community, we will have facil- 
ities for educating their children in a superior manner, being able to 
instruct them both in the ordinary branches of education, and also 
in a suitable trade, thus fully qualifying them for usefulness in after 
life ; they, meanwhile, contributing by their labor, to their own sup- 
port. The same advantages would accrue to the orphans, who, in 
addition to the education and trade there acquired, would be placed 
under the charge of suitable persons, who would, so far as possible, 
maintain the family relation, and perform a parent’s duties in their 
behalf. 
It is furthermore our desire to establish, at the earliest practicable 
moment, a special school for young men, wherein will be taught 
book keeping, penmanship, telegraphing, and other branches of prac- 
tical business education. In this school, men who have lost an arm, 
or limb, may yet be so instructed that they can go forth, in a year 
or two, and live independently by their acquirements, being qualified 
both for civil pursuits, and for such official positions as a grateful and 
patriotic people would be disposed to confer upon them. As evidence 
of the necessity for such a school, we would say that numerous ap- 
plications, by disabled soldiers, have already been made to us, for 
such advantages as such schools afford, and, although unprepared to 
accommodate all, yet some young men now at the temporary Home, 
are attending the Mercantile, and other schools of Indianapolis, and 
are making great proficiency in their studies. 
We have not yet obtained sufficient data whereby to estimate the 
number of disabled soldiers, and orphans of soldiers, in the State 
who will need the benefits of this Home. We are confident, however, 
that the number of soldiers can not fall under five hundred, and the 
number of orphans one thousand. Some four weeks ago, we made 
application to the county Auditors of the State, for information on 
this point, but thus far we have but partial returns from nineteen 
counties, showing an aggregate of 173 totally disabled, and 565 par- 
tially disabled soldiers; and 427 whole orphans, and 1,633 orphans in 6 
part—their fathers being dead. This number of disabled soldiers 
does not include those whose constitutions have been broken down in 
the service, which would largely increase the aggregate. 
Taking these nineteen counties for the basis of a proportionate 
estimate for the whole State—which, however, is too small a basis for 
an average estimate, as none of those counties contain cities of more 
than four thousand—inhabitants and we have 828 totally disabled, and 
2,760 partially disabled soldiers, and 9,036 soldiers’ orphans in this 
State, besides a vast number of soldiers broken down by disease. 
This estimate, we are fully confident, will fall far below the facts, 
when they are developed. 
With this statement of our plans and purposes, we appeal to you 
for aid in their accomplishment. Wherever our agents go, they find 
the common sentiment prevailing, that the Legislature ought to ap- 
propriate funds for this purpose, and this leads us to hope for your 
prompt and liberal action. Put us on a living and working basis, 
and with the proceeds of our shops and gardens, coupled with the 
usual success of our soliciting agents, we are hopeful for a career of 
great benefit to the soldier and orphan, with very little additional 
expense to the State. 
We appeal to you as the representatives of a State whose soldiers 
have redeemed her from disgrace, and crowned her with peerless 
honors; as the representatives of a people who have borne much for 
their country’s sake, but are willing to bear still more, if they may 
thus lighten the burdens of care, or want, or sorrow, that rest upon 
the maimed and shattered heroes that live, or the orphans of the 
noble dead. 
The following extract from the report of Dr. Wishard, Superin- 
tendent of the temporary Home, is appended for your information: 
“ Total number admitted up to November 17th 55 
Total number discharged 25 
“ “ died 1— 2d 
Total remaining 29 
“Of the number remaining, eight have lost each one arm; one an 
arm and leg; four have lost arms; one has lost both feet; two are 
hopelessly consumptive; one has dropsy, and the remainder are 7 
broken down with old age and general debility. Few of them have 
homes, and none have friends able to take care of them.” 
Respectfully submitted, 
0. P. MORTON, President; 
JAMES M. RAY, Treasurer; 
WM. HANNAMAN, Secretary; 
JOHN HOGARTH LOZIER, Financial Agent. 
DIRECTORS. 
PHILIP HORNBROOK, 1st Dist. 
, 2nd “ 
JOSEPH I. IRWIN, 3d “ 
WILL. CUMBACK, 4th “ 
* , 5th “ 
JOHN COBURN, 6th “ 
JOHN A. MATSON, 7th Dist, 
S. KIRKPATRICK, 8th “ 
JNO. B. NILES, 9th “ 
ISAAC JENKINSON, 10th “ 
JOHN U. PETTET, 11th “ 
* The vacancies occasioned by resignations, in the 3d and 5th Districts, have not 
yet been filled. First story 12 feet to ceiling. 
Second story 16feet to ceiling. 
’ '*+'*■*" tit fant tn railimr.,