Lander v. United States
Lander v. United States
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court:
This was an action in the Court of Claims by the petitioner for pay and bounty as a soldier in the Army of the United States. It appears from the findings of the court that the petitioner enlisted in the Army for three years, and was enrolled on the 1st of January, 1864; that he was mustered into service on the 16th of the month, his service to take effect from the enrollment; that he deserted on the 12th of November following, and was arrested on the 2d of June, 1865, and was restored to duty with the loss of all pay and allowances due or to become due during the term of his enlistment, and that he was honorably discharged on the 8th of August, 1865. His claim was for pay for the whole period from his enlistment to his discharge, including the time of his absence by desertion, and for the bounty allowed to a soldier upon his honorable discharge at the expiration of his service.
The Court of Claims held that he was entitled both to pay and bounty, and gave judgment for the whole amount claimed, being of opinion that his offense of desertion was purged by his honorable discharge within the decision of this court in United States v. Kelly, (15 Wall. R., p. 34; 10 C. Cls. R., p. 110,) and that his case was not covered by the joint resolution of Congress of March 1, 1870.
We have looked into the record in Kelly’s Case, and we find it entirely different from this case. Kelly had served from February, 1864, until October, 1865, during the active operations of the war, and then deserted to visit his parents, reported to be seriously ill at their home. After an absence of some weeks he voluntarily returned, and subsequently made up for the time lost by his absence. The fact that the war had
In this case the petitioner deserted at a time when the war was at its height, and no palliation was proffered for the offense, if any could possibly exist. He kept out of the service,, and thus out of danger, during the severest period of the war,, and was only returned to his company under arrest. And though he was restored to duty, it was with the forfeiture of his pay and allowances for the entire period of his enlistment.
It does not appear from the record before us whether this forfeiture was imposed by order of the commander of the forces from which he deserted, or by the judgment of the court-martial. Forfeiture of pay and allowances up to the time of desertion follows from the conditions of the contract of enlistment, which is for faithful service. The contract is an entirety, and if service for any portion of the time is criminally omitted, the pay and allowances for faithful service are not earned. And for the purpose of determining the rights of the soldier to receive pay and allowances for past services, the fact of desertion need not be established by the findings of a court-martial; it is sufficient to justify a withholding of the moneys that the fact appears upon the muster-rolls of his company. If the entry of desertion has been improperly made, its cancellation can be obtained by application to the War Department. But forfeiture of pay and allowances for future services, as a condition of restoration to duty, can only be imposed by a court-martial. (Winthrop’s Digest of Opinions of the Judge-Advocate General, p. 269, par. 27.) The validity of the forfeiture here is not raised by counsel. We must, therefore, presume, as the case is presented to us, that the petitioner was brought to trial
In Kelly’s Case, as already stated, the deserter was restored to duty without trial upon his voluntary return, and it was with reference to a case of that kind that the Judge-Advocate-General gave the opinion which is cited with approval by this court. Iu such a case an honorable discharge of the soldier, as held by that officer, dispensed with any formal removal of the charge of desertion from the rolls of his company, and amounted of itself to a removal of any impediment arising from the fact of desertion to his receiving bounty. But neither the Judge-Advocate-General nor this court, in adopting his opinion, went to the extent of holding that an honorable discharge of a soldier dispensed with all the conditions attached to his restoration to duty which a military tribunal may have imposed upon him for a previous military offense. An unconditional restoration, or one with conditions subsequently complied with, may leave the soldier who has deserted in as favorable condition for subsequent pay and bounty as though no offense had been committed by him. But it is otherwise when conditions inconsistent with such pay or bounty are attached to the restoration, or are imposed as a punishment for a previous military offense. Assuming that the conduct of the soldier in this case, subsequent to his restoration to duty, may have entitled him to an honorable discharge, and that such discharge was not inadvertently granted, the discharge could not relieve him from the consequences of the judgment of the military court, and entitle him to the pay and allowances which that court had adjudged to have been forfeited. The forfeiture must first be removed either by its remission in terms, or by the reversal of the judgment, or -the pardon of the President.
The bounty which the petitioner claimed was included in the allowances forfeited. Under the term “allowances” everything was embraced which could be recovered from the Government by the soldier in consideration of his enlistment and services, except the stipulated monthly compensation designated as pay. This is substantially the conclusion reached by the late Attorney-General, Mr. Hoar, after full consideration of the statutes bearing upon the question, (Opinions of Attorneys-General, vol. 13, pp. 198,199,) and such, we are informed, has been the uniform .ruling of the War Department.
It follows, from the views expressed, that the judgment of the Court of Claims must be reversed, and the cause remanded with directions to dismiss the petition; and it is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John Lander v. United States
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- The Court of Claims held in Kelly’s Case, (5 C. Cls. B.,p. 476,) inhere the proper military authorities allowed a deserter to he restored to duty without trial, upon condition that he malee good the time lost hy desertion, and he did so, and was then honorably discharged, that it was a contract performed, and the soldier entitled to recover the bounty promised him on his enlistment if he should serve till honorably discharged. The Supreme Court, in the same case, went further, and held that “ the honorable discharge of the deserter was a formal final judgment passed by the Government upon the entire military record of the soldier, and an authoritative declaration that he left the service in a status of honor,” and that “it amounted, of itself, to the removal of any charge or impediment in the way of his receiving bounty.” (8 C. Cls. B.,p. 110; 15 Wallace B.,p. 34.) In the present case, the soldier is restored to duty with the loss of all pay or allowances due or to become due. Subsequently, he is honorably discharged. The court below hold, under the decision of the Supreme Court in Kelly’s Case, that, the discharge being “a formal final judgment passed by the Government upon the entire military record of the soldier,” it in effect purged his offense and annulled its consequences. Judgment for the claimant. The defendants appeal. I. An honorable discharge of a soldier from service does not restore to him pay and allowances forfeited by a sentence of a military court-martial for his desertion. II. The term “ alloivances” in the sentence of a military court-martial includes bounty, which at the time of enlistment was assured to the soldier if he should faithfully serve until honorably discharged. III. A soldier’s contract of enlistment is an entirety. If service for any portion of the time is criminally omitted, the pay and allowances for faithful service are not earned. IY. The honorable discharge of a deserter is a formal, final judgment x>assed by the Government upon the entire military record of the soldier, and amounts to a removal of any charge or impediment in the way of his receiving bounty, as was held in Kelly's Case, (8 C. Cls. K., p. 110; 15 Wallace R., 34,) if no conditions were attached to his restoration, or if they were subsequently complied with. But when conditions, inconsistent with his ever receiving pay or bounty, are attached to his restoration or are imposed as a punishment for his offense, an honorable discharge does not relieve him from the consequences of the judgment of a military court, nor entitle him to pay or allowances which that court adjudged to be forfeited.