Shabby treatment of veterans: It's not new

[trof]

UAB librarians find Civil War journal writer was a deserter

"Bonsall's journal ends in late March 1863. Flannery said it is not certain whether Bonsall just quit writing or parts of the journal were lost. Records show Bonsall was seriously injured in July 1863 at the turning point of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg.

"His horse was shot out from under him," Flannery said.

Bonsall ended up in a hospital, likely suffering from serious, bone-crushing injuries. He languished there for months, and faced little prospect of getting discharged from the military even though he was disabled.

Flannery said the federal government was reluctant to provide medical discharges to soldiers because it meant that pensions would have to be paid. So wounded troops were allowed to recover as they best could, and then were assigned to an invalid corps that provided support services to healthy fighting units.

"Here's Bonsall lying here," Flannery said. "They're basically not letting him go. The only prospect he has is to become part of a stupid invalid corps that has him puttering around doing busy work all day. He probably said, `At least I can go home and provide for my family rather than lay here in the hospital.'"
So Bonsall walked away."
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