William West's Claim

Remarks: The claimant swears to his loyalty, and that he voted for Union candidates to the convention; and two witnesses swear to a kind of faint character and reputation of loyalty that amounts to very little. On the other hand, claimant had two sons in confederate army, and gave them money during the war. He was also employed himself as guard, with others, of the mail, in order to get exemption from conscription. We take it he would not have been assigned to this service if he bore the reputation of a loyal man to the Government of the United States; and such service rendered such direct aid and comfort to the rebellion that the confederate government regarded it as equivalent to service in the ranks. We reject the claim.