The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-10-10
The Sole Survivor OF the Battle OF Rua ksr

WHAT HIS SAYS, AND HOW HI SAYS
We chr OF c in our evening edttons the arrival i'm
Boston esierday afternoon, O'CLOCK ~ Mr. Raoh
W. Farnhsm, who fought IN The famous battle ii Ba nksr
he now, ID the extra lduafy and conaacrated
age OF hundred and i've years tece the hopors
and kronsss the eorRrauaiieps aud contr ,atons Of
our people: and also, " interest and what
will mo We the noble heart t. the sacred and paty
oie steres ~ Other days h saings on Inc venerable
head Of this cd man 6ensdctions On his white hairz
and furrowed chct ks Nay his pilgrimage 10 the batlo
ground. where he once for bs the good fight for biz
rights and hbeIus, be one That shall brighten,
ltrgth.n II d make Joyous his .nrg days.
Is ie eooily inspiring sight 10 lo,k upon one who
has lived another ceItur. has seen three entire gene
and 20 OF the riaee Olive, AID within the
sp.n Of The world mas seen rome OF IL
gBncesi and most significant events whole century,
TO have lived long Sonderfu 10 Itself bat now, AT
The extraordinary age Of ITO 10 be so comparatively halo
AID hearty his is wonderful indeed. Few members OF
TIE human family IN modern times, reach such an at-
tude II years
ftor, and informal sasce given yesterday after
noon a. ihe Revere House. MS room, which tho
fioIy with NE ladies' pirlcr, Mr. Farnham appeared IKE
al Ordinary man Of SCI enty-not year older he Eat
10 rocking cnar with arms, and maintained an erect
pos'ue al ue time conversing with freedom and INTEL
gence.
he shook hands cordially with those who were pre-
sented 70 him. aud was evidently glad 10 all who
came The only drawback IN talking with lin 70 a ,tlo
cearess but 'hie difficulty tleht, and is almost for
gotten after me conversation u moments dlra-
ten HIS eye !s orish, and hs step elastic. We know
many young men In Boston Of twenty i've who ought 10
envy bis light and agile tread.
Mr.. Farnhan bas Websterian look. He forehead Is
broad fu his mouth somewhat ca. ,nde and his
supposed His general APPEARANCE il thai Ct man 10
health though he is not without the IN lkeabe ar
mites Of age HIS copntebarce is expressive tho
whole man full of interes, In looking upon
irg with him. one feels as in The Of extraor
binary beng SO grave and ancient and venerable his
Prsorn and the associations which are sure TO Oil the
mind.
We have alluded to his conversational power. He
tabs freely and iDtellgenty Iii, memory is tenacious,
but in relation smstters dfy years sgo than Of
recent date. OF the stirring events ard leading person.
ages that preceded attended and followed the
on Bunker Hill he ia entirely Il 10. wonderfully familiar
In this respect he yesterday surprised several who
wei read n tie event referred 10 &c is iei OF anec-
dotes Of Wsshiu gton Pdtnam Pres colt, Warren and
other patriotic heroes of the Revolution tOld Putt ho
de- crioes ss 'arough old fellow er. brave lion and
AFRAID or pothlng nor nobody but Of Washington he
says There are such m living In these days"
The following extract from letter describing the vste-
ran 'mapner o; life, as II now s and has been from
his ou,h upward, may be read with advantage by last
young Americans OF this generation
llis habits are very regular. summer and winter he
reres at seven P NJ rises ave lie eats heartily
eteIs drmy and sleeps souody and TO all appearance,
may yet hive several years He Joined the church eighty
years ago, and is a very religious He spends much
Of bis time IN reading his Bible which he read with
with the aid Of par OF spectaces which belonged
70 his mother and leo old In fact he in pos
sesson Of all his faculties. that he 10 afflicted with
eight deafness, but such 10 render conversation
with him an arduous talk
his letter accepting the invitation to visit Boston he
states that he was Is Of age when he enlisted in the
American army, and adds
Hill alone should be living appears TO me, though
go long ago. as If II was but yesterday. can remember
cnlWteI-nOW
people cheefed and when Andover Col Abbot
and said, Wei done, my lads" aud sent out cider
and srog in pals We got to cambrdgs the day before
the battle o, II a terrible affair to me, for il
the fret time ever engaged 10 lighting served with
the army through three campaigns aud was present on
guard when Burgoyne surrendered. don't think de-
any special praise for the part took in the Revou
tiop. fell and acted only like others.
dc Ia accompanied by his son and WIFE and also .
phew Mr. Walls The son, who sixty isur years old
bears striking family resemblance s, in fact, "a chip
o. the Old block, besides being pleasant, genial, Oour
txo int lIiOen man In 4 Uutof M
neatly dressed lady, and 10 evidently worthy and est
mable The old hero is attended By aaectiouais
relatives and, are quite sure, surrounded By city
10 000 friends for who be ee? His age his SER
vice. his good lfe all Slain honor, esteem Affection
received visiters He viii receive his friends Al the
Revere house 70 day. between ten and twelve A. n and
three and i've y. NJ.
lie accepted yesterday afternoon, from Mayor Dana, Of
Charlestowp invitation to visit Bunker I'M, and 70
receive military escort The precise day thai this win
take place not atterm ned but will be this morning
II wl be Inspiring spectacle 10 witness the old veteran
the soil where be ade OF tina, noble
phaapx Cred whites the enemy eyes from
the eptreI chmt nts when Howe and his three thousand
grcpadiers twice recoie before the deadly voeys
some twelve hundred raw Yankee mil.tiameu," with
loss about equal TO that Of the whole american force
Such a SPECTACLE 10 10 ONE.
IL is Of interest to state that Mr.. Farnham served
1871, exchanged his uniform for back woodsman suit
and, throwing himself into the Maine wilderness, built
log cabin, and cut homestead out OF the forest his
sxe II In upsn this locality that he lives and
where he III end his prolonged iife
ARRIVAL OF MIR. RALPH PARSHAN, THE REVOLT
riosARY vArERAN-nIs FEELINGS, ArrEAR
From the Boston Post, Oct 81
Mr.. Ralph Farnham, Of Acton, Maine the only living
who now In bis io5,b year arrived in this city Il about
two O'Clock yesterday afternoon, by the Boston and
Revere House, his arrival and remained quiet during
The afternoon and evening, being visited only By few
rsmssea ss. b. fen Se.T ssso
he did on the day before. He did not appear TO DO
much fA,gusd, although be had been travelling
since an early hour IN the morning. IIe arose
yesterday morning At Eve o'clock, and travelled seven
miles 10 carriage 10 take the at Union Village lie
Was obliged 70 change cars twice on the way 70 MS
city, but he retained all the freshness with which
he started until he arrived. Al every station on The
whole route al which INC chrs stopped crowds OF people
filed the dcpois and pressed into the some per.
several miles 10 ths veteran and the
were frequently delayed some minutes by the crowds
depot In this city, and ne WAS heartily cheercd DO
was conducted IRON the cars TO biz carriage.
months that there was ain living any pcrson VII, took
part the early battss Of the Revolution but remark
10 Mr. Eyereits Grafton delivered 10 this city on the
Fouvfh or July last ccming 10 the knowledge OF tho
neighbors Of Mr. Farnbam, they determined TO make
a demonstration when should let u be known that
10 Accordingly on tie TN o. July, the residents
OF Acton vicinity, assembled at Milton Nils,
70 celebrate his ono s aanared aud fourth birthday.
One hundred AMI -four guns we're fired, disner VAS
given, speeches, ioasss ard Other demcnsuaons took
-
manner The rcportx o. the demonstration having been
ssys ,.,, ~ Nv over ,ns ,ss, many
have addressed him letters sskn for his autograph
or requesting info nation upon rome point upon ~hi.h
lie supposed " have some knowledge. mo mile.
ytry glad 10 receive visters bu, those who whit
him ought 70 consider bis age and nnrmiiies.
Mr. Farnhsm has had seven children bal only four arc
nov iivipg-Hannah, aged seventy two stM living At
Acton Joanna aged SIXTY ave- has hoen employed tho
House for several gears j. aged sxty three
who here with q her, and Ralph, the yognsest son
a 'srmer at fairfield, Ne.
Mr. TsnDsm regrets thai the proposed Demonstration
Al the Music Hall has been up be thinks that he
would be less fafisued by listening address there
where every one would have Opportunity of seeing
him, than ny receiving his friends al rooms The ex
olencGt Of such ooeion, he thinks would not Affect
him. HIS relatives who accompany him are Of TIE same
opinion, and say that he never excited n snch the
care. rerhsrs The decision 10 omit this feature w be re-
considered.
We awe the following ,urt Of OF the interviews
had With the old gentle man yesterday afternoon.
ter remarked 10 him. Ny father ninety sx ySers old
where does he liver asked Mr. Favnham at scorss
Vermont was the reply Said Mr. Farnham, ~ vas