Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1867-02-27
ANOTHER REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER
GONE.

ANOTHER REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER
GONE.
Samuel Downing, the last but two OF
the soldiers of the war of dependence,
died Monday. at Edinburgh, Saratoga
County, New York. The event was an.
nounced from the Speakers desk at Wash
ington yesterday. He was in his l06tb
or l07 year. Data preyiDg the latter to
be his age, was recently procarea and
published, although the old gentleman
said he was born near Exeter N. II. Nov.
So l76l. At the age of Is years he EN-.
listed in the army, and was scat with
others to guard baggage trains to Spring
field, Mass. From there he went to New
Jersey, and thence returned to West
Point. Thence he came to Saratoga
where he went through the campaign that
resulted in the surrender of Burgoyne. Af-
ter 3urgoyne's surrender he went to Sthe-
nectady and Johnstown, passing his Sec
ond winter in the army at the latter place.
In the spring he went South, to PeekS-
kin, and was in the engagement at Pine
Bridge. The third winter was spent at
Newburgh and there he received hts dis
charge when peace was declared. He re.
turned to New Hampshire and married,
and in the spring Of 1874 moved with his
wife to the place where he died. When
the first Pension law was passed, March
IS, 1918. he made application and re
ccivcd pension, his papers having been
issued and bearing the autograph of John
c. Calhoun, as secretary Of War.
Mr.. DowRing's wife died some years
since, and of their thirteen children only
two survive. Three of his grandsons en-
listed during the rebellion. fought man
fully to sustain the Government their
grandfather had assisted in establishing
The old man took deep interest i'll the
progress Of the war for the Union, and
sometimes expressed wish that he was
a little stronger, so that he could go and
see another campaign. 4
Mr.. Downing was man little above
the medium height, and stoutly made.
His health was generally good. On the
3Oth CT November, 1861, when, according
to his own account, be attained his hun
ireth birthday his townsmen united in
the event by a public meeting,
procession and grafton, They met, and
forming a procession, went on sleigbs,
,ome thirty or forty in number, to neigh
boring forest. where the old man cut down {
| hemlock tree, twenty two inches in dia-
meter. Then the company assembled a. |
.ound stand and listened to an oratiou |
After the GRAFTON the procession was re. ,
ormed and moved to Mr.. Downing's res 7
dence, where lie cut down a black cherry =
rec measuring foot in diameter, and 9
hen digging fole through the snow and 9
rCst planted small tree. Speaking of
he celebration participator says: !
what an era of history Samuel Dow
ing has lived through; what changes r
ave taken place in this and other coun. .
ries sinct he arrived at mans estate. DO
laparte, who died over forty years ago.
fter more than twenty years spent in ma. O
ling and unnakiug kings. and building .
p and ovcrturning Kingdoms, was born \
Inc or ten years after Mr. Downing, and o
his career about the time when r
lr. Downing first settled on the banks Of Il
he Scandoga. Canals, steamboats,, rail q
Dads and telegraphs have been invented, d
improved aud reached their present ad- 8,
anced position while he has been quietly t,
Hing his farm in that somewhat seaues. n
,red place. John Quincy Adams and all i,
he other Presidents who succeeded him o,
ere born after Mr.. Downing, aud some b.
them after he had attained to middle il
&C." h