Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-12-06
Getting Pension in the Elder Days.

Looking over some old papers in the pen
sion Office, the other day. the difference be-
tween the old-time and present methods of
granting aid to soldiers became very notice
able. Now almost any old soldier easily OBJ
tains relief; then il was matter involving
the clearest proofs. In some cases even ab-
ject poverty seemed necessary before gov
eminent interposed to give relief. One
case, from the long correspondence anu in
terestlng character of the claimant, is sam
pie Of many. The papers are very volumi-
nous. They begin in 1919, when Colonel
Paul Dudley Sargent of sullivan, Maine,
asked for pension. His memorial showed
that in l712 he lived in Gloucester, Mass,
where he organized a body of minute-men.
From his forwardness in the independent
cause ne was blacklisted and compelled to flee
to Amherst, n. H. Here be organized regi-
ment of militia, and so ready was he that,
before daylight on April 10, 1775, he was
on his way to Concord with his command,
which afterwards became q part of Wash
ington's army, and was the first body of
troops TO enter Boston after the evacuation
the next March. Here he fitted out the first
privateer of the revolution. Ii carried nine
guns and took several prizes. with the pro-
ceeds of which Sargent paid his troops out
of his own pocket. In June he marched to
New York, was in all the battles there, SO
that his regiment was reduced from seven
hundred and twenty-se,en men to one hun
dred and ninety-seven. He to ok part in the
battle of Trenton, and soon after resigned
his commission for il-health, but kept on fit
ting out privateers, of which he sent forty
seven sail to sea. In later years his prop
erty was lost by misfortunes, and at the
time spoken of he was reduced to poverty,
living upon the scant proceeds Of ferry at
Sullivan, the sole use of which had been
granted him by vote of the county. The
pension was granted at first, but soon taken
away, on the score that he was rich. He
made an indignant protest. and filed an in
ventory al the war department, by which it
appeared that he was worth S1,27O, every
little item of household furniture appearing
scrupulously in the schedule. The pension
was refused, although ample testi nony was
shown that the old veteran, now seventy-six
years old, owed about $4,000. In 1923 he
made another effort. His ferry had been
superseded by bridge, his occupation was
gone, and the schedules annexed to his in
ventory showed that the scanty property had
diminished to 1856, of which 5000 repre-
sented the tumble-down house in which he
lived with his wife, three maiden daughters
and granddaughter. His letter to John C.
Calhoun, then Secretary of War, was most
pathetic, and REINFORCED BY the testimony of
judges of various courts, to his deserving
condition, and of creditors to debts ten
times the value Of his home. Still nothing
was done. The handwriting of the CORES
pondence showed the growing infirmities of
Colonel Sargent, who. in 1926, sent again
in trembling characters "the third and last
schedule to be made by Paul Dudley Sar-
gent, colonel in the revolutionary war. l
have not any property nor any income what
ever. The fact is, have been living for
four years on charity and sn the sale Of fur
last, convinced that he was not too rich to
be pensioned, at the age of eigkty-one years,
and after he had waited in bitter distress SO
long, the officials granted him twenty dol