The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-11-15
a Long Wait For Il Pension.
Washington CORRESPONDENCE Boston Ad


Looking over some old papers in the
pension Office the other day, the
difference between the old time and the
present methods OF gran ing aid to sol.
dlers became very noticeable. Now, al
most any old soldier easily obtains re-
lief; then it was matter involving the
c!earest proofs. In some cases even alb
ject poverty seemed necessary before
the government interposed to give re-
lief. One case, from the long CORE
spondence and interesting character of
the claimant, is sample OF many. The
papers are very volu .uinous They be-
gin in 1919, when Col. Paul Dudley Sar-
geant Of Sullivan, Maine, asked for a
pension. His memorial showed that in
l772 he lived in Gloucester, Mass,
where ne organized body of minute
men. From his forwardness in the IN
dependent cause he was black-listed and
compelled to fee to Amherst, N. H,
Here he organized a regiment of militia,
;tnd SO ready was he that. before day.
light on April the 10. l775, he WAS on
his way to Concord with his command,
Whlc! Afterwards became a part Of
Washlnston's army, and was the first
"O"y oA CAoOEo ~ ClltSE DOStOu
after the evacuation the next March.
Here he fitted out the first priyateer of
the revolution. 1t carried nine guns
aud Took several prizes, with the pro-
ceeds of which Sargent paid his troops
out OF his own pocket. In June lie
marched to New York, was in all the
battles there, so t'at biz regiment was
reduced from 727 men to 1917. He took
part IN the battle of Trenton, and soon
after resigned his commission for ill.,
health, but kept on fitting out priv
ateers, of which he sent forty seven sail
to sea. In later years his property was
lost by mlstortunes, anu 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 ut first, but
soon taken away, on the score that he
was rich. He made an indignant pro-
test, and filed an inventory at tho war
department, by which 1t appeared that
ne was worth ST. $40, every little item of
household furniture appearing scrup-
u'ousy in the si,edule The pension
was refused, although ample testimony
was shown that the old veteran, now rs
years Old, owed about 50 800. In 1923 he
made another effort. His ferry had
been superseded by a bridge, his occu-
patton Was gone, and the schedules an
nexed 10 his inventory showed that the
scanty property had diminished to
500. of which $500 represent
ed the tumble. down house in which he
lived, with his wife, three maiden
daughters, and a granddaughter. His
letter to John c. CaIhoon, then secreta-
ry OF war; was most pathetic, and REIN
forced by the testimony of judges of va
'lous 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 CORE
spondcnt showed the growing intirmi-
ties OF Colonel Sargent, WAC in 1926 sent
again III trembling characters "the third
and last schedule to be made by Paul
Dudley Sargent, q colonel in the revolu-
tionary war. have not any property,
nor any income whatever. The fact is
l. haye been living for four years on
charity and the sale Of my furniture,
which is now entirely gone" At last,
convinced that he was not too rich to be
pensioned, at the age of eiyhty-one
and alter he had waited in bitter dis.
tress SO long, the official granted him $40
month but too late to DO of much good
for he died soon after. This is the rec.
ord OF the pension given so grudginx-
]y, and withheld illegally from the man
who led the first New Hampshire troops
to Concord, fitted out the first pri
vateer, ana gave all his private means
without stint to the cause of indepen-
deuce. 1t is in striking contrast to the
prodigal bounty now shown in dealing
with The yet young survivors Of the late
war,