The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-08-23
CURIOSITIES OF THE PENSION OF.
FICE.
Blaino's Great Grandmother Pensioner
Some Eminent Men Whose
Claims are on File.

Gle Leader.
One of the most curious relics in the
pension Office is the file relating to the
pension granted to Blaine's great
grandmother, the wife of Col. Ephraim
Blaine, Of revolutionary fame. 1t is
kept in cheap blue paper wrapper,
and it gives Mrs. Sarah E. Blaine a
pension of $500 year from the 4th of
March, 1848.
1t will be news to many that Abra-
ham Lincoln, Frank Pierce, Gen. Grant,
William T. Sherman and Jeff Davis
have received anything from the gov
ernment in the way of pensions, but
their papers are all filed away in the
division allotted to the Mexican war.
They are done up in brown paper COW
ers and filed away with about hundred
thousand others lining the walls of an
immense Office hall. They are curious
papers, too, and in view of the history
of the time since their application they
read with interest now. Grants PEN
sion is land warrant of 100 acres given
to him in 1851 for his services as second
lieutenant and regimental quartermas-
ter in the Mexican war. His letter
making the application is characteristic
of the man. 1t is dated at Detroit,
Mich, November 6, 1850, is abominably
written in Grants own hand and put in
the fewest words possible, beng signed
U. S. Grant, First Lieutenant and r.
Q. M, Fourth Infantry.
Captain VIM. T. Sherman's claim
come from St. Louis, dated about the
same time. 1t asks for two quarter
sections of land, one for his Florida
services and the other for his record in
Mexico. The claim is presented by
Tom Ewing Jr., his brother-in-law.
Abe Lincoln's claim was presented in
1856 for his services during the Black
Hawk war, where it cites he entered
for an indefinite period and served for
forty days. 1t is in Lincoln's hand
writing, and was granted in 1855.
At this same time Robert E. Lee,
hen employed at the United States,
Military Academy at West Point, sent
papers here for which he received 100
acres of land for his services as colonel
n the Mexican war. Here are, too,
he papers of General Scott, asking for
bounty land for his services in the war
If 1872. They are signed by Scott and
we're granted to him while he was gen.
'ral Of the army here. Shortly after
his come the papers by which Jeff
Davis and Frank Pierce were allowed
heir land claims for services in the
Mexican war. L. Waldo was the COM
missioner of pensions at this time,
While Jeff Davis was secretary of state,
nd Frank Pierce president. Pjerce's
.pplication is made out in Waldo's
as is also that of jeff
Davis, and they both abound in fulsome
raise of these two officers. Both are
ndorsed by Waldo as special cases,
nd note with each that they may be
sft with him to be sent to the pen
toner's and not to be mailed in the
rdinary way.
There are now on the pension rolls
ighty-two widows of revolutionary
oldiers, and forty-eight of these come
'om the southern states. Nine from
ennessee, eight from Georgia, eleven
'om Virginia, and twelve from North
arolina. There is only one revolu-
onary widow from Mississippi, one in
Massachusetts,, three in South Carolina
'ur in Ohio and New York, five in
laine and New Hampshire, seven in
,rmont and eight in Pennsylvania.
Among the pensioners are the wives
three presidents. Mrs. Polk, who is
wing in Tennessee, Mrs. John Tyler,
no is living at Richmond, Va, and
RS. James A. Garfield. Each of these
ceive $4,000 a year according to q
ecial act of congress. Mrs. Abraham
ncoln got from 1870 to 1882 pension
$4,000. In 1882 it was increased to
1000, which it continued until her
ath. The daughter of another pres
ent, Zachary Taylor, also receives a
nsion at this time. 1t amounts to
0 month and is given for the SER
,es of General Taylor in the Mexi-
n war.