The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-08-23
VOL. /.
CurIori1y Of the Pension Office.

GSEA~"Ety % tMc AeASAOM WHAcee
One Of the most curious relics now
in the Pension office is the file relating
70 the 7ension granted to Blaine's
great grandmother, the wife of Colonel
KphrNim Blaine, Of revolutionary fame.
1t Is kept in cheap blue paper wrap
per, and it gives Mrs. Sarah L. Blaine
pension OF 5000 year from the 4th
. of March, 1S48.
1t will be news to many that Abra-
ham Lincoln, Frank Pierce, General
Grant. William T. Sherman and jeff
Davis have received anything from
che government i'll 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 pa
per covers 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 times since their APP
plication they read with interest now.
Grants pension is land warrant of
= l60 acres given to him in 1851 for his
services as second lieutenant and regi-
mental quartermaster in the Mexican
war. His letter making the applica-
ton is characteristic of the man. 1t is
dated at Detroit, Mich, November G.,
1850, is abominably written in Grants
own hand, and put in the fewest words
possible, being signed U. S. Grant,
first lieutenant and r. Q. M. Fourth
infantry.
Captain VIM. 7. Sherman's claim
comes 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.T, The claim is presented
by Tom Ewing, jr., his brother-in-law.
Abe Lincoln's claim was presented in
1855 fer his services in the Black
Hawk war, where it cites that he en-
tered for an indefinite period and
served for forty days. 1t is in Lincoln's
handwriting, and was granted in
1855.
At this same time Robert E. Lee,
then employed at the United States
Military academy, at West Point, sent
papers here for which he received 100
acres Of land for his services ascolonel
in the Mexican war. Here, are, too,
the papers Of General Scott, asking for
bounty land for his services In the war
Of 1872. They are signed by Scott and
were granted to him while he was gen
eral Of the army here Shortly after
this come the papers by which jeff
Davis and Frank Pierce were allowed
their 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,
and Frank Pierce president. Pierce's
application iS made out in Waldo's
handwriting. as Is also that of jeff
Davis, arm! they both abound in
fulsome praise Of these two officers.
BothA arc indorsed by Waldy MS special
Aa.a. o,nA a ..nan ;nSloanI .rstb noch
that they may be left with him to be
sent to the pensioners and not 70 be
mailed in the ordinary way.
There are now on the pension rolls
eighty-two widows of revolutionary
soldiers, and forty-eight OF these come
from the Southern States. Nine from
Tennessee, eight from Georgia, eleven
from Virginia, four from West Vir-
ginia, and twelve from North Carolina.
There is only one revolutionary wild
ow from Mississippi, one in Massachu-
setts, three in South Carolina, four in
Ohio and New York, five in Maine
and New Hampshire, seven In
Vermont and eight in Pennsylvania
Among the pensioners are the wives
of three presidents. Mrs. Polk, who is
living in Tennessee, Mrs. John Tyler
who is living at Richmond, ", and
Mrs. James a. Garfield. Each oi
these receive 5000 year according
TO q special act Of congress. Mrs
Abraham Lincoln got from 1870 tc
1882 pension of $4,000. In 1882 il
was increased to $500, which it con
tinued until her death. The daughter
of another president, Zachary Taylor
also receives a pension at this time
1t amounts to $50 month, anc
is given for the. services o.
General Taylor in the Mexican war;
Cicreland Leader.