The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-07-02
THE DAYS OF rs.
When the Last Survivor OF the Great
War Died.
a Widow Who Enjoyed for seventy-seven
Years Pension Dating Back to the
War of independence-o Old
Time venality.
HERALD Correspondence.

the few remaining pensioners from the |
revolutionary war are passing away. In |
almost every instance these worthy recip-
tents of government aid have lived to |
good old age, which seems to show some 1
subtle connection between length of days |
and the enjoyment of snug pension. |
Quite recently, it was on the Oath OF May, |
there died at Easton, Pa, a widow |
whose husbands pension dated back
to the War OF Independence, |
and whose own term of years lacked |
but one of rounding out the GEN.
fury. This lady was Anna Maria Young, |
the widow of Captain Jacob Young,
revolutionary soldier whom she married
in 1916 and with whom she enjoyed the
blessings of welded life for the brief
period of six months only. She had,
however, enjoyed the pension granted her
soldier husband for some seventy seven
years until her death. Another curious
feature of this case is the fact that Anna
Maria had had two husbands previous to
her marriage with Captain Young, al
though she was only twenty-five years
old at the time. A goodiy company OF
grand children and great grand children
are left to tell the story of her many vir-
tues.
The entire number of revolutionary
pensioners still on the government rolls,
and it is amazing that any remains, is
! less than twenty and in no case, OF course,
! is the living beneficiary the party to
whom the pension was originally
granted. The last actual survivor OF the
great war, Samuel Downing, died In
1867. AS he had drawn pension Tor
some so years, he is probably entitled to
hold the national record in this respect.
His case is one of especial interest,
particularly ii deductions may be drawn
from it as to the probable duration OF
life of pensioners from our late war.
Samuel Downing was born at Newbury,
port, Mass, on Nov. so. 1761, and died
Edinburgh, Saratoga county, New York
state, on Feb. 10, 1867. He enlisted from
Antrim, n. H., at the age of 16. at
Charlestown, II. H., and served through
the war in the Second New Hampshire
regiment. Some time after the signing
of the treaty of peace he applied for and
obtained pension OF $50 from the
United States government, his appllca-
tien being the last ever granted for rev.
olutionary pension.
Despite the severe hardships suffered by
the troops during the protracted war, Mr..
, Downing so far retained his vitality and
physical strength that upon the celebra-
ton of his Tooth birthday ce cut down a
hemlock tree some five feet in circumfer-
ence, and cherry tree of considerable
, size. These, stripped of their leaves.
were disposed OF to the large assemblage
of friends and neighbors congregated in
honor of the old veterans centenary, at
his farm in Edlnburg, and were made
into canes and other niomentoes of the in
, teresting occasion. The stump OF the
i
to Saratoga by R. Bevins, esq, OF that
place.
, In glancing over the records, annals
, and documents dealing with the pensions
i of the revolution, and with the acts OF
Congress relative to them, one meets with
many distinguished name. Washing
ton, with records of grants, votes OF
thanks, and presentations; Lee, Light
Horse Harry and other great sons OF
the republic, are found side by side with
Lafayette, Rochambeau and many an
other of the brave foreigners whom
= sympathy with the cause of American in
T dependence attracted to this country with
offers of assistance. One wonders
whether our gentle humorst, G. F.
Browne, was aware that his nom de plume
q "Artemus Ward, - was the real name oil
one of the major generals of the revolu-
tionary army; and the name of w. Will
mot, captain OF the Second Maryland
$ regiment who was killed by foraging
e party of British on November 4, 1852, al
st. John S Island, S. c., reminds thai
his was the last blood spilled in the long
war.
: The first legislation in the interests o.
the brave soldiers who risked their livei
in the struggle to throw off the yoke o
foreign domination occurred as Jar bach
y as 1776. IN that year, the Continenta
y Congress, recognizing the debt owed by
the nation to her brave defenders, turned
its attention to the subject of military
is pensions. In a long series of resolutions
1T passed the Goth of August in that year, j
was provided that every officer, both com
missioned and non commissioned, as wei
as every private soldier who should in tn,
- service of the state receive such injury OF
~ disablement as to be rendered incapable
for the future OF earning his own liveli
hood, should receive from the publ,
a funds, during life or the continuance O
,e such injury, a pension equal to one-hal
his monthly pay, such pension to com
mence from the date that his pay as
y soldier ceased.
:, 1t was also provided that in case the in
: Jury should not be SO serious as to caus
total disablement, the invalid should re
ceive such compensation as might b
u agreed upon by the legislature of the stat
/. in which his residence was located; tn
compensation naturally never to eXcee
t. his half pay.
The different sorts of pensions were ais
classified, the two principal divisions bt
ing invalid and gratuitous pensions. In
. valid pensions are defined as grants {
money made to servants of the state, in
jured In the performance of their duty
m gratutous pensions as grants of none
made at the close OF war, or upon othe
occasions to persons meriting special dis
tinction and reward for eminent service
t. rendered to the state.
III To this latter class belong the sums
- money equaling the full pay of major
10 general, granted by Congress to the fan
lily of Lafayette for term of five year,
d, during which the distinguished French
Mt man was languishing in an Austria
p prison; the sum of 100000 and q towr
m ship of land voted in 1924 to the san
a. gallant soldier upon the occasion of b
last visit to America, sin consideration
a. his important services and expenditure
re- during the American revolution,'' ar
.ts the sums of "a goo voted in 1855 and lat
90 S4O0 annually, for period of five year
tn granted by Congress to each of the 10,
o. daughters of Count de Grasse, as toke
a. of the nations appreciation of the
= father's gallant conduct and valuable a
an sislance.
- To this class also properly belongs ii
half-pay granted to the widows an
o. orphans Of those who died, either upc
the field of battle, or later, in cons
he quence of injuries received during Il
IS. term of service.
lit In May, 177S, Congress, as an Undue
ment to the officers of the revolutiona
ITS army to remain in active service until Il
nv cessation of hostilities, passed resol
ton granting half pay 20 the survivors
On the war for a space of seven years.
~ A large amount of legislation regula
- ing the subject OF pensions was final