Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-09-06

At the presalt time there il about one
veteran in every 90 inhabitants. Old
and young, or i'll every 12 adult men,
and at that date, if the population in
creases normally, there will be one to
every /, 700 people or every 800 adult
men-that is to say that in the average
gathering of 800 men at a patriotic
meeting or on election there will be one
lettering veteran of So years. Not much
chance for &. a. r. gatherings then,
surely, except i'll the great cities. The
record of longevity among the veterans
of the war of 1872 and of the Mexican
war sustains these calculations, and this
thought has been carried still further by
writer i'll the Washington Post, who
sees the dramatic and interesting climax
a generation beyond that | have limited
at, or at the middle of the next century.
with the centennial days Of the Mexi-
can war the discovery of gold and the
conquest of California. He says:
Herein are we admonished by unseen lips
and innumerable voices that the day Will some
time dawn when OF all the Grand Army OF the
Republic, year by year closing in thinner
ranks around the graves OF their departed COM
rades, there .naQ he but one survivor TO stand
lone watch at no portals Of the "etcrna, camp
ing ground.
II is an impressive II not bewilderins thought.
Ii carries Us to a period when the millions OF
today shall be doubled, and when among the
teeminy hosts busted with their own ambl-
tons confronted with new responsibilities.
radiant in the light of new revelations, strau-
gers, except through history. to the mighty
events out OF which 50 glorious destiny was
wrought. this solitary solder shall be the sole
reminder ard Incarnation. as 1t were, Of the
heroic aye OF the Cniou.
The war of the American Revolution closed
In 1888. AT that time soldier belonging TO
the regiment of New York militia commanded
BY Colonel Mariuus Wlaett, who had been
four years in the army, MAS - young man OF
% Eighty-six years later. Aprtl 3, ls69, having
reached the great age OF id9, lie was gathered
to his heroic fathers at the town of Freedom
mot inaptly uamed), Cattarausus county. y. \.
His nam. WAS Isrnisi.f Brakeman. and he n as
the last OF the Revolutionary pensioners under
spoci a. act OF Col.re.S.
The last Of tie Revolutionary pensioners on
the regular roll was samuel Downing OF Sara
toga county y Y, who enlisted a private In
l7-l, when only a, and died in 1857 at lol
Only q year. ago there walked among Us
one who bore a musket at the surrender OF
Cornwalls. yet lived to hear the tiding- OF the
surrender At Appomateox!
These incidents furnish no data. ~ course,
on which to base exact foreknowledge OF The
time when there shall remain in the land OF
the living only single soldier of the great ar
mics that were disbAndsd in 1885, but IL is not
unreasonable to suppose that, even II none OF
the vete OF the war Is spared TO the extraor-
binary age of Daniel Brakeman, II WILL be re-
served to some OF them to turn the century
point II there is a soldier who, like Samuel
Downing WAS but !, when discharged from the
service, and lives 10 Downfng's age. he will die
in l94a II 3 "A; the time OF his discharge, and
he lives to the fvescorr and nine OF Daniel
Brakeman, he will die In 1851. The chances are
that the man W no Is destined to bear the proud
but melancholy distinction OF being the last
survivor will rot be living later than 1880.
And what retrospect will be his stand
ing upon this remote and isolated ACTIVITY,
he peoples the hazy distances Of the past with