Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-05-11

survive. Offering IN their own persons
quite the most picturesque feature OF
the system which makes the govern
ment responsible for the maintenance
Of our disabled fighting men and the
helpless womenfolk they leave behind.
one Of these interesting women Is
Esther Damon, who lives at Plymouth
Union, VI. She Is nearly 81 years old,
and not long ago. she wrote; MY
maiden name was Esther Summers.
was born in Plymouth Aug. II, 1914, and
was married 10 Noah Damon Sept, 8,
1885. | do not know where he was born.
He was an old man. IS years Of age,
when, IN my END year | met him,
The records of the pension ONCE show
that Noah Damon was born at Milton,
near Boston lie served two years IN
the Massachusetts Contnentals, ana
was IN the battle OF Long Island In
l7,G. near New York city. he was
wounded IN the left thigh with buyo-
net For reasons not explained he ana
Esther did not agree and for the sake
Of harmony lived apart--a circum-
stance that aid not prevent her from
obtaining a pension after bis death,
which occurred In July. 1853.
Rebccca Mayo, the Oldest Of the sur
vlving widows OF the revolution, was
born Jan 4, 1912 and is therefore, 80
years OF age Her husband whom she
married In 1880 being then Il girl Of is.
was called stephen Mayo. He first saw
the Hight In Virginia I'm lljS and enlist
ed IN the Virginia Contlnentals in l776.
At the battles Of l}ranlyWlne and Ger
montuwn he was present but was not
wounded, being reserved for a peaceful
"a,
dWells I'm the town OF Newburn, n. G..
The youngest Of the four widows Is
Mary Snead. who Is only Sc years old.
When last heard from she was hale and
hearty and, according to her own ac-
count, able to walk around TO the near
neighbors." Her mother lived TO be
100 and her father eighty-odd. so that
longevity would seem to run IN the
family. Anybody who desires to COM
municate with her may address her at
Parksley Va, In which state she was
born
Mays maiden name was Powell, and
her husband BoWden Snead, was born
I'm the same neighborhOod. She was %
years old when she married him. In lSll,
ana he, of course was somewhat aged
then. Soon after the outbreak Of the
revolutionary war he enlisted as a pri-
vate In Capt. Copes company Of Viz
ginia militia. serving nearly two years.
He died I'm 1892 a tWelyomonth or 50
after his marriage, leaving his pension
Of $50 year TO his widow, In 1891
Congress by special act, Increased the
stipend to $50 month which Mary
stil continues TO draw
Nancy Jones. of Jonesboro, Tenn, is
the last Of the four rclCts OF reVOlu-
tiOnary pensioners. She Is 81 years old,
In 1892 being then known as Nancy
Hun, and a sprlghtly young thing of is
brief and gladstone summers, she met
and married Darling Jones, who was
considerably her senior having been
born away back in 1864. He was
North Carolnian, and had served In
Capt Carriers Tennessee volunteers,
the object Of which organization was
chiefly. so the pension record says, 10
defend Carter county from depreda-
lions by Indians and Tories The old
man died in 1S4S, and Nancy has since
been drawing d pension.
Hardly less interesting than the
widows are the daughters Of the revo-
luuon-a few women only seven OF
them. who draw pensions from Uncle
Sam, because their fathers fought IN
the war for independence, As might be
supposed, all Of them are far advanced
in years. the eldest being Hannah
Newell Barrett of Boston, whose father
was Noah Harrod. She Is lOl.
Sarah G. Hurlbutt, who lives in the
town of Little Marsh Pa, IL 50 years
old. Not long ago she wrote
II was born in Cayuga county, Jan, 9,
1871 / well remember the tales my faith
err told about Valley Forge. Ticon-
derago. and other noted places and
battles. He served In a Massachu-
setts regiment, enlistng at the age of
10 wears, in a company Of which his
father. Thomas Weeks, was captain. |
am the youngest and only surviving
child of a family Of eleven children, am
IN pretty good health, and my eyes are
yet strong, having never used glasses
Sarahs father Elijah Weeks, enlisted
IN III in the company Of Massachu-
sets troops aforesaid and was dis
charged hunorahly in the following
year; but he served afterward IN Capt,
Smiths company Of the New York rife.
He died June a. 1884 A special act OF
Congress has given the daughter $50
d month for life.
Ann Mercer Slaughter, who now
dwels at Mitchell Station Culpeper
county, Va, was the youngest daughter
Of Philip Slaughter, and was born in
1908, being at the present time, there
fore. 80 Joars old. Her father was
the FIRST officer In the colony Of Virginia
to respond to the call for troops is
sued BY the patriots who met In the
Williamsburg assembly, and his COM
pany marched into the town flying the
famous flag with a coiled rattlesnake
and the significant motto. Don't
Tread on Me-" After serving a year.
the gallant soldier was promoted 10 a
lieutenancy. and served In Capt. Ca
b.iel Longs company Of rinemen, I'M
der Colonel Dan Morgan. He was
nrOmoted TO the rank of captain I'm 1752