Evening journal., 1913-11-14
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Private in the Revolution,
Chaplain in the House
By Holland.

who was the last survivor of the
Revolutionary War;" is a question
that has often been asked. The rec
ords OF the pension Office at Washing
ton would disclose who was the last
pensioner, but there was always
feeling that not all of the soldiers who
served in the Revolutionary War be-
came prisoners.
Whoever was the last survivor, it
Is certain that in the year 1864 there
were at least four living men who
were receiving pensions from the Fed
eral government TO which they we're
entitled by reason of their service as
soldiers In the revolution.
Among those wre the Rev. Daniel
Waldo. In the summer OF 1864 a
gentleman who lived at Hartford,
Conn, and who was, If my recollec-
ton is accurate, of kin on his moth
er's side 10 Rev. Mr.. Waldo, having
heard that the clergyman was stin
living and had passed his one hum
dredth year-he was born in 1864
went to Central New York and Sc
cured photograph Of the venerable
clergyman. Several copies of that
photograph were struck off and one
of them came into my possession.
have 1t now.
! was interested In looking up the
history of a man who was not only
a hundred years of age at the time
his photograph was presented to me,
but who was regarded as probably the
sole survivor Of the soldiers Of the
Revolution | learned that this CEN
tenarian clergyman was a native Of
Connecticut and It occurred to me to
ask the Hon. John r. Wait, then a
very prominent citizen Of Eastern
Connecticut and afterward for many
years a member OF Congress- repre-
senting the Eastern Connecticut Dis
trict, II he had ever heard anything
about Rev. Daniel Waldo.
Heard anything about him? I
should say I had" said Colonel Wait
I recall having heard someone say
that Colonel Wait was the best au-
thority upon the families of eastern
/ Connecticut, for he had a great fond
ness for genealogical study. He had
especial advantages for study of this
kind, because. as a lawyer having a
very large practice, he had intimate
acquaintance with almost every one
Of the old families. of eastern Con-
necticut",
showed Colonel Wait the photo
graph of Daniel Waldo which had
been presented to me. He looked at
| it for a long time. Then he said,
my boy be sure to take good care Of
this picture It is valuable in more
ways than one. IL shows you exact
ly how a man woh was a soldier in
the Revolution looked when he reach
ed the age of one hundred years. It
is good picture. | have seen Mr..
| Waldo and / saw him after he was
ninety years OF age He has changed
very little in the ten years that have
elapsed since saw him.
Il am going to tell you something
about Mr. Waldo which the boys OF
your generation ought TO know and
remember. When Congress met
think II was in 1854 or it may have
been 1S55-there was, as is custom
arily the case, a good deal OF inhu
ence brought to bear I'm favor of th'
appointment of this or that man al
the chaplain of the House of Repre-
sentatives. The contest got somewha
excited
"At last a Connecticut member o
Congress said TO his friends why
not settle this controversy by taking
an entirely new nah? l can nam,
Just the man whose election as chap
lain would prevent any hard feeling.
and would give great satisfaction tC
the entire country He is the Rev
Daniel Waldo still living, although
ninety-three years of age. AS a mere
boy he enlisted i'm a Connecticut
regiment in the Revolution and after
he had served as a soldier he went t,
Yale and studied for the ministry
General Washington was very fond o
him. 7 think the Whole countr,
would applaud II we were now to ap
point this one of the revolutionRr
army chaplains OF the House.
THE suggestion created the great