The Last Surviving American Revolutionary War Veteran – the rest of the story!

This article was captured on http://www.fold3.com which is a great website which captures all things military.

There was an article about the last surviving veterans from each of the US conflicts.

The full article written by Jenny Ashcraft is:  https://blog.fold3.com/the-last-surviving-veterans/

Each time the last surviving veteran from any war passes away, it marks the end of an era and the closing of a chapter in history. The question of who was the last often brings lively debate.

In some cases, the claims are contested and not verifiable, and in other times, early records are missing. We’ve combed our archives to share the stories of some veterans who are among the last survivors from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and WWI.

Daniel Frederick Bakeman

Revolutionary War: Daniel Frederick Bakeman was the last soldier from the Revolutionary War to receive a pension. He was 109 years old when he died in 1869.

Though no specific records to validate Bakeman’s claim of service survived, authorities deemed his testimony credible, and he received a pension.

Bakeman was born in Schoharie County, New York, in 1759. At age 18, he enlisted and served as a private in the Tryon County Militia. He fought at the Battle of Johnstown.

After the war, Bakeman married Susan Brewer, and they had eight children. Bakeman outlived his wife and two children. He died in Freedom, New York, on April 5, 1869.

In his 109 years, Bakeman experienced inventions that revolutionized daily living, such as trains, gas lighting, elevators, typewriters, the sewing machine, and photography. His lengthy pension file contains records, letters, and testimony.

We honor his service to our country by learning more about him.

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