Daniel F. Bakeman

Daniel F. Bakeman

Daniel Frederick Bakeman (October 9, 1759 – April 5, 1869) was possibly the last surviving veteran of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Bakeman was married to Susan Brewer Bakeman on August 29, 1772. He was 12 years old and his wife 14 years old at the time of the marriage. She died aged 105 on September 10, 1863. At 91 years and 12 days, their marriage is the longest claimed on record and the only marriage claimed to have exceeded 90 years. Bakeman died six months before his 110th birthday, and is buried in Sandusky Cemetery, Freedom, New York.

On February 14, 1867, the United States Congress passed a special act which granted a Revolutionary War pension to Bakeman. The act was required because Bakeman could not prove that he had served in New York. The longest surviving veterans who were on the pension rolls were Lemuel Cook of Clarendon, New York (d. May 20, 1866), and Samuel Downing of Edinburgh, New York (d. February 19, 1867). They resided for over 42 years in Herkimer County, and part of the time in the town of Stark where he owned a farm. In those days people in Central New York had to go to Albany for wheat and other supplies, the journey consuming two days each way. Returning from one of these trips, Mr. Bakeman found his home in ashes with nothing saved. During his life his home burned three times.

Mr. and Mrs. Bakeman had eight children as follows: Philip, Richard, Christopher, Betsey, Margaret, Susan, Mary and Christine.