Daniel F. Bakeman - Later Life and Death

Later Life and Death

About 1825 the Bakemans settled in Arcade, Wyoming County, where they lived until 1845 (this home was on the north side of the County Line Road). In that year, he moved to Freedom, remaining there until his death in 1869. Mrs. Bakeman died in 1863 at the age of one hundred and five years, after ninety-one years of marriage.

Mr. Bakeman entered the service when he was about seventeen years of age and served as a Private during the last four years of the war. In 1867 he made application for a pension. According to that document, "Daniel Frederick Bakeman the last pensioner of the war of the Revolution, was pensioned at the rate of $500.00 per annum on Certificate No. 33,429 which was issued July 17, 1867, under Special Act of Congress, dated February 22, 1867, the bill being reported by Mr. Price of the committee on Revolutionary pensions. His formal application of pension under said act, was executed (before Hyder Barnes, Justice of the Peace in Arcade) June 17, 1867, in which he stated that he was 107 years old, a resident of Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, and that he served during the last four years of the war under Captain Van Arnum and Colonel Willett in the New York Troops."

The delay of nearly fifty years after the act authorizing the pensioning of Revolutionary soldiers, before this patriot was rewarded was because of the misspelling or various spellings of his family name, it having been written in the Dutch from Bachman, also Beckman, Bakeman, Bateman and even Baker. It is recorded in the Pension Bureau at Washington, and in a number of Historical publications that "With the death of Daniel F. Bakeman of Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York on April 5, 1869, the last pensioned soldier of the Revolution passed away."

After receiving this pension he was able to drive around in his own carriage and two or three neighboring towns always invited him to ride in their Fourth of July parades. Always on "lndependence Day" as he called it, he arose very early and shouldering his old musket, would make the rounds of the neighborhood, firing a Salute, exclaiming "Hurrah for Washington, Putnam, Gates and Lee and all the brave soldiers who fought for LIBERTEE." It is said that he voted at every presidential election from the founding of the government, casting his first vote for General Washington and his last for General Grant.

Mr. Bakeman never grew too old to enjoy a joke. It is said that some men were digging a well and the old man was down about sixteen or eighteen feet when the bell rang for dinner and the gang went away and left Mr. Bakeman in the well. They hadn't much more than sat down, when in he, walked. They never found out how he climbed out of the well. He left them guessing.

According to the "Wyoming County Mirror" July 1859 the statement was made that "At Arcade during the 4th of July observance, Mr. W. H. Wilson introduced Daniel Bakeman and wife respectively 100 and 102 years old, both having lived before the Revolution and seen every fourth of July celebrated so far. Mrs. Bakeman had an exhibit of specimens of her needle work which she herself wrought a few days before without the aid of glasses."

On June 17, 1915, the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Olean Chapter of the D.A.R. marked the graves of Daniel and Susan Bakeman with fitting ceremonies. The Olean Delegation was met at the Arcade station on the Pennsylvania Railroad by the Elton Cornet Band and a reception committee from Sandusky. This committee was headed by the Hon. Theodore Hayden and wife, Floyd S. Merrill and Mrs. Dwight W. Jones. The village of Sandusky and all along the route to the cemetery was gaily decorated with the Stars and Stripes. The five mile trip was made by a fleet of sixteen automobiles. At the Freedom town line, fifty school children, dressed in white and carrying flowers joined the procession, later placing the flowers on the graves of many soldiers buried in the old cemetery. The exercises were simple but impressive. After "Assembly" sounded by the Bugler of the 43rd Separate Company New York National Guard of Lean, the D.A.R. Regent presented the official Bronze Marker, bearing the names and dates of the soldier being honored. This was accepted by Dwight W. Jones a great grandson of Mr. Bakeman. A memorial wreath, gift of the organizing Regent of the Olean Chapter, was placed on the grave after which "Taps" was sounded. Through the courtesy of the ladies of the church, luncheon was served in the Town Hall from twelve to one o'clock. The committee in charge was the Hon. B.B. Lewis and wife, Arthur E. Austin and wife, Mrs. E.J. Cheney, Mrs. J.W. Haskell, Mrs. C.H. Newman and Miss Anna Sparks. At two o'clock, formal exercises were held in the Baptist Church opening with the singing of America followed by an invocation by the Rev. E.S. Way, pastor of the church. The address of Welcome was given by the Hon. E.J. Cheney, Supervisor of the Town of Freedom. After a group of songs by Mrs. W.G. Naylor, a DAR member, Miss Maude Brooks, Regent of the Olean Chapter, presented a sketch of the life and services of Daniel F. Bakeman. The program continued with the recitation of the poem "The Flag Goes By", by Kenneth Jones, great-great grandson of Mr. Bakeman, and a vocal solo by Bernard Taylor accompanied by Harold Jewett. The chief address of the afternoon session was given by the Rev. Harry Burton Boyd, pastor of Olean Presbyterian Church. A large American Flag, to be known as the Bakeman Flag was presented to the church by the ladies of the D.A.R. in appreciation of the cordiality and cooperation by the Sandusky citizens. A benediction by Rev. Way brought the program to a close.

George Fruits also claimed to be the last surviving veteran of the Revolutionary War (by the Daughters of the American Revolution), but was never on the pension rolls.