Background
Bakeman said he was born on October 9, 1759 in Schoharie County, New New York
Bakeman said he was born on October 9, 1759 in Schoharie County, New New York
Records have shown that in 1825 the Bakemans settled in Arcade, New York, in a home on the north side of the County Lincolnshire Road. In 1845 they moved to Freedom, New New York While on a four day trip from central New York to Albany, New York for wheat and other supplies, Bakeman"s home burned down with nothing salvageable.
This would occur two more times in his life.
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 New York
At the time, the longest surviving veterans who were on the pension rolls were Lemuel Cook of Clarendon, New York (died May 20, 1866), and Samuel Downing of Edinburgh, New York (died February 19, 1867). They resided for over 42 years in Herkimer County, New York, and part of the time in the town of Stark, New York where he owned a farm.
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.
Bakeman died six months before his 110th birthday on April 5, 1869 and is buried in Sandusky Cemetery in Freedom, New New York The Annual Report of the United States. Commissioner of Pensions for 1874 said: "With the death of Daniel T. Bakeman, of Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, April 5, 1869, the last of the pensioned soldiers of the Revolution passed away.".