George Fruits

Who was George Fruits?

George Fruits claimed to be the last known surviving soldier of the American Revolutionary War. Subsequent research indicates that he was possibly confused somewhat with the identity of his father. The George Fruits of this article was born in Baltimore, Maryland; his parents were George and Margaret Fruits, young immigrants from Germany. His father was known as "Flag Bearer George" during the Revolutionary War, and purportedly fought in numerous important battles. Some of the exploits attributed to George Fruits may have been performed by his father.

In 1865 the U.S. government paid out the last claim for the American Revolutionary War. Fruits, however, did not apply for a war pension.

He died at the attributed age of 114 years, 7 months, and 4 days. He is buried in Bunker Hill Cemetery, two miles east of Alamo, Indiana. Commencing with the 1979 edition, the Guinness Book of World Records said "new research released by A. Ross Eckler, Jr. in 1978 has shown him to be 17 years younger than the age shown on his gravestone." There is some controversy over the identity of the last surviving veteran of the Revolutionary War.