Coles Countians in the War of 1812
This is a new page to hold family information on Coles Countians
who served in the War of 1812. It can include pension applications like the one below, or whatever other info is
available for that time, as long as there's a Coles County link.
SALOMA (CARPENTER) HEDDINS'
PENSION APPLICATIONS & AFFIDAVITS
[Contributed by Roland Heddin (Source #29). Visit his website at http://heddins.com for more information on this Coles County family. He has a lot of nice pictures of the family posted there.]
The following are the records of the pension applications and affidavits, made by Mr. William Ricketts, the attorney
of Saloma Heddins, the widow of Isaiah (Josiah) Heddins, soldier in the War of 1812. Mr. Ricketts spelled some
of the names incorrectly, such as "Siloma" and "Heddin." Apparently Saloma could neither read
nor write, as is indicated by her "X" mark for a signature. Saloma began trying to obtain a pension in
1878 and by 1887, nine years later, she still had not received it, because no record of Isaiah's service in the
war could be found in the National Archives, very likely because Isaiah was spelling his surname differently at
that time. These records were obtained from the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
State of Illinois
Coles County
On this 11th day of June, A.D. 1878, personally appeared before me, Clerk of the County Court in and for the county
and state afore-said, Siloma Heddin, aged about 73 years, a resident of Coles County and State of Illinois, who,
being duly sworn according to law declared that she is the widow of Isaiah Heddin, deceased, who served the full
period of 14 days in the military service of the United States in the War of 1812, and who was the identical Isaiah
Heddin who was enlisted in Capt. Adams' Company in Col. McDonald's Regt. in the New York Militia in the early part
of said war and was honorably discharged at or about the close of said war (but at what place, she does not recollect,
and she is not entirely certain as to whether the names of the officers above given are the officers under whom
her husband served, but she thinks that they are). That she was married under the name of Siloma Carpenter to said
Isaiah Heddin on the 10th day of February, 1820, by Gilbert Car-penter, Minister of the Gospel, at and in the County
of Delaware in the State of Ohio. There being no legal barrier to such marriage that her said husband died at and
in the County of Coles and in the State of Illinois on the 29th day of July, A.D. 1866 and that she has not remarried
since his death. That she is not in receipt of a pension under any previous act, that she makes this declaration
for the purpose of being placed on the pension rolls of the United States under the provisions of the act approved
March 9th, 1878, and she hereby constitutes and appoints William Ricketts of Charles-ton, Coles County, Illinois,
her true and lawful attorney to prosecute her claim and obtain the pension certificate to which she may be entitled
under said act and that her Post Office address is Charles-ton, Coles County, Illinois.
Witness Her Mark
(signed) E. E. Clark Siloma Heddin
(signed) Geo. Monroe X
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 11 day of June, A.D. 1878, and I hereby certify that on this day above written
and at the same time, the following named persons appeared as witnesses in the above case to wit Evaline Walker
and Sarah Beatty, residents of Charleston, Coles County, Illinois, persons whom I certify to be respec-table and
entitled to credit and who being by me, first duly sworn according to law, say they were present and saw Siloma
Heddin, the claimant, make her mark to the foregoing declaration. That they have every reason to believe from the
appearance of said claimant and their acquaintance with her that she is the identical she represents herself to
be and they further state that they have been acquainted with said claimant and with her said husband for 6 years
before the death of said Isaiah Heddin, which occurred on or about the 29th day of July, 1866, and knew them to
live together as husband and wife, and they were so regarded in the neighbourhood in which they lived, and they
further state that said applicant is still the widow of the said Isaiah Heddin, deceased, and that she has not
remarried since his death and that they have no interest in this claim.
Witness Her Mark
(signed) E. E. Clark Evaline Walker
(signed) Geo. Monroe X
(signed) Sarah Beatty
Sworn and subscribed before me on this 11 day of June, A.D. 1878 and I hereby certify that the contents of the
above decla-ration were fully made known and explained to the applicant and witnesses before swearing and that
I have no interest direct or indirect in the prosecution of this claim.
(signed) W. R. Highland, County Clerk
After the above affidavit, Mr. William Ricketts, Saloma's attorney, wrote to the Pension Office at the Department
of the Interior, in Washington, D.C., reques-ting that a pension be given to Siloma Heddin(s), the widow of Isaiah
Heddin(s), who allegedly served in the War of 1812. On January 27, 1879, the Pension office wrote a letter to the
Treasury Department (Third Auditor), replying:
"You are respectfully requested to furnish official evidence of the enrollment, muster, service, duty, and
discharge or death of Isaiah Heddin, who is alleged to have been enlisted at Ontario, New York, in the early part
of the war of 1812, in Captain Adams' Company, of Col McDonald's Regiment of New York Militia, and...continued
in service till near the close of war..."
(signed) J. A. Bently, Commis-sioner
Then on March 28, 1879, The Third Auditor's Office at the Tresury Department wrote:
"Respectfully returned to the Commissioner of Pensions with the information that there are several Captain
Adams' on the Company books on file in this office. You will please give, if practicable, the Christian name of
the Captain Adams referred to. The name of the Colonel McDonald is not borne on the Index of Field and Staff Officers
on file in this office."
(signed) A. M. Gangewer, deputy auditor
On June 7, 1879, J. A. Bently, Commissioner at the Pension Office at the Department of the Interior, wrote to Mr.
Ricketts:
Sir,
In the claim of Siloma Heddin, widow of Isaiah, No. 26,614 under Act of March 9, 1878, it is necessary that claimant
should state whether she or her said husband ever received a bounty land warrant for his services and if so, the
number of said warrant or the number of the claim upon which the warrant was issued. There was no Colonel McDonald
of New York Militia, War of 1812, and consequently no Capt. Adams in his regiment. Please furnish any information
in your possession that will identify the service of the alleged soldier, and return this letter with your reply.
Very respectfully,
(signed) J. A. Bentley, Commis-sioner
The following letter was then written from Mr. Ricketts to Mr. Bently, Commissioner of Pensions:
Charleston, Ills., June 17, 1879
Com. of Pensions
Dear Sir,
Mrs. Siloma Heddin is unable to give the name of any other name than Adams under whom her husband (Isaiah Heddin)
served but still she is not certain that Adams was the name of his captain. She informed me that her said husband
went from Ontario County, New York in the place of one Hocking Ketchum, and she is inclined to think that the said
Isaiah Heddin answered to the name of Hocking Ketchum during his time of service, which she says was from 1812
to the close of the war. This lady is very old and forgetful. She states that her, nor her said husband never applied
for or received a land warrant for his service, but from what she says, I think likely that he did apply for a
land warrant through a man of this place by the name of W. W. Bishop. She says that Bishop came to see her husband
several times about the matter, but she thinks he did not make an application. Mr. Bishop is dead, and his papers
are not to be found. This old lady is blind and her mind is like a child's mind. She knows that her husband was
in the War of 1812, but she is unable to give the particulars of his service. Her sons recollect hearing their
father talking about his service in said war but they paid so little attention to what he said, that they are not
able to give but very little information on the subject. I have no doubt but this woman is entitled to a pension,
but it seems that she is unable to get her case shaped up so as to enable the Department to give it to her.
Yours very truly,
(signed) Mr. Ricketts
Then on July 21, 1879, the Third Auditor's Office of the Tresury Department responded again to the Commis-sioner
of Pensions:
"Respectfully returned to the Commissioner of Pensions with the information that there are no Rolls of Captain
"Ontari's" Company of New York Militia, War of 1812, on file in this Office. There are no rolls of Captain
Hocking Ketchum's Company, New York Militia, War 1812 on file in this office."
(signed) A. M. Gangewer, deputy auditor
The following letter was then written from Mr. Ricketts to Mr. Bently, Commissioner of Pensions:
Charleston, Ills., Aug. 30, 1879
Com. of Pensions
Dear Sir,
Mrs. Siloma Heddin, widow of Isaiah Heddin of the War of 1812, wishes me to write you and see what has been done
in her case. Her claim is No. 26,614. She says that the names of two of her husbands comrads was John Neffes or
Neffus and the other one was named Kettle. She states that she has heard her husband speak of an officer by the
name of Jeffries or Jefferson and that it is possible that that is the name of his captain. She still says that
her husband went in the Army in the place of one Hawkins Ketchum and that he may have answered to his Ketchum name.
By referring to the papers in this case, you will see where she claims her husband went from. On receipt of this
you will please let me know what has been done in this case.
Yours very truly,
(signed) Wm. Ricketts
Then, almost three years later, on May 18, 1882, the Pension Office at the Department of the Interior in Washington,
D.C., requested more information from the Third Auditor's Office at the Tresury Department, concerning Isaiah Heddin(s),
this time asking if he was to be found on file in Captain Stevens' Company. On June 13, 1882, the Third Auditor's
Office replied:
"Respectfully returned to the Commissioner of Pensions, with the information that the name of Isaiah Heddin
is not borne on the Rolls of Captain Stevens' Company of New York Militia, War of 1812, on file in this office."
Almost four years later, we have record of Mr. Ricketts having written to the Commissioner of Pensions:
Charleston, Ills., Feb. 11th, 1886
Com. of Pensions
Dear Sir,
Mrs. Siloma Heddin, widow of Isaiah Heddin is very old and she is deaf and blind and it is very hard to get to
understand what she means. She states now that her husband, the above, named Isaiah Heddin went into the United
States Service as a substitute for a man by the name of Hockings Ketchum and she thinks he answered to his (Ketchum)
name during his entire service. But she is not certain that Adams was his Captain's name, but she thinks it was.
Her claim is No. 26,614. I am very much obliged to you for the trouble you have went to in order to find this soldier's
name on the rolls of the New York Militia. I dislike to bother you so much about this case and would not do so
but for the reason that this old lady is perfectfully wild on this subject, as she states that she seen said Heddin
start away when he entered said service and that when he came home he had a written discharge certificate, but
by some means said discharge got lost. Her sons recollect having seen said discharge, but they are unable to tell
what became of it.
Yours very truly,
(signed) Wm Ricketts
On March 6, 1886, the Pension Office once again wrote to the Third Auditor at the Tresury Department:
Sir:
In the claim described above it is alleged by the applicant that her husband, Isaiah Heddin, served in a Company
of New York Militia, War of 1812, commanded by a Captain Adams, as a substitute for Hockings Ketchum. I have the
honor, therefore, to regret that the alphabetically arranged account of the Militia of the State of New York for
said war, be examined for the service of said Hockings Ketchum, as alleged.
If his name is found, please furnish a tracing of the soldier's signature, with a report of his service and state
whether the rolls furnish any evidence that his service was rendered by a substitute.
Very respectfully,
(signed) John C. (Black?), Commissioner
On March 25, 1886, the Third Auditor's Office wrote back to the Commissioner of Pensions, saying:
"The names of Isaiah Heddin or Hockings Ketchum are not borne on any of the alphabetically arranged accounts
of the paymasters who paid the mil. of the State of N.Y., War of 1812, on file in this office."
And on June 15, 1886, this note:
"Isaiah Hedden, Register of 1855, Searched Regular Army and no claim found... Only one John Neefus on record."
The final record that we have on this subject was written about one year later:
State of Illinois
Coles County
On this 11th day of June A.D. 1887, personally appeared before me, Clerk of the Circuit Court in and for the County
and State aforesaid, Siloma Heddin, who being by me first duly sworn according to law, says that she is the widow
of Isaiah Heddin, who was a Private (as she understands) in Capt. John Ellis Company in the Regt. commanded by
Col. Henry Bloom in the New York Militia in the war of 1812, and she further states that her said husband, above
named, was known in the army and after he was discharged therefrom by the name of Josiah Heddin, and she states
also that her said husband paid his tax under the name of Josiah Heddin. She states further that she has a claim
pending before the Commissioner of Pensions on account of the service of her said husband in said war, said claim
is No. 26,614.
Witnesses Siloma Heddin
(signed) I. L. Swegle her mark
(signed) Geo. C. Mathes X
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 11th day of June A.D. 1887 and I certify that the contents of the above
affidavit was fully made known to the applicant before swearing and that I have no interest in this claim and the
words "as she under-stands" was interlined before swearing.
(signed) J. J. Beall, Clerk
Circuit Court, Coles Co., Ill.
Transcription & commentaries by Roland J.
Heddins (Source #29) of Lindale, Texas, great-great-great-great- grandson of Isaiah &
Saloma Heddins.