MILITARY: Civil War Pension File of Jefferson Wheat, Clarke Co., Iowa Submitted 09/2003 by Frances Faitt ************************************************* Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************* Transcribed from the copies of the original documents located in the National Archives Pension file of Jefferson Wheat by Frances Faitt & submitted for the Clarke Co. IAGenWeb Extractor's notes, 14 September 2003: Thomas Jefferson Wheat (1835-1928) was a resident of Madison county, Iowa from about 1856 until shortly before his death, living on the family farm (South Township T75 N, R27W, Section 26, 1852, St. Charles P.O.). He is believed to be a brother of Augustus C. Wheat (1828-1902) of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In addition, his first wife (Sarah Jane Wheat, m. Nov 1855, Clarke Co, IA) may have been a sister to the wife of Augustus Wheat (Isabell Smith 1836-1922; m OCT 1852, Clarke Co., IA). In 1889, Jefferson Wheat applied for and received an Invalid Pension (#523752) arising from his Civil War service. Below are selected extractions from an extremely large file, covering the years of 1889 until 1934, available from the National Archives. It is also believed that this family has Native American ancestry. From various Surgeon's Certificates included in the Pension File, Jefferson's physical description was: height, 5'9"; weight, ranged from 190 down to 155; eyes, black; hair, black (and later gray); skin, rough and red. DES MOINES AGENCY. 3-402 Certificate No. 523752 Department of the Interior, Name, Jefferson Wheat BUREAU OF PENSIONS, Washington, D. C. January 15, 1898 Sir: In forwarding to the pension agent the executed voucher for your next quarterly payment please favor me by returning this circular to him with replies to the questions enumerated below. Very respectfully, H. Clay Evans Commissioner of Pensions First. Are you married? If so, please state your wife's full name and her maiden name. Answer. Yes Ruth B. Wheat, Miss, Ruth B. Vernon Second. When, where, and by whom were you married: Answer. December 5th, 1866 Joseph Brobst Knoxville Iowa Third. What record of marriage exists? Answer. County Judge of Marion Co., Iowa Fourth. Were you previously married? If so, please state the name of your former wife and the date and place of her death or divorce. Answer. Yes S. J. Smith Divorced 1858 in Osceola Iowa Fifth. Have you any children living? If so, please state their names and the dates of their birth. Answer. Yes A. W. Wheat Born Jan. 21st 1857 P.S. the record of our marriage is in Co, clerks office of Marion Co., Iowa as we was married by Co, Judge Jefferson Wheat Date of reply, July 5th 1898 [end] 3-389 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF PENSIONS Washington, D. C., January 2, 1915 Sir: Please answer, at your earliest convenience, the questions enumerated below. The information is requested for future use, and it may be of great value to your widow or children. Use the inclosed envelope, which requires no stamp. Very respectfully, GM Saltzgaber Commissioner JEFFERSON WHEAT, WINTERSET, IOWA 523752 No. 1. Date and place of birth? Answer. Madison Co, Alabama The name of organizations in which you served? Answer. Co. F 39th Iowa Inft. No. 2. What was your post office at enlistment? Answer. St Charles Madison Co., Iowa No. 3. State your wife's full name and her maiden name. Answer. Ruth B Wheat, Ruth B. Vernon No. 4. When, where, and by whom were you married? Answer. Dec 5th 1866. Knoxville Iowa by Judge Joseph Brobst No. 5. Is there any official or church record of your marriage? Yes, Clerks office. If so, where. Answer. Knoxville Iowa No. 6. Were you previously married? If so, state the name of your former wife, the date of the marriage, and the date and place of her death or divorce. If there was more than one previous marriage, let your answer include all former wives. Yes. Sarah Jane Smith Nov 1855 Clark County Iowa divorced In spring of 1857. Osceola Iowa All included. No. 7. If your present wife was married before her marriage to you, state the name of her former husband, the date of such marriage, and the date and place of his death or divorce, and state whether he ever rendered any military or naval service, and, if so, give name of the organiza- tion in which he served. If she was married more than once before her marriage to you, let your answer include all former husbands. Answer. No. No. 8. Are you now living with your wife, or has there been a separation? Answer. Yes. No separation. No. 9. State the names and dates of birth of all your children, living or dead. Answer. Albert W. Wheat by first wife born Jan 21st 1856. Date March 23rd, 1915 (Signature) Jefferson Wheat [end] State of Iowa) ) SS Polk County ) I, Jessie Dixon, being first duly sworn state that I am a resident of Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa; that I have known Mr. Jefferson Wheat for more than a year; that since August 12, 1920 I have been employed to take care of him; that on account of nervousness Mr. Wheat is unable to dress himself nor is he able to feed himself at the table, so that he takes my constant care and all of my time. All of which statements are correct and true. Jessie Dixon Subscribed and sworn to before me this 4th, day of October 1920 by Jessie Dickson. Paul M Payne NOTARY PUBLIC IN AND FOR POLK COUNTY [end] State of Iowa) ) SS Polk County ) I, Jefferson Wheat, being first duly sworn state: That I am the Jefferson Wheat now drawing pension under No. 523752; that I served in the Civil War, in the 39th Iowa Infantry, Company F., and that I have applied for increased pension on account of total disability; that I have no children except for son, from whom I have heard nothing for more than twenty-eight years; that I had no near relative in the World War, and have not received any insurance, nor have I ever applied to the War Risk Insurance Bureau for any compensation because of the death in the service of any member of my family. All of which statements are correct and true. Jefferson (his mark) Wheat Witness Jessie Dixon Subscribed and sworn to before me this 29th, day of December 1920. Paul M Payne Notary Public in and for Polk County, Iowa. [end] CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE State of Iowa Polk County This is to certify that on the 23 day of Nov. A.D. 1921 at Res. of Isaac Welker in said County, according to and by auth- ority of law, I duly JOINED IN MARRIAGE Thomas Jefferson Wheat And Miss Jessie Dixon Given under my hand the 23rd day of Nov. A.D. 1921. J. L. Johnson Retired minister of the M.E. Church In the presence of Robert Young Mrs. Robert Young Mrs. I. Welker State of Iowa) ) SS Polk County ) I, Paul M. Payne, being first duly sworn state that the foregoing is a true copy of the marriage certificate of Thomas Jefferson Wheat and Miss Jessie Dixon, said copy having been made by me from the original. Paul M. Payne Subscribed and sworn to before me this 21st, day of November 1928. Z Rubenstein Notary Public in and for Polk County, Iowa. Widow Division M.L.K. In re Jefferson Wheat I.C. 523,752. Accrued F.39 Iowa Inf. Civil War, 1862-1865. [end] AFFIDAVIT. State of Iowa) ) SS Polk County ) I, A. Carson, being first duly sworn state that I am a regularly licensed and practicing physician in Des Moines, Iowa: that I have known Jefferson Wheat for the past ten years and have been his attending physician during most of that time. I further state that the said Jefferson Wheat died at his home in Des Moines, Iowa on the 6 day of September 1928. All of which statements are made from my own personal knowledge and are correct and true as I verily believe. A Carson 1010 Equitable Des Moines IA Subscribed and sworn to before me this 21st day of November 1928. Paul M Payne Notary Public in and for Polk County, Iowa Widow Division MLK In re Jefferson Wheat I.C. 523752 F 39 Iowa Inf. Accrued Civil War 1862 to 1865 [end] [abstract from State of Iowa Standard Certificate of Death] CERTIFICATE #: 1404 PLACE OF DEATH: Des Moines, Polk Co., Iowa FULL NAME: Jefferson Wheat LENGTH OF RESIDENCE IN CITY: 6 years PERSONAL AND STATISTICAL PARTICULARS: White, Male, Married DOB: Nov 7-1834 AGE: 93 yrs, 9 months, 29 days OCC: retired farmer BP: Alabama FATHER: James Wheat BP OF FATHER: VA MAIDEN NAME OF MOTHER: Do not know BP OF MOTHER: Do not know INFORMANT: Mrs. Jefferson Wheat, Des Moines, Ia FILED Sept 6, 1928 Stanley M. Krell, registrar MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OF DEATH: Sept 6, 1928; 7:30 a.m. Organic Heart Disease A. Carson, M.D. 1010 Equitable BURIAL INFORMATION: Winterset Cem Sept 8, 1928 Undertaker: Ramsey-Richards, Winterset Ia [end] AFFIDAVIT State of Iowa) ) SS Polk County ) I, Mrs Jessie D. Wheat, being first duly Sworn state that I am the widow of Jefferson Wheat and that I had never been married prior to my marriage to the said Jefferson wheat on the 23rd. day of November in 1921. I further state that Jefferson Wheat had been formerly married to Ruth Vernon on the 5th day of December 1866 and that she died on or about the day of April 16 1916. All of which statements are correct and true as I verily believe. Jessie D. Wheat Address 1023 Clinton Ave, Des Moines Subscribed and sworn to before me this 21st day of November 1928. Paul M. Payne Notary Public in and for Polk County, Iowa Widow Division MLK In re Jefferson Wheat I.C. 523752 Accrued F 39 Iowa Inf. Civil War 1862 to 1865 [end] [typed letter to Pres. Roosevelt]: To The PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES From WASHINGTON. D.C. Mrs Jessie Dorothea Wheat. 1023 CLINTON AVE. DES MOINES, IOWA. 12/22/33. Dear PRESIDENT ROOSEVELDT. (sic) You are so kindly, and truly helpful to those of us who are very desperately beset with circumstances it seems impossible to overcome by our own efforts, I take courage to tell you mine. I am a CIVIL WAR VETERANS WIDOW, and because of the marriage date clause in Pension Bill, I am not eligible to any. He served in IOWA REGIMENT from 1862---65, he was a total invalid, could not even feed himself before we married, that's Why, I did, we were married seven years, we pooled our savings and got our small home together so he would not go to Soldiers Home, In a wheel-chair, or bed-fast he was a glorious man, the joy of my life to care for him, I know I made him happy too. My health broke as reult (sic) of long strain, there was no insurance to tide me over, had to mortgage my home, ($900,00)am behind $63,00.which is this years interest at 7%; I have not had any paying work, when you get near sixty it is difficult to, now the motgagee (sic) has filed foreclosure for the whole amount, if he takes my home, I have no kin to turn to, my husband was the last of his family, and I'm the last member of mine. I receive temporarily about thirty-cents a day from a soldier relief fund, it is not permanent, that few cents has to cover everything, light, gas, water rates, food, medicine, shoes, clothing, (have spent $16,00 for shoes and clothes in last 5 year and all house supplies, How can I ever hope to pay interest and mortgage, all my savings have been used up paying it for five years. I do not owe any bills, of any kind, it is not honest when you know you can't pay, my only debt is this mortgage. Congressman C.C.DOWELL had a bill printed in my behalf, for a pension of thirty Dollars a month, but the 'BONUS ARMY' was in the CAPITAL at the time making the very word PENSION obnoxious, it was in the air, so the Bill for me was turned down. If I'd received it I could have saved about $20,00 a month, and not been in such grief as I amm, (sic) even if I can get help from Home Owners Loan (which is the grandest most wonderful plan ever done for poor folks, GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS MR PRESIDENT. I wonder how to pay, only GOD can find the way, as thru YOU HE opened a door for many. In all the world only a CIVIL WAR VETERANS WIFE is not legally his WIDOW. I enclose 'Bill' and letter from C.C.DOWELL, may I have them back again please. Thank you kindly. Yours very respectfully, J.D.WHEAT. [handwritten postscript] The Home Owners Loan are working on my case now, but that Shylock Mortgagee is trying to force sheriff sale, before the Corp, can complete the loan. Jan 3rd is the day set for Court consent and sale, making the debt larger than before. Can this sale be prevented Sir? Forgive me if I've presumed in writing, but you seem a personal friend to us all. [end]