Tippecanoe Co, IN Civil War Pension for Minor Heirs Submitter: Adina Dyer  adyer@insightbb.com Some documents from the Civil War Pension of JAMES THOMAS WATKINS~~ Declaration for Pension or for Increase of Pension of Children under Sixteen years of Age. State of Indiana, County of Tippecanoe~~ On this 29th day of Jan, A.D. one thousand eight hundred and ninety personally came before me Clerk of the Circuit Court of Record within and for the County and State aforesaid JOHN N. WADKINS minor of JAMES W. WADKINS resident of West Point, County of Tippecanoe State of Indiana aged thirty two years, respectively, who being duly sworn according to law, make the following declaration in order to obtain the pension provided by Act of Congress for children under sixteen years of age. That they are the legitimate children of JAMES W. WADKINS who enlisted under the name JAMES W. WADKINS at Pine Village, on the 15 day of Aug. A.D., 1862 in the war of the Rebellion, who died in the month of March 1864, the exact date is unknown to claimant at Green Hill on the ___ day of March 1864 and who bore at the time of his death the rank of Pvt. In Co. G 100th Ind. Vol. Inf., that he left a widow surviving who died soon thereinafter, MARTHA, LOUISA & JOHN N. WADKINS & MATILDA ­ that the above-named are the only surviving legitimate children of JAMES W. WADKINS who were under sixteen years of age at the time of his death, of whom these are the survivors that said children were the issue of soldier as follows, the dates of their birth being as hereinafter stated: MARTHA J. WADKINS, of soldier by Deceased Mother, born May 1850 ELIZA WADKINS, of soldier by Deceased Mother, born Feb 1852 JOHN N. WADKINS, of soldier by Deceased Mother, born Dec 1, 1853 MATILDA WADKINS, of soldier by Deceased Mother, born March 1855 That the mother was married under the name of ELIZABETH VOSS to soldier there being no legal barrier to such marriage; that the children have not aided or abetted the rebellion; and that they made no prior application, that the declarant hereby appoint with full power of substitution and revocation A. J ROUSH of Lafayette, Indiana as attorney to prosecute the above claim; that the post office address is West Point, Indiana. Signed: JOHN N. WATKINS Wit: James S. Allen Harvey J. Sawyer ___________________________________________________________ Incidental Matter That the father of the wards is JAMES T. and is identical with JAMES W. WATKINS on the roll is shown by two credible witnesses. The identity of soldier as the father of these children is shown by report of witnesses also that his names was “JAMES T.” ___________________________________________________________ State of Indiana County of Tippecanoe Before me, Daniel Royse, Clerk of the Civil Circuit Court in and for the County and State aforesaid personally approved JOHN A. GRAHAM and SARAH A. GRAHAM who being by me duly sworn declare that their post office is Poolsville, Warren County, Indiana, that they were well acquainted with JAMES THOMAS WATKINS who was a private in Company “G” in the 100th Regiment of Indiana Volunteers and who was the father of the wards of JOHN GRAHAM named in Pension Claim No. 200154 and that the said JAMES THOMAS WATKINS is the same person borne on the rolls of said Company as JAMES W. WADKINS, that they know said fact of their own personal knowledge and from seeing JAMES THOMAS WATKINS while he was a member of said Company, that there was no other WATKINS or WADKINS in said Company except BENJAMIN WATKINS and the said JAMES THOMAS WATKINS. They further declare that they are not in any manner interested in the claim for pension for pension of JOHN GRAHAM, a guardian. ___________________________________________________________ The State of Indiana Tippecanoe County I, Daniel Royse, Clerk of the Common Pleas Court in and for the County of Tippecanoe, in the State of Indiana, do hereby thatJOHN GRAHAM has been duly appointed Guardian of the person and estate of FRANK WATKINS born Aug. 20 1855 JOHN N. WATKINS born Dec. 1, 1859 MATILDA WATKINS born Feb. 15, 1863 ELMER WATKINS born Nov. 1, 1864 Infant and minor heirs of JAMES T. WATKINS of Tippecanoe County, State of Indiana, deceased; and the said JOHN GRAHAM having qualified and given bond as such Guardian is duly authorized to take upon himself said Guardianship,according to law. Witness, My hand and the Seal of our said Court affixed At office in Lafayette, this 25 day of March, A.D., 1871. Signed: Daniel Royse, Clerk Signed: W. L. Littleton, Deputy ___________________________________________________________ DEATH of FORMER WIFE LAST MARRIAGE The marriage of JAMES T. WATKINS to ELIZABETH WATKINS is shown by witnesses who testify to twenty years cohabitation. Guardian states that the parents were married in Delaware, that he cannot find out where or by whom married. REMARRIAGE of WIDOW to JOHN GRAHAM Record of Evidence The widow died July 1871, shown by proof. [Note: Elizabeth Watkins married John Graham, April 12, 1868, in Warren County, Indiana.] ___________________________________________________________ MARRIAGE RECORD of JAMES WATKINS and ELIZABETH VAULX KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS That we JAMES WADKINS and ROBERT WILLEY of Kent County and State of Delaware are held and firmly bound to the State of Delaware, in the sum of two hundred dollars, lawful money of the said State, to be paid to the said State of Delaware: to which payment well and truly made, we bind ourselves, and each of us, jointly and severally, our and each of our heirs, executors and administrators, firmly by these presents: sealed with our seals, and dated this 26th day of December in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and forty-four. THE CONDITION OF THE ABOVE WRITTEN OBLIGATION IS SUCH That if JAMES WADKINS aforesaid, and ELIZABETH VAULX may lawfully united themselves in marriage, and if there be no legal objection to celebrating the rights of marriage between them, then the said obligation shall be void, otherwise to be and remain in force. Sealed and delivered in the presence of Wm. H. TAYLOR Signed: JAMES x WADKINS Signed: ROBERT A. WILLEY ___________________________________________________________ All known children of James T. and Elizabeth Vaulx Watkins: 1. Sarah WATKINS b: 1845 in Delaware d: Unknown 2. William H. WATKINS b: 1846 in Delaware d: 14 March 1891 in Glen Hall, Tippecanoe Co., IN Delaware m: 8 October 1873 in Tippecanoe Co., IN Mary Ann STEWART b: 17 October 1848 in d: 21 November 1926 in South Raub, Tippecanoe Co., IN 3. Mary E. WATKINS b: 1848 in Delaware d: 7 November 1908 in Tippecanoe Co., In m: 5 February 1865 in Warren Co., IN John W. STEWART 4. Martha J. WATKINS b: May 1850 in Ohio d: 11 June 1898 in Soldier's Home, Tippecanoe Co., IN m: 24 June 1866 in Warren Co., IN James ALLEN 5. Mahala E. WATKINS b: February 1851 in Ohio d: Unknown 6. Louisa WATKINS b: 1855 in Ohio d: Unknown 7. James F. WATKINS b: 20 August 1855 in Delaware d: Unknown m: 3 September 1875 in Warren Co., IN, Mary B. ADAMS 8. Rachael WATKINS b: 1859 in Indiana d. Unknown 9. John Nelson WATKINS b: 1 December 1859 in Indiana d: Unknown m: 2 November 1881 in Tippecanoe Co., IN, Sadie PHASSAIL 10. Matilda WATKINS b: 15 February 1863 in Indiana d: Unknown 11. Elmer WATKINS b: 1 November