NOTE: Sarah "Sallie" Ann (Smelley) Wiggins was the wife of Richard Wiggins. She started her pension process on Feb. 24, 1917. Richard Wiggins had been approved and received a pension for several years. He died on February 17, 1917 . “Sallie” died, April 12, 1917. Her pension application apparently stayed in the office of Judge B. F. Bean, waiting for additional information from “Sallie”. Judge Bean held the application for a time and then sent it in, not knowing she had died, with a letter informing the pension board of the difficulty he was having getting the information from “Sallie”. The pension board approved her application, May 7, 1917, less than a month after her death. FORM B WIDOWS APPLICATION FOR PENSION #34117 The Commissioner of Pensions reserves the right to call for additional testimony if he deems it necessary. Mrs. Sallie Wiggins Polk County Post office Soda, Tex. Filed 5/7/17 Approved May 7, 1917 Pension allowed from June 1, 1917 J.C. Jones, Commissioner of Pensions. County of Polk I, Mrs. Sallie Wiggins, do hereby make application to the Commissioner of Pensions for a pension, to be granted me under the Act passed by the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Texas, and approved April 7, A.D. 1913 on the following grounds: I am the widow of Richard Wiggins, deceased, who departed this life on the 16th day of Feb'y, A.D. 1917, in the County of Polk in the State of Texas. I have not remarried since the death of my said husband, and I do solemnly swear that I was never divorced from my said husband, and that I never voluntarily abandoned him during his life, but remained his true, faithful and lawful wife up to the date of his death. I was married to him on the 10 day of Sept, A.D. in 1863, in the county of Tyler , in the State of Texas. My husband, the said Richard Wiggins, enlisted and served in the military service of the Confederate States during the war between the States of the United States, and that he did not desert the Confederate Service. I have been a resident of the State of Texas since prior to January 1, A.D. 1900, and have been continuously since a citizen of the State of Texas. I do further state that I do not receive from any source whatever money or other means of support amounting in value to the sum of $300.00 per annum, nor do I own in my own right, nor does anyone hold in trust for my benefit or use, estate or property, either real, personal or mixed, either in fee or for life, of the value of one thousand dollars, exclusive of the home of the value of not over $1000.00; nor do I receive any aid or pension from any other State, or from the United States, or from any other source, and I do further state that the answers given to the following questions are true: 1. What is your age? "She is 74 years of age" 2. Where were you born? "in the State of Alabama" 3. How long have you resided in the State of Texas? "Since 1860" 4. How long have you resided in the county of your present residence? And what is your post office address "Thirty years. My PO address is Soda, Polk Co., Texas." 5. Did your husband draw a pension? If so, give his file number. " Yes, Pension number 3374." 6. What was your husband's full name? "Richard Wiggins" 7. What was the date of his death? "Feb'y 16, 1917" 8. In What state was your husband's command originally organized? "Tyler County, Texas". 9. How long did your husband serve? "About all the war." 10. What was the name or letter of the company, or number of the battalion, regiment or battery of artillery in which your husband served? If he was transferred from one branch of service to another, give time of transfer, description of command and time of service. "Dr. Beazley's Company, Infantry. Was never transferred." 11. Name branch of service in which your husband served, whether infantry, cavalry, Artillery, or the navy, pr if commissioned as an officer by the President, his rank and line of duty, or if detailed for special service, under the law of conscription, the nature of such service, and time of service. "He served in the infantry." 12. Have you transferred to others any property of any kind for the purpose of becoming a beneficiary under this law? "NO" Wherefore your petitioner prays that her application for a pension may be approved and such other proceedings be had in the premises as are required by law. (Signature of Applicant) Salie Wiggins. (appears to be her original signature & as spelled) Sworn to me and subscribed before me, this 24th day of Feb'y A.D. 1917.B.C. County Judge Polk County, Texas. (Pg. 2) AFFIDAVIT OF WITNESS [Note.- There must be at least 2 creditable witnesses.] THE STATE OF TEXAS County of POLK Before me, B.F. Bean, County Judge of POLK County, STATE OF TEXAS, on this day personally appeared J. J. Dillon & W.A. Wiggins, who are personally known to me to be creditable citizens, who being by me duly sworn, on oath state that they personally know that Mrs. Sallie Wiggins, applicant for a pension as the widow of Richard Wiggins deceased, is in truth and fact the widow of Richard Wiggins deceased; that they personally know that she has not remarried since the death of her husband, for whose services in the army she claims a pension, and that they have no interest in this claim. (Signature of Witness) W.S. Wiggins (Signature of Witness) J. J. Dillon Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 24 day of Feb'y A.D. 1917 B.F. Bean (Seal) County Judge, Polk County, Texas AFFIDAVIT OF WITNESS [Note- There must be at least 2 creditable witnesses.] THE STATE OF TEXAS County of POLK Before me, B.F. Bean, County Judge of POLK County, STATE OF TEXAS, on this day personally appeared J. J. Dillon & W.A. Wiggins, who are personally known to me to be creditable citizens, who being by me duly sworn, on oath state that they personally know the above named applicant for pension, and that the said_________________ has been a bona fide resident citizen of the State of Texas since prior to January 1, A.D. 1900, and that they have no interest in this claim. (Signature of Witness) W.S. Wiggins (Signature of Witness) J. J. Dillon Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 24 day of Feb'y A.D. 1917 B.F. Bean County Judge, Polk County, Texas (Seal) Pg. 3 AFFIDAVIT OF WITNESSES (If possible, the two witnesses should have served with the applicant’s husband in the army, and if so, let them, or either of them, state it in their oath; also any information regarding the army service of applicant’s husband.) THE STATE OF TEXAS County of Polk Before me, __left blank____ County Judge of __left blank___ County, State of Texas, on this day personally appeared __left blank___, who personally known to me to be creditable citizens, who, being by me sworn, on oath stat that they are personally acquainted with the foregoing applicant, and that the facts set forth and statements made in her application are correct and true, to the best of their knowledge and belief, and that they have no interest in this claim. And further make oath to the following acts vouching the service of the applicant's husband in the Confederate Army; (State fully your source of knowledge). "This being a woman was not in the War, J. J. Dillon personally knows that her husband was in the war and knows personally his captain, H. R. Beazley." (Signature of Witness) ________________ (left blank) (Signature of Witness) ________________ (left blank) Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 24 day of Feby. A.D. 1917 B.F. Bean (Seal) County Judge, Polk County, Texas Pg. 4 Office Of COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS State of Texas Austin Mrs. Sallie Wiggins, Soda, Texas Dear Madam- Your application for a pension under act of the Legislature of Texas, approved April 7, 1913, was filed in this office and approved on May 7, 1917. The file number of your claim is 34117 and your first payment under the law cannot be made before August 31, 1917. The enclosed blank affidavit should be executed and returned before July 13, 1917; your warrant for pension cannot be prepared by the Comptroller until your affidavit is properly filled out and returned to this office. Go before some officer with a seal authorized to administer oaths on or after the date designated in your affidavit which will be furnished for your use every quarter. This notice shall be returned by you, and in writing about your pension mention above number. Take notice that pensions are payable at the end of each quarter and that the law does not provide for the payment of back pensions. Respectfully, J. C. JONES Commissioner of Pensions Pg. 5 Affidavit (left blank, except for Polk County and Application # 34117 and returned to Pension Commissioner. Pg. 6 Letter from B. F. Bean, County Judge, Polk County, Texas, to J. C. Jones, Commissioner Hon. J. C. Jones Austin, Texas Dear Sir; I hand you herewith application of Mrs. Sallie Wiggins for a pension in lieu of a pension granted to her husband, Richard Wiggins. At the time she made the application she could not give me her husband's pension number. She did not seem to know any thing about it. She is very old and ignorant. I told her I would wait a short time before sending the application to you, so as to give her time to look it up and send to me. I have written to her about it, but I am unable to make her understand what I want. There is no doubt about her being the widow of Richard Wiggins, who was a Confederate pensioner at the time of his death. Her post office address is Soda, Polk Co., Texas. I would be glad to see her get the pension, as she is entitled to it, and she needs it. Yours very truly, B. F. Bean, Co. Judge