Porter County and the War of 1812Veterans of the War of 1812 in Porter County . . . .

Background Information
The War of 1812, between the United States and the British Empire, was fought from 1812 to 1815. There were several immediate causes for the U.S. declaration of war. First, Great Britain had put into place a series of trade restrictions to impede American trade with France, a country with which Britain was at war. Second, Britain had implemented forced recruitment of U.S. citizens into the Royal Navy. Third, the British military was providing substantial support to North American Indians who were offering armed resistance to the expansion of the American frontier to the Northwest. American expansion into the Northwest (Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin) was impeded by Indian raids. Although the British made some concessions before the war on neutral trade, they saw themselves as having the right to reclaim their deserting sailors, and also as the protectors of the native Indians from encroaching settlers. The British also had the long-standing goal of creating a large "neutral" Indian state that would cover much of Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.


Porter County War of 1812 Veterans

Atkins, Elisha
Pirvate, Captain C. Ives and Captain D. T. Welch's Company, 37th United States Infantry
Born: October 8, 1792
Death: after November 1883
Burial: Burial location unknown. Possible burial locations include Union Street (Old City) Cemetery in Valparaiso and the Westville Cemetery located in LaPorte County, Indiana.
Biographical Sketch: Elisha Atkins was born at Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut, on October 18, 1792. Atkins, then a resident of Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, enlisted as a private into service on August 8, 1814, serving in Captain C. Ives and Captain D. T. Welch's Company of the 37th United States Infantry. He was discharged from service on May 10, 1815. At Montgomery, Hampden County, Massachusetts, on November 27, 1816, Elisha married Polly Noble, a union the resulted in the birth of eight sons and one daughter. Atkins moved to Porter County, Indiana, between 1855 and 1860 and he appears in the 1860 Federal Census enumeration as a resident of Tassinong located in Porter County's Morgan Township. The 1870 Federal Census data shows Atikins living in Porter County's Pleasant Township, while the 1880 Federal Census enumeration has him residing in Westville, LaPorte County, Indiana. By 1883, Atkins had moved back to Porter County. Elisha's date and location of death, as well as his burial location are unknown. What is known is that he was still receving a military pension for his War of 1812 service in November 1883 and that he lived to be at least 90 years of age.

Cornell, Isaac
Private, 135th Regiment (Christy's) Pennsylvania Militia
Born: April 17, 1792
Death: January 22, 1874
Burial: Cornell Cemetery in Boone Township
Biographical Sketch: Isaac Cornell was born on April 17, 1792, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, the son of Joseph and Mary (Van Kirk) Cornell. He married Priscilla Morgan and they were the parents of the following eleven children: Alvin, Morgan, Ira, Harriet, Milan, Rebecca, Lucretia, Phebe, Van Kirk, Craig, and Maria. At some point in time after his service in the War of 1812, Isaac Cornell migrated to Crawford County, Ohio. From Crawford County the Cornell family emigrated to Boone Township in Porter County during the spring of 1835, being the first permanent white settlers in that township. A newspaper item published on July 17, 1878, in the Porter County Vidette (p. 3, col. 7) states that "we remember he was a man that was loved and respected by all who knew him. He might truly be called the poor man's friend. It is said that several times he has been known to refuse to sell wheat and other produce in times of scarcity to men who had the money to pay for it, and let poor men have it who had not the money to pay for it. He said to the men who had money, 'You can buy elsewhere as you have the money to pay for it, and the poor man that is without it can't do that.' He will live in the hearts of the people for years to come." Cornell passed away on January 22, 1874, and was buried in the Cornell Cemetery in Boone Township.

Curtis, Eliphalet David
Private, 1st Regiment (Bloom's), New York Militia
Born: August 2, 1781
Death: April 5, 1865
Burial: Sedley Cemetery in Union Township
Biographical Sketch: Eliphalet David Curtis was born on August 2, 1781, in Brookfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, the son of Ephraim and Rachel (Bishop) Curtiss. Eliphalet served as a private in the 1st Regiment of the New York Militia during the War of 1812. Curtis emigrated to Porter County in 1838 and settled near Porter Cross-Roads, where he died on April 5, 1865. He was interred in the Sedley Cemetery in Union Township. The Sedley Cemetery is very small; only three burials are recorded in the Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society's (NWIGS) index for this cemetery. Eliphalet's burial record in the NWIGS index incorrectly lists his given name as Elizabeth. According to county records, Eliphalet's son, Seth Curtis, deeded a half-acre plot located in the northeast corner of the southeast corner of Section 18 to Union Township for use as a cemetery. The cemetery is located behind a farm between Sedley Road and County Road 375 West and is difficult to find. Only one tombstone was found to remain in the cemetery during its last reading on November 10, 1993.

Curtis, John
Born: May 14, 1788
Death: November 12, 1865; age 77y, 5m, 29d
Burial: Blake Cemetery in Portage Township
Biographical Sketch: John Curtis was born on May 14, 1788, and enlisted for service in the War of 1812 at New York. Curtis emigrated to Porter County in 1836, settling near Wheeler. He died on November 12, 1865, and was interred in the Blake Cemetery in Portage Township.

Folsom, Robert Peasley
Born: 1797
Death: July 30, 1882
Burial: Cornell Cemetery in Boone Township
Biographical Sketch: Robert Folsom was born in 1797. He served for five years in the regular army and fought in the War of 1812. Sometime around 1842 Folsom emigrated to Porter County where he settled in Yankeetown, located four miles northeast of Hebron. At the time of his death at his residence on July 30, 1882, he was the oldest man (84 years) living in Porter County. Folsom's remains were interred in the Cornell Cemetery in Boone Township.

Hicks, Abram
Private, 3rd Regiment, New York State Militia
Born: September 12, 1797
Death: April 17, 1884; age
Burial: Union Street (Old City) Cemetery in Valparaiso
Biographical Sketch: Abram Hicks was born on September 12, 1797, in Dutchess County, New York. Hicks served under Captain Israel Holmes Company of the Third Regiment of New York Detached Military led by Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer. Hicks' unit served from September 8 through December 3, 1814, at Stuyvesant's Fields in New York City. Abram Hicks married Jane Thompson, of Dutchess County, on April 3, 1820, a union that resulted in three daughters and two sons. Evidence suggests that Hicks moved to Michigan around 1844 and then to Porter County, Indiana, between 1848 and 1850. On April 17, 1884, after three years' illness, Hicks died at his home in Valparaiso and was buried in the Union Street Cemetery in that community.

Kettle, Peleg
Private, Captain John Chapin's Company, New York State Militia
Born: Circa 1784
Death: 1870s
Burial: Burial location unknown. Possible burial location is Carter Cemetery located in Jackson Township, Porter County, Indiana; Peleg's wife, Polly (Hackett) Kettle, is buried in Carter Cemetery.
Biographical Sketch: Peleg Kettle was born circa 1874 in New York and enlisted for military service on October 14, 1814, at Sackett's Harbor, Jefferson County, New York. He married Polly Hackett in 1823, presumably in Onondaga County, New York, given information provided in Polly's death notice published in the August 12, 1880, issue of the Porter County Vidette. A claim submitted by Kettle on November 2, 1857, for reimbursement of personal costs incurred while serving in the war indicates that he was a member of a company commanded by Captain John Chapin and served for a one month term in the company. Kettle and his wife settled in Porter County, Indiana, in 1857. The 1870 Federal Census places Peleg's residence in Jackson Township, Porter County, Indiana, where he is enumerated as an 86 year old farmer; he does appear in the 1880 Federal Census. The 1876 plat map of Jackson Township published by A. G. Hardesty shows that Kettle lived on forty acres situated in the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 16, Township 36 North, Range 5 West, or about five-eighths of a mile south of present day County Road 1050 North along the east side of County Road 350 East. Thus, it believed that Peleg Kettle likely passed away during the decade of the 1870s. No known burial location for Peleg's remains is known, but since his wife is interred in Jackson Township's Carter Cemetery, there is a strong likelihood Peleg in buried in this same cemetery, located approximately three miles southeast of his home.

Powell, Myron
Corporal, 4th Regiment (Williams') Vermont Militia
Born: Circa 1793
Death: November 1, 1865; age 72
Burial: Union Street (Old City) Cemetery in Valparaiso
Biographical Sketch: Myron Powell was born circa 1793 and enlisted for service in the War of 1812 at Vermont. Shortly after the war Powell moved to Western Reserve Ohio, and then to Porter County. Powell died in Porter County on November 1, 1865, and was interred in the Union Street (Old City) Cemetery in Valparaiso.

Rice, James
Private, 2nd Regiment, Ohio Militia, Captain Isaac Butler's Company
Private, 1st Regiment Ohio Militia, Captain Joseph W. Ross' Company
Born: November 27, 1795
Death: August 6, 1874; age 74
Burial: Hebron Cemetery
Biographical Sketch: James Rice was in the area of Wythe and Russell Counties, Virginia, which later became Tazewell County.  James’ family moved from Virginia to Gallia County, Ohio in the early 1800’s. James served as a private in the Ohio Militia in Captain Isaac Butler’s Company (August 9, 1812, to October 9, 1812).  He again enlisted in Captain Joseph W. Ross’ Company (September 1, 1813, to March 1, 1814), serving in the Detroit, Michigan, area until discharged.  In 1850, James filed a Land Bounty claim with the U.S. Government for this military service and was awarded 160 acres of government land located in Iowa.  He later sold his interest in that land to another individual who took possession of the land in Iowa. On February 21, 1815, James Rice married Violetta “Zeletty” Keeton in Gallia County, Ohio. The marriage produced seven children: daughters Irena, Fatima, and Esther, and sons Edward W., Taswell (T. S.), Elias M., and James V.  In late 1834, James Rice purchased land equating to approximately 120 acres in Athens County, Ohio. The James Rice family lived at this location until September 1856 when James and Violetta sold the family farm and moved to Eagle Creek Township, Lake County, Indiana.  All seven children and their families moved with them to Indiana.
[Biographical sketch prepared by Ruth Rice Patterson]

Tidball, Thomas
Rank unknown, believed to have been a member of Captain Isaac Van Harris' Company, 27th United States Infantry
Born: 1793, Robinson Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania
Died: January 21, 1881, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana
Burial: Most likely interred in either the Chesterton Cemetery located in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana. Enumerations of Porter County cemeteries do not list either Thomas Tidball or his wife, Maria, both of whom died in Chesterton.
Biographical Sketch: The following brief death notice was published in the January 27, 1881, issue of the Porter County Vidette: "Thomas Tidball, an old and respected citizen, and for a number of years a resident of Chesterton died on Friday morning of last week [January 21]. He was a veteran of the war of 1812, and was in the Plattsburgh and many other hard fought battles. He was born in 1793, being 88 years of age. He was to have been buried with military honors, but as the funeral took place on Sunday their design was not carried out." Thomas was the son of Abraham and Nancy (Cheney) Tidball. In 1815, Thomas married Maria Elizabeth Cooley in Ohio. Maria passed away on June 12, 1867, in Chesterton. At least two children were born to Thomas and Maria: Elizabeth (Tidball) Wait (b. 1829 in Brown County, Ohio - d. 1917 in Hudson, Stafford County, Kansas) and Jane (Tidball) Castle (b. 1841 - d. ????).

Williams, Raymond
Private, 2nd Regiment, New York Militia, Captain William E. Peck's Company
Born: July 17, 1796, Hampton, Windham County, Connecticut
Died: December 30, 1876, near Crown Point, Lake County, Indiana
Burial: Salem United Methodist Church Cemetery
Biographical Sketch: Raymond Williams was born in Hampton, Windham County, Connecticut, on July 17, 1796. He enlisted to serve in Captain Peck's Company of the 2nd New York Militia on November 14, 1814. At the time of his enlistment, Raymond was described as having hazel eyes, brown hair, and a dark complexion; he was a farmer who stood at five feet and eleven inches. On December 16, 1818, at Windham, he would marry Eunice L. Eastman. In 1838 or 1839, Raymond and his family moved to Salt Rock Township, Marion County, Ohio. Eunice would pass away on May 2, 1845, at Sundusky, Wyandott County, Ohio, likely to due complications related to the birth of a daughter, Jane Williams. Raymond remarried in 1847 to Mary E. Kerr. At some point in the mid to late 1850s, Raymond and his family would move to Winfield Township, Lake County, Indiana, living just over the Lake-Porter county line. Raymond passed away in Lake County on December 30, 1876, and was interred in the nearby Salem United Methodist Church Cemetery in Porter County. Between his two wives, Raymond fathered sixteen children.


Information abstracted by Steven R. Shook

 

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