BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL SOUVENIR FOR THE COUNTIES OF CLARK, CRAWFORD, HARRISON, FLOYD, JEFFERSON, JEFFINGS, SCOTT AND WASHINGTON, INDIANA, John M. Gresham & Company, compilers, published in 1889, pp. 281-282. NOTE: Other reports indicate that Heffren was "drummed" out of the military after he deserted during a battle rather than "resigning due to ill health" as noted below. Horace Heffren was born in Dryden, Tompkins County, New York, May 27, 1831, and was the eldest son of Elijah and Julia A. (Dunham) Heffren. His father was a farmer. His mother's brother, Cyrus L. Dunham, was a very prominent man in state affairs being one of the leading attorneys of Indiana and also represented the state in Congress. Mr. Heffren spent his early life on the farm, attending school during the winter and at the age of seventeen taught school three terms In October 1850 he emigrated to Brownstown, Jackson County, Indiana, and in the following spring began the study of law in the office of C. L. Dunham and J. M. Lord at Salem. He was admitted to the bar in 1852 and admitted to practice in the Supreme Court on motion of the Hon. William T. Otto, May 29th, 1855. In 1852 he began the practice of law at Salem, Indiana, and resided there till his death. In October 1856 he was elected state senator and introduced a bill that became a law: "To provide for transferring the certificates of the stock of the state, providing for a registry of the same; to prevent a fraudulent issue thereof, and providing a punishment for a violation of the provisions of this act." In 1857, through the manipulations of the joint session in an attempt to defeat the election of United States senator, a point of order being raised, Mr. Heffren spoke against time, as per arrangements, and succeeded in electing the United State senator from his party. In 1861 he was elected joint representative from the counties of Washington and Harrison without opposition and was the Democratic candidate for Speaker of the House, receiving the entire party vote. The same year he assisted in raising the Thirteenth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry of which he was commissioned major and afterward promoted colonel. In October he was transferred to the Fiftieth Regiment Indiana Volunteers which he assisted to recruit and was sent to Tennessee with a portion of the regiment. In September 1862 he was compelled to resign owing to ill health. Returning to Salem, he resumed the practice of law to which he devoted the remainder of his life. In the fall of 1882 he was again elected to the House of Representatives from Washington County, served as the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and was the acknowledged leader of the democratic side of the House in that session. For four years he was engaged in writing the history of Washington County which he published from week to week in the Salem DEMOCRAT. For 35 years Mr. Heffren was a leading man in the Democratic Party, and it was greatly indebted to him for its thorough organization and its success under many adverse and trying circumstances. He was married October 23d, 1855, to Miss Mary Persise. She died some years ago; two children survive. Mr. Heffren was made a Free Mason in 1852. He took all the degrees through Knighthood and was a representative in the Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter of the state. He was closely identified with the growth and prosperity of Washington County. He was regarded as standing at the head of the legal fraternity in his county and was highly respected as a citizen and gentleman.