Hi, Everybody, John F. Ludington is of interest to me because he is part of the Stephen Abner Ludington/Ann Holdcraft saga. I am convinced we need more facts to solve the remaining questions about them....so, I ordered a copy of John F.'s Civil War pension file...hoping there might be some answers there. I did not find anything new about Stephen and Ann but the story that unfolded from his file is rather interesting and I thought you guys might enjoy hearing it. John F. Ludington enlisted as a private in the 40th Regiment of Indiana Volunteers at Lebanon, Indiana on the 23rd of October, 1861, to serve 3 years. He was born in Clinton County, Ohio, was 27 years of age, 6 ft. 1 in. high, dark complexion, blue eyes and a farmer by occupation. He was discharged July 20, 1864 at Indianapolis, Indiana. During the time he was in service, he was in numerous battles, was shot twice and taken prisoner once. He was honorably discharged due to disability. There are pages and pages of depositions from family and acquaintances, dated from July 25, 1864 to December 8, 1897, documenting his infirmities. He was seeking payment for his disability and, and as time passed, increases in his compensation. He was unable to work and had no property. The local Odd Fellows society contributed $4.00 per month to the family, also. His first wife died on August 8, 1887 and he remarried on the 16th of March, 1890. All of his children were from his first marriage. As time passed, he became more ill. In a hearing on April 17, 1911, his wife said, "He had a spell of sickness in June, 1905 and after that acted very queer and in past three years, he would wander away and get lost and fail to recognize familiar faces or persons of his own family. He had all his teeth pulled without necessity 3 years ago. He would fly into a rage and struck me, choked me and threatened me with serious harm when he flew into a rage but afterward would not recall what he had done. This condition grew worse. The occasion of his being taken to jail was about the last of February, 1911. He had got away and run into the county and was nearly run over by the main RR. A few days later, he wandered into the country and was found by strangers who telephoned the Frankfort police. We got him back several times when he wandered off but that day the police found him and confined him in jail and he attempted to kill a prisoner in jail." This hearing was being held to examine her reasons for having him committed to the state asylum for the insane in Indianapolis, Indiana. After his second wife had been appointed guardian on March 10, 1911 and he had been committed to the state asylum for the insane, another daughter, Armetta Klinke, began a campaign with the government pension office to request that none of her father's pension be given to her step-mother. This was the cause of the hearing on April 17, 1911. In this hearing, all of the witnesses, including the doctors, were called back to testify about the competency of John F. Ludington again. It was noted that several of his living children had attended the competency hearing but did not object, except for one sentence by a daughter who said he was only acting childish. Needless, to say, after this hearing, the pension office was satisfied that the Indiana courts had acted properly and that John F. Ludington's second wife was his lawful guardian and was entitled to be in charge of his pension payments. John F. Ludington died September 26, 1911 while an inmate at the Indiana State Asylum for the Insane in Indianapolis. He was buried in the Bethel Cemetery in Boone County, Indiana on Thursday, September 28, 1911. Sarah Amanda (Harbaugh) (Helmick) Ludington received a widow's pension and lived until December 20, 1913. She was buried in the Odd Fellows cemetery in Frankfort, Indiana. End of story.... Elaine