Riddel's & Relatives Genealogy

[Lawrence&Diana_Owen Jan 2 2002.GED]

Quoted below (entirely as it was written) is a letter our Great Grandmother Lillian (Hodges) Chapman sent to the military pension board (probably in the early 1900's). The original of this letter, which she wrote on two small pieces of yellow lined tablet, resides in Julius Chapman's Civil War military record file in the National Archives in Washington, DC. (It was a treasure to have seen and held Lillie's original letter--Diana Chapman Owen)

"Mr. Chapman answered no to the question have either of you bin married thoutlessley I said to him that is not right & he said let it go that way. he would not talk of his first wifes death. for it hurt him so bad. She died of Child Birth & Dropsey & was a great suferrer. as she was dead & not Divorced he thout no the best answer. I answered it last May the same as he had answered it before. I never thout of it being a lie. I answered it as he wished it answered. I see now that I ought to answered correctley as the truth is always the best. I had some trouble to prove her death. as thare was no record of her mariage or death. I could not get any trace of her Dr he is dead or moved away. her last sister died last July or august. so the only thing I could do was to get two people that I knew that saw her after death to sign two affadavites. one lives in Min now & the other still lives in Norwood NY. I take my oath that these statements are true & all the affidavits also that I have sent in." (Signed) Lillie J. Chapman.