The War of 1812 was a military conflict, lasting for two-and-a-half years, between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, its North American colonies and its American Indian allies. The war resolved many issues which remained from the American Revolutionary War but involved no boundary changes. The United States declared war on June 18, 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions brought about by the British war with France, the impressment of American merchant sailors into the Royal Navy, British support of Indian tribes against American expansion, outrage over insults to national honor after humiliations on the high seas and possible American interest in annexing British North American territory (part of modern-day Canada).
The war was fought in three principal theatres. Firstly, at sea, warships and privateers of each side attacked the other's merchant ships, while the British blockaded the Atlantic coast of the United States and mounted large raids in the later stages of the war. Secondly, land and naval battles were fought on the American–Canadian frontier, which ran along the Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence River and the northern end of Lake Champlain. Thirdly, the American South and Gulf Coast also saw big land battles, in which the American forces defeated Britain's Indian allies and a British invasion force at New Orleans. At the end of the war both sides signed the Treaty of Ghent and both parties returned occupied land to its pre-war owner and resumed friendly trade relations.
Source: Wikipedia (accessed 11/29/2014)
There are six known War of 1812 veterans who are believed to have settled in Adams County and died here. There may have been others.*
Many thanks to Kaylehn Brunner who researched the men listed on the Peace Monument in Decatur.
* Additional War of 1812 veterans provided by James F Halberstadt and researched by Kaylehn Brunner in 2016
If you would like to add to the information Kaylehn has gathered, please email
Margie R. Pearce
* Lawrence Aspy
Born: 15 Jun 1788 in Pennsylvania
Died: 21 Dec 1865 Adams County Indiana is buried in Crawford Cemetery in Berne IN
Married 1: Jane Morgan who was born 4 Oct 1788 in Virgnia and died 24 Sep 1852 in Adams County IN; they were married on 24 Dec 1812 in Green County OH.
They had 7 children- 2 daughters and 5 sons.
Married 2: Jane Jones on 2 Feb 1854 in Adams County IN
Enlisted War 1812 in Greene County Ohio. Date of service was Sept 3, 1812 to Dec 3, 1812 serving under Captain George Fergurson.
Sources: Ancestry.com Fold 3- Unindexed Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1812-1855
Biographical and Historical Record-Adams and Wells County IN, Lewis Publishing Company 1887, Mark Aspy biography page 394
Indiana Genealogical Society Website, Index of Crawford Cemetery-Adams County IN
Adams County IN marriage records 1845-1920 Book B page 150
Ancestry.com U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 for Lawrence Aspy
Genealogy of the family of Lawrence Aspy and Jane Morgan. Allen County Public Library call# 929.2 AS68G
John Reynolds Grim
Born: 12 Dec 1790
Died: 10 Jul 1865
No other information found
* Ezekiel Hooper
Born: 17 May 1790 Maryland
Died: 22 May 1871 Adams County IN
Married 1: Cornelia Swayzey who was born abt. 1794 IN Maryland and died 27 Apr 1842
Married 2: Amy Ames who was born abt.1800 and died before 1858 they were married on 17 Aug 1843 in Adams County IN
Married 3: Almira H. (Gorsline) Bobo who was born 26 Oct 1818 in Ohio and died 11 Jul 1899 in Adams County IN; they were married 12 Jan 1858 in Adams County IN
Sources: Standard History of Adams and Wells Counties Indiana, Lewis Publishing Company 1918, Volume 2, Paul Granville Hooper biography page 790 & 791
Indiana Genealogical Society Website, Index of Decatur Cemetery-Adams County IN (Ezekiel Hooper is also listed in the
Monmouth Cemetery Index (has tombstone photo) but I believe he is buried in the Decatur Cemetery with his 3rd wife Almira)
Andrew Hoskinson
Born: abt. 1785 in PA
Died: 2 Nov 1872 in Adams County IN
Married: Sarah Beard 21Oct 1813 in Licking Co. OH
Enlisted- 26 Aug 1812
Discharged-27 Sep 1812
Served as a private under Capt. Nicholas Stroffer’s Company Ohio Militia
Sources: Ancestry.com Ohio Marriages 1789-1898 The Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly 1977 pg. 161 accessed 05 Nov 2014
Ancestry.com War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815, NARA Microfilm Publication M313, Record Group #15 accessed 07 Nov 2014
* Elisha Laisure
Born: 10 Jan 1775 in Allegany County Maryland
Died: 13 May 1855 in Adams County IN
Buried:
Smith Cemetery (has tombstone photo)
Married: Elizabeth Julian abt. 1812
Served as a Private under Capt. Larre
Sources : Ancestry.com, Indiana, Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993
Ancestry.com. War of 1812, Prisoner of War Records, 1812-1815
Ancestry.com. U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914
Indiana Genealogical Society Website, Smith Cemetery-Adams County IN
* David Little
Born: abt. 1792 in Virginia
Died: abt. 1858 in Adams County IN
Buried:
Little Family Cemetery
Married 1: Nancy Riegel on 4 Sep 1814 in Virginia she died abt. 1818
Married 2: Amy Blue on 12 Jul 1818 in Ohio she died between 1840 and 1850 in Adams County IN
Married 3: Frances Platt on 18 Sep 1857 in Adams County IN
Served as a Private under Capt. James Sowers and Lt. Col. John Kootz 4th Virginia Volunteers serving July 1813 to Jan. 10, 1814.
Sources: Indiana Genealogical Society Website, Little Family Cemetery-Adams County IN
The Little Family Genealogy by Helen Little-Ritenour, 2004, Decatur Public Library accessed March 2016
Henry Martz
Born: 26 Mar 1792 in Somerset County PA
Died: 20 May 1870 in Adams County IN
Married 1: Julia A. Timberly who was born 4 Jan 1794 in Somerset County PA; died in 1824 in PA; married on 14 Feb 1816 in Somerset County PA. They had 7 children, three sons and four daughters.
Married 2: Catherine Lydick who was born 10 Nov 1807 in PA; died 3 Feb 1884; married 27 Feb 1834 in Knox County OH. They had 6 children, two sons and four daughters.
Served as a private under Capt. Blair’s Company Maryland Militia
Sources: Biographical and Historical Record-Adams and Wells County IN, Lewis Publishing Company 1887 pg. 444
Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, index, Family Search, FHL microfilm 001294304 accessed 09 Nov 2014 image 184
Ancestry.com War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815, NARA Microfilm Publication M313, Record Group #15 accessed 02 Nov 2014
Ancestry.com U.S. War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1825, NARA Microfilm M602 Roll 133 Image 1817 accessed 06 Nov 2014
* Daniel C. Pontius
Born: 19 Feb 1784
Died: 15 Mar 1877
Buried:
Hartford Cemetery
Married: Ellen Martin 5 Jul 1868 in Adams County IN
Served as Ensign under Capt. Denny 1st regiment Ohio Militia
Sources: U.S., War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815
Adams County, Indiana; Index to Marriage Records 1845 - 1920 Book: C; Page: 197
Indiana Genealogical Society Website, Index of Hartford (Stringtown) Cemetery - Adams County IN
* Sampson Rice
Born: 9 Feb 1789 Loudon County Virginia
Died: 18 Feb 1848 Adams County IN
Buried:
Alpha Cemetery (has obit and tombstone photo)
Married: Elizabeth Ferguson abt. 1813 in Virginia
Served as Private under Capt. Crutchfield 1st Regiment Virginia Militia
Sources: Indiana Genealogical Society Website, Index of Alpha Cemetery-Adams County IN
U.S., War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815
Joseph Shackley
Born: 12 Jan 1792 in York County Maine
Died: 13 Aug 1875 in Adams County IN
Buried:
Union Chapel Cemetery (has tombstone photo)
Married: Louisa Emmons on 1 Jun 1825 in York County Maine
Served as a private under Capt. James Ayers Massachusetts Militia
Sources- Biographical and Historical Record-Adams and Wells County IN, Lewis Publishing Company 1887 pg. 405
Maine, Marriages, 1771-1907, index, Family Search, reference FHL microfilm 10469, accessed 09 Nov 2014
Ancestry.com War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815, NARA Microfilm Publication M313, Record Group #15 accessed 09 Nov 2014
William Phillip Shepherd
Born: 18 Aug 1788 in Virginia
Died: 17 Jun 1862 in Adams County IN
Married: Olivia Emery on 13 Jul 1809 in Ross OH
Sources- Biographical and Historical Record-Adams and Wells County IN, Lewis Publishing Company 1887 pg. 411
Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1958, index, Family Search, reference FHL microfilm 281637, accessed 09 Nov 2014
* Alexander Smith
Born: 3 Feb 1783 in West Virginia
Died: 3 Sep 1848 in Adams County IN
Buried:
New Mount Tabor Cemetery
Married: Margaret Mock on 23 Aug 1806 in West Virginia
Served with Capt. Mc Elvain in the Ohio Militia
Sources: Indiana Genealogical Society Website, New Mount Tabor Cemetery - Adams County IN
Ancestry.com. War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815
Ancestry.com. West Virginia, Marriages Index, 1785-1971
* William Stockham
Born: abt. 1794 in Kentucky
Died-unknown
Married 1: Eleanor Bennett on 25 Jan 1816 in Scioto Oh
Married 2: Elizabeth Duncan on 6 Oct 1831 Jackson Co Oh
Served as a private Capt. Stephenson 2nd Regiment Ohio Militia
Sources: 1850; Census Place: Hartford, Adams, Indiana; Roll: M432_135; Page: 39B; Image: 84
U.S., War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815
Peter Studabaker
Born: 15 Oct 1790 in Westmoreland PA
Died: 15 Jun 1840 in Adams County IN
Married: Mary Jane Simison on 15 Feb 1821 in Jay County IN
Source-Biographical and Historical Record-Adams and Wells County IN, Lewis Publishing Company 1887 pg. 190
updated 6/2/2023
