Societies and FamilySearch have cooperated on a number of these efforts in the genealogical community. Currently, the Federation is leading an effort to digitize and make freely available the pension records for all soldiers who served in the War of 1812. There were 180,000 pensioners and the files contain 7.2 million images including the names and relationships of other family members. The files are arranged alphabetically and to date, the first few letters of the alphabet have been completed with several hundred thousand images already freely available.
The Federation of Genealogical
The War of 1812 pension files resulted from a man’s service during the war, 1812-1815. They were granted to the veteran, his widow, or his heirs.The documents in this collection include full pension application files for soldiers and sailors who served in the War of 1812, as well as for their widows and children, or other heirs. The first applications were filed by servicemen who were disabled as a result of their service, or by widows who lost a husband in the war.
What's in A Pension File?
If a veteran applied for a pension based on service in the War of 1812, his file generally contains, in addition to his name, such information as his age, place of residence, and service data including dates, places of enlistment and discharge, organization, and rank. In addition there are reports by The Adjutant General and the 3d and 4th Auditors of the Treasury verifying the military or naval service of the veteran. Similar information is contained in the widow's application file, which also generally shows the widow's age and maiden name, the date and place of marriage, and the date and place of the veteran's death. The file will contain all pension applications that were based on the service of the same veteran in the War of 1812. For
example, it will contain the application of the widow as well as of the veteran if both applied for benefits. Some of the bounty-land warrant application files, which contain similar information, have been consolidated with the pension files.
The amount of information shown on the envelope varies considerably. On each envelope are the name of the veteran, the name of the widow if she applied, the pension claim or file number or numbers, and some indication either of the type of service or of the organization in which the veteran served. Many of the envelopes also give certain personal identifying data about the veteran and/or his widow. Information given in the upper right-hand corner of some of the envelopes relates to applications for bounty land. A file, however, may contain bounty-land applications even though there is no such indication on the face of the envelope.
To Learn More, click on the link below
The descriptive pamphlet for the Index to War of 1812 Pension Application Files, M313, published by NARA, provides a great deal of background and explanatory information about the pension files and the acts that provided for them.
The War of 1812 pension files resulted from a man’s service during the war, 1812-1815. They were granted to the veteran, his widow, or his heirs.The documents in this collection include full pension application files for soldiers and sailors who served in the War of 1812, as well as for their widows and children, or other heirs. The first applications were filed by servicemen who were disabled as a result of their service, or by widows who lost a husband in the war.
What's in A Pension File?
If a veteran applied for a pension based on service in the War of 1812, his file generally contains, in addition to his name, such information as his age, place of residence, and service data including dates, places of enlistment and discharge, organization, and rank. In addition there are reports by The Adjutant General and the 3d and 4th Auditors of the Treasury verifying the military or naval service of the veteran. Similar information is contained in the widow's application file, which also generally shows the widow's age and maiden name, the date and place of marriage, and the date and place of the veteran's death. The file will contain all pension applications that were based on the service of the same veteran in the War of 1812. For
example, it will contain the application of the widow as well as of the veteran if both applied for benefits. Some of the bounty-land warrant application files, which contain similar information, have been consolidated with the pension files.
The amount of information shown on the envelope varies considerably. On each envelope are the name of the veteran, the name of the widow if she applied, the pension claim or file number or numbers, and some indication either of the type of service or of the organization in which the veteran served. Many of the envelopes also give certain personal identifying data about the veteran and/or his widow. Information given in the upper right-hand corner of some of the envelopes relates to applications for bounty land. A file, however, may contain bounty-land applications even though there is no such indication on the face of the envelope.
To Learn More, click on the link below
The descriptive pamphlet for the Index to War of 1812 Pension Application Files, M313, published by NARA, provides a great deal of background and explanatory information about the pension files and the acts that provided for them.