FamilySearch, Fold3, National Archives Joint Project
The National Archives recently released a new video in their “Inside the Vaults” series that highlights the project to digitize the Civil War widows’ pension files.
Click on "ReadMore" below to learn more and to see the video.
The National Archives recently released a new video in their “Inside the Vaults” series that highlights the project to digitize the Civil War widows’ pension files.
Click on "ReadMore" below to learn more and to see the video.
A team of 60 volunteers led by National Archives personnel crossed the 100,000 mark of 1.28 million case files. FamilySearch is providing volunteers who create the digital images, and Fold3 will produce the index and publish the index and images on their website, Fold3.com. (Fold3.com is available free at our St. George FamilySearch Library.)
To view the 5.42 minute video, click here. To learn more about the valuable information that can be found in U.S. Military Pension Files, read below.
To view the 5.42 minute video, click here. To learn more about the valuable information that can be found in U.S. Military Pension Files, read below.
What Can Be Found in Pension Files?
There are military records that contain valuable biographical information for family history research for every war in American history. There are records for every serviceman of every rank.
The Pension Files are some of the best military records for detailed personal information of the soldier and extensive, detailed family information if a widow requests to receive the soldier's pension.
1. Name of soldier (usually his full name)
2. Name of Spouse
3. Military Unit
4. Age, home
5. Enlistment and discharge dates
6. Bounty Land Warrant number (where applicable)
7. Residency of soldier and sometimes spouse
8. Soldier's death date and location
9. Medical records - these can often be extensive if he lived a number of years
after the war.
Widow's Request for Husband's Pension - This request produced a separate, detailed record. Think of what would be required to prove the validity of her request with the required information listed below. These pension files are usually a genealogy treasure.
1. Proof of the marriage often containing valuable family details.
2. Proof the soldier's service and his death
3. Proth of the birth of dependent children (This could provide names, dates, etc.
4. Location of family home
5. These records usually hold much more information depending on the war,
the rank of the soldier and the location of the pension office. For the Civil
War, the Southern States each did their own pension fund while the Union
states handled all pension funding from one office, (See FamilySearch/Wiki)
Note: Some pension files with early certificate numbers may include a cover page to the file which lists the name of the soldier; company, regiment, and state of service; the name of the widow, often with her maiden name; and the names of any dependent children. It also lists which of the above documents are within the file.
There are military records that contain valuable biographical information for family history research for every war in American history. There are records for every serviceman of every rank.
The Pension Files are some of the best military records for detailed personal information of the soldier and extensive, detailed family information if a widow requests to receive the soldier's pension.
1. Name of soldier (usually his full name)
2. Name of Spouse
3. Military Unit
4. Age, home
5. Enlistment and discharge dates
6. Bounty Land Warrant number (where applicable)
7. Residency of soldier and sometimes spouse
8. Soldier's death date and location
9. Medical records - these can often be extensive if he lived a number of years
after the war.
Widow's Request for Husband's Pension - This request produced a separate, detailed record. Think of what would be required to prove the validity of her request with the required information listed below. These pension files are usually a genealogy treasure.
1. Proof of the marriage often containing valuable family details.
2. Proof the soldier's service and his death
3. Proth of the birth of dependent children (This could provide names, dates, etc.
4. Location of family home
5. These records usually hold much more information depending on the war,
the rank of the soldier and the location of the pension office. For the Civil
War, the Southern States each did their own pension fund while the Union
states handled all pension funding from one office, (See FamilySearch/Wiki)
Note: Some pension files with early certificate numbers may include a cover page to the file which lists the name of the soldier; company, regiment, and state of service; the name of the widow, often with her maiden name; and the names of any dependent children. It also lists which of the above documents are within the file.
