Civil War Pension Files for Union Soldiers and their dependents- How to find them

I was fortunate to work at a large scale research project at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, DC and the National Records Center in Suitland, Maryland for 18 months in which I daily handled Civil War Pension Files and Medical Records and Military Service Records. It was a treasure trove of information on the soldiers and their families.

United States Civil War and Later Pensions is an enormous record group at NARA and the National Records Center. Pensions began to be issued to disabled veterans in 1862 with laws making major changes to the qualifications being made in 1872, 1890, and 1906. According to the Social Security Administration, by 1910, 90% of living Union veterans were receiving a pension.

There are indexes to Union Pension Records with nearly 2.5 million Index Cards. There are several ways to search the index files; Family Search has United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917 and United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; Ancestry’s Index is the same as the latter from Family Search ; and Fold3 has Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. I recommend that you look at all three.

Each of the databases yielded a different card on the same person, which will give you the necessary information in order to request their full pension records; however, they also give important information regarding the veteran and their families. We find out not only the service information for David N. Dague within the index cards, we find his wife’s name- Matilda J., the mailing address in Perry, Oklahoma (if the name sounds familiar watch Far and Away with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman), the monthly pension amount- $15-50, and David’s date and place of death.

From United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917

From United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934

From Fold3’s Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900, Indiana, Infantry, Regiment 155, Company A

If you do not have subscriptions to Ancestry.com or Fold3, you can access them at Family History Centers or your local library. Many community libraries have the databases available at the library or remotely with your library card number. Family Search can be accessed through any computer; however, you will have to create a free account.

Next: Requesting Civil War Pension Files

U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

In May of 1917, the Selective Service Act was passed.  It authorized the President to increase the national army through conscription.  There were three draft registrations.  The first on June 5, 1918, all men in the U.S. between the ages of 21 and 31 were to register with their local draft board.  There was a second draft registration a year later for those who had turned 21 after the first draft registration with a supplemental registration on August 24, 1918 for those had turned 21 after June 5, 1917.  The third and final registration was expanded to include men between 18 and 45 years of age on September 12, 1918.

The approximately 24 million draft registration cards (NARA Microfilm publication M1509) have been microfilmed and are indexed on a several sites; which encompasses almost 25% of the population of the U.S. in 1918.  Indexed and searchable copies of the record group are available on Ancestry, Family Search, and Fold3.

How are these records useful in your family history research?

They contain details about the individual that may not be found anywhere else: date and place of birth, physical description, street address, employer, name and residence of closest relative, and signature.

As with all records- look on the back and the record before and after!

WWI Draft Registration Card for Morton Henry Dague