POLL: How many people have ordered the pension records of their civil war ancestor(s)?

I have ordered a couple of Military Service Records but not many Pension Records. I was given Pension Records of my Wife's ancestor which had some detailed information about the property they owned, etc.



Don't believe everything they tell you about the burned records---not even the NARA archivists. I've heard many examples of people who were persistent and eventually got a file sent to them. Also, a WW2 Vet's military records can be found in the unit's records at the NARA Library at College Park, MD. Besides duplicate copies of the General Orders that issued certificates, medals and duty assignments, there are Morning Reports, artillery Daily Journals, and other documents that may detail events in a soldier's career.

I had requested records from NPRC, St Louis 10 years ago and was told that they had been burned in the 73' fire. On the reverse of the request form there was a phone that you could call for further assistance. I contacted them and they put me in contact with a volunteer researcher who did a 'hand search' of a unit that my father was in.(he was in several outfits in his 20 year career) Several weeks later I received several documents of my fathers 20 years in service...well worth not taking 'no' as an answer.

The fire destroyed 80 percent of the records held for Veterans who were discharged from the Army between November 1, 1912 and January 1, 1960
 
I had requested records from NPRC, St Louis 10 years ago and was told that they had been burned in the 73' fire. On the reverse of the request form there was a phone that you could call for further assistance. I contacted them and they put me in contact with a volunteer researcher who did a 'hand search' of a unit that my father was in.(he was in several outfits in his 20 year career) Several weeks later I received several documents of my fathers 20 years in service...well worth not taking 'no' as an answer.

The fire destroyed 80 percent of the records held for Veterans who were discharged from the Army between November 1, 1912 and January 1, 1960
I didn't know it was so extensive. I thought it was slightly more than the first half in alphabetical order of Army who served in WW2
 
My great grandfather's WW1 (surname McCarthy) and my father's from Korea/Vietnam (retired 1970) were destroyed...when I requested my father's records it was for his first enlistment in 1952.
 
No I have not ordered pension records. Only non direct relatives would have been eligible for pensions. Direct ancestors died in service, so no pension for them.
 
Thank you That is a remarkable collection of news clippings and compilation of records. I would really like to speak to whoever did this work. Although, the webpage is waaaaaay to big for just one page. I don't live in PA. My ancestor ended up living and dying in New Jersey

I have recently read the The History of Company C 50th Pennsylvania. I recommend it if you have not read it already. I have tried to drill down on the history of my GreatGreatGrandfather (Company E) in the history of the Regiment because he claims in his pension application to have been injured 3 times in addition to Andersonville/Florence. I am checking around to see if there are still any stones left unturned before I write a short biography


Isn't it a terrific site? The owner welcomes input too, if you have anything on someone. He's not only knowledgeable, he's extremely approachable.

Yes, thank you, have that book and there's another on the 50th, too ( from the top of my head can't remember the title ).May have newspaper clippings from the era on the 50th's encounter with that storm on the way to Beaufort. As excellent as the books are, you just know the authors had to omit some details for brevity! May find the name you're looking for in some of these?

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx4u17;view=1up;seq=11

Public access, written by Lewis Crater, the regiment's adjutant. History of the Fiftieth regiment, Penna. vet. vols., 1861-65.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt...1up;seq=20;start=1;sz=10;page=search;orient=0

Awesome description of Petersburg, chaplain's letters. Cool stuff! Love to see the bio posted when you're done, unless it's something you're publishing. If so, happy to see it on Amazon too!
 
Thank you for the link to the original history of the 50th ! I have it on CD somewhere but was unable to locate it.

I would like to go back at read the Chaplain's letter, but I am trying to develop a biography for my ancestor and he was already in Andersonville/Florence by the time Petersburg happened. I will read later
 
I've gotten the pension files and service records for all of my Union ancestors. I've also gotten their medical cards and their company's listing of where there were and their battles. I'm fortunate that I go to the National Archives about once a month, so it was fairly easy for me to get the files, without the wait that you normally have to endure when you order them directly!
 
Do they charge you the same? Can you search on your own?

If you are able to go to the National Archives, you can access the files there, and they don't charge you. The key is, though, that you have to be there in person in Washington DC to do that. For many people, that's not an option because of the distance and because they're not open in the evenings.

You can't browse through the shelves of all of the files on your own. You have to submit requests for the files that you want, and they retrieve it for you and bring it to you. You have to know what soldier and/or files you're looking for. It helps to have a copy of the pension index card if you're looking for a Civil War soldier. You're also limited to a certain number of files you can request per day.

You can order copies of the files from the National Archives if you can't go on your own. They will charge you $80 for a complete Civil War pension file, though, and then extra if it's over 100 pages long (many of them are). There usually is a wait of several months before they get the files back to you if you order them from home.

Part of what I do is that I go to the National Archives for people, instead of them going to DC. I help them get their ancestor's files for them. I do charge for it, but I charge a lot less than what the National Archives would charge you if you ordered directly from them. I try to make them more affordable.

I have links in my signature for my website and Facebook page, if you wanted to get more information or if you just had more questions about how to find your ancestor there. I'm going again in about a week, so you'd have the files back to you in a couple weeks. Let me know if I can help.

Let me know if you have more questions!
 
If you are able to go to the National Archives, you can access the files there, and they don't charge you. The key is, though, that you have to be there in person in Washington DC to do that. For many people, that's not an option because of the distance and because they're not open in the evenings.

You can't browse through the shelves of all of the files on your own. You have to submit requests for the files that you want, and they retrieve it for you and bring it to you. You have to know what soldier and/or files you're looking for. It helps to have a copy of the pension index card if you're looking for a Civil War soldier. You're also limited to a certain number of files you can request per day.

You can order copies of the files from the National Archives if you can't go on your own. They will charge you $80 for a complete Civil War pension file, though, and then extra if it's over 100 pages long (many of them are). There usually is a wait of several months before they get the files back to you if you order them from home.

Part of what I do is that I go to the National Archives for people, instead of them going to DC. I help them get their ancestor's files for them. I do charge for it, but I charge a lot less than what the National Archives would charge you if you ordered directly from them. I try to make them more affordable.

I have links in my signature for my website and Facebook page, if you wanted to get more information or if you just had more questions about how to find your ancestor there. I'm going again in about a week, so you'd have the files back to you in a couple weeks. Let me know if I can help.

Let me know if you have more questions!
Do you retrieve WWll records of servicemen? Or only CW?
 
I got my ancestor's widow's file from the State of Georgia

Yes, I should have been more clear in my answer to that. The National Archives only has the Civil War pensions for Union soldiers. The Confederate pensions are on file in the state that they were living in at the time that they filed. So that makes sense that you got yours from the State of Georgia, since I'm assuming it was a Confederate soldier. Thanks for pointing that out.
 
Do you retrieve WWll records of servicemen? Or only CW?

The National Archives in DC has the military files for wars and soldiers up through 1917. So anything after that most likely be in the St. Louis branch of the National Archives. If your ancestor was in a war from the 1800s, I can probably help, but since I don't go to St. Louis, I can't help with anything from WWI and more recent. Sorry.
 
Something to add about the National Archives....If you go with a spouse or just another person in general to help, only one person can check out records and ONLY that person can touch them (chain of custody). My wife was going help me photograph some records and that's how we found that out. After 6 hours of taking photos I finally got done since she couldn't touch the records.
 
The National Archives in DC has the military files for wars and soldiers up through 1917. So anything after that most likely be in the St. Louis branch of the National Archives. If your ancestor was in a war from the 1800s, I can probably help, but since I don't go to St. Louis, I can't help with anything from WWI and more recent. Sorry.

So tonight, after many fruitless nights of searching...I went on the NARA web site and clicked around their site. And FINALLY found some info on my dad from WWll. I did find his enlistment records!!! I was told they were all lost in the St.,Louis fire. Not much after that, like what company he served in, but at least I got his Army serial number, enlistment dat and location, deferred dates. I found his records under the area for reserves as he had to spend the balance of his duty at Ft. Dix until April 1946 after the war in the Signal Corps. as a staff sergeant.

3968F256-446B-4C83-B7C5-33FB770095BE.png


16EF1A28-0A0B-4497-9866-672FD385270E.png
 
Last edited:
Something to add about the National Archives....If you go with a spouse or just another person in general to help, only one person can check out records and ONLY that person can touch them (chain of custody). My wife was going help me photograph some records and that's how we found that out. After 6 hours of taking photos I finally got done since she couldn't touch the records.

Yes, they changed their policy a little over a year ago on that. A couple of bad people ruin it for all of us. They changed it because a couple people stole records from the College Park, Maryland archives. So their new policy makes it easier to track who has what.
 
So tonight, after many fruitless nights of searching...I went on the NARA web site and clicked around their site. And FINALLY found some info on my dad from WWll. I did find his enlistment records!!! I was told they were all lost in the St.,Louis fire. Not much after that, like what company he served in, but at least I got his Army serial number, enlistment dat and location, deferred dates. I found his records under the area for reserves as he had to spend the balance of his duty at Ft. Dix until April 1946 after the war in the Signal Corps. as a staff sergeant.

That's awesome to find your family in those records like that, especially your own father! Unfortunately the fire in 1973 destroyed a great deal of those records, like you said.
 
I have an ancestor who died at Andersonville, so there would be no records. Would the National Archives have other files on him?

Also, can I military files of my grandfather (WWII) there also?

Thanks, I just now am looking into this so apologies for basic questions.
 
Back
Top