Who Do You Think You Are? Episode 4 - Matthew Broderick

Last night’s episode of “Who Do You Think You Are?” has been my favorite so far as it somewhat mirrors my quest into a side of family I never knew. Like Matthew Broderick, I knew very little of my father’s family and was born after the death of my grandparents; therefore, I have greatly concentrated my search on my father’s family.

At least three times in this show, Matthew Broderick indicates his astonishment of what he has discovered by saying, “I’m gobsmacked.” I had never heard this term of Irish origin, but it is fitting with all that he had discovered.

Matthew’s quest concentrates on two individuals – his grandfather, a World War I soldier and his great-great grandfather who served in the Civil War. I’ll allow you to watch the episode on Hulu (the link is below) without providing the details, as the element of surprise of the twists and turns in his genealogical pursuits are what makes this and the other “Who Do You Think You Are?” episodes so enjoyable.

World War One Research

Unlike Broderick, I haven’t had the opportunity to search for a World War I ancestor, as I have none in my direct ancestry. During World War I, only single men without dependents were drafted. Married men or single men with dependents could enlist; however, they were not compelled by the draft. Since both of my grandfathers were married with dependents, neither was required to serve; however, this is not a dead end for information about this and other young men at the time of this conflict.

Compulsory WWI Draft Registration

All men of an eligible age were required to register for the draft. These registration records are invaluable as they provide middle names, dates and location of birth, residence, occupation, dependent information, and descriptive info. Ancestry.com has these records on file, but they are also available via microfilm from the National Archives. As with any record, they are based on the knowledge of the individual at time.

My step-father's father's draft registration (front)

The obverse of the record has my step-father’s father’s information. It lists his middle name, which I had already known from my step-father. His address is consistent with the family home; however, the town is listed as Versailles Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. This entity no longer exists as the township was incorporated as a borough and renamed “White Oak” in 1948. His birth date (January 6, 1882) and citizenship information lists him as native born.

This was what my step-father and apparently his own father also believed concerning his nativity. I remember my step-father telling me that his grandparents came to the US with two of their sons and the youngest, his dad, was born here. Unfortunately, this is incorrect. Newly released Swedish emigration records indicate that Axel was actually born in Sweden and left that country on July 14, 1882 with his mother and two brothers – six months after his birth.

His occupation, a skelp-builder, was with the National Tube Company in McKeesport, PA where he bent strips of metal into pipe which would be welded by another worker. Finally, his second wife’s full-name of Susan Elizabeth Akerberg is used here. She is often only listed by her middle name, Elizabeth (or her nickname of “Lib”), the name by which she was known.

My step-father's father's draft registration (back)

The reverse contains descriptive information regarding Axel Peter Akerberg. He was tall, of slender build, had dark hair, and brown eyes. It also indicated that the registration took place late in the process being September 12, 1918 (World War I ended on November 11, 1918). The registration also occurred at Wilmerding, PA. This I found interesting that a smaller town, Wilmerding that was further from his home than the larger town of McKeesport, was the registration place.

Civil War Research

On “Who Do You Think You Are?,” Matthew Broderick also traced a Civil War ancestor, Robert Martindale. Since I have done a great deal of research in this area, I did a search and discovered that Broderick’s great-great grandmother was awarded a widow’s pension for which she applied within a month following her husband’s death. The pension record may reveal additional information concerning his death in Georgia.

One of the things that was not defined very well in this episode is the role of a “skirmisher” that Robert Martindale played. The definition given by the historian was that skirmishers acted as guards. While that is not incorrect, it doesn’t tell the entire story as “skirmishers” were often sent out in advance of the main body of troops and engaged the enemy earlier than the regiment as a whole. Often these men, in their advanced position, were in danger of drawing enemy fire before the main engagement of battle. This allowed the regiment to know the location of the enemy often at the sacrifice of some of the skirmishers.

Despite this, the show was an emotional experience and the discovery of Robert Martindale’s fate also solved a mystery for a Civil War historian and the Veteran’s Administration. This was a great episode and shows how many of us, unbeknown to our current knowledge of our families, may not be aware of these ancestors' service. Before I began my research, our family was only aware of one Civil War ancestor; however, I now know of four: two from my mother’s side and two from my father’s side.

Civil War pensions were granted in the name of all four of these ancestors and these records have greatly added to my knowledge of not only their war time activities, but also their post-war lives and their families. For more info on Civil War pensions, see my series of articles on this subject. In the future, I will address compiled military service records as one of my posts.

Determining If Your Ancestor Had A Civil War Pension

As stated in a previous post, not every Civil War veteran received a pension. So, how do you determine if a pension application was filed by or in the name of your ancestor? As the number of pensions grew, the U.S. Pension Office began creating a series of file cards to search for pensions. There were three card indices that the Pension Office maintained: the Numerical Index, the General (alphabetical) Index, and the Organizational Index. All three series of cards have been microfilmed at the National Archives in Washington on 16mm microfilm.

Numerical Index

For all practical purposes, the numerical file is only useful when you are verifying the correctness of a file number. Trying to find a pension record by file number is like finding the needle in the proverbial haystack. If you are interested, the microfilm publication for the numerical file is A1158 and there are 359 rolls of film. These films can neither be rented nor purchased and may only be viewed at the National Archives.

The General Index (Alphabetical Index)

Most people will turn to the alphabetical index and search for their ancestor’s name. All John Smiths are listed before all John A. Smiths, John B. Smiths, and etc. These are itemized under the film series T288 and consist of 544 rolls.

Officially called the General Index, these alphabetical listings include pensions for service in the Civil War, post Civil War Indian Wars, Spanish American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and the Boxer Rebellion. So even if a relative received a pension for service in a later conflict, it will be also found in the General Index. Typically, there will be one card for soldier; however, I have seen two instances where there were two unique pension file cards for an individual.

This can happen when a soldier’s file was rejected and a later widow’s pension was granted without the two files being consolidated. One of the situations was a soldier discharged for wounds incurred in service in one unit. He filed an application for a war time pension that was ultimately rejected. At a later date, the pensioner reenlisted in another unit.

When widows were allowed to file under the Act of 1890, his wife filed a claim based on his service in the second unit – there is no mention of his previous service in the claim. This gives the appearance that the widow was not aware of his original service. These two files treated this man’s service as occurring by two different individuals. The situations where two or more cards exist for one person are rare.

Peter Blockinger's Two Files

The General Index cards will generally include the following: 

• The soldier’s and all applicant’s names and the name of the guardian in the event of a dependent child claim.
• An alias, if the soldier had one.
• Index numbers for all applications and granted pension certificates
• The soldier’s or marine’s unit(s) or sailor’s vessel
• Date of original application filing(s)
• Some cards, but very few, have rank information

The complete General Index or alphabetical file is searchable through Ancestry.com’s web site. If you know a pension file exists, but cannot be found on Ancestry, it may suffer from the same issues as all transcribed records entered into an electronic database. These problems can be related to the original record or with the database entry. The name on the original record may be spelled as the soldier or family member spelled it at the time of the application and not later in time (or for that matter earlier). For example, the name may be listed as “Schoeller” when the family may have changed it be more phonetically accurate in English as “Shaler.”

Transcription errors are also a possibility. The individual entering the names into the electronic database may not be able to correctly identify a particular letter (i.e., an “e” mistaken for an “I” or an “a” being mistaken for an “o”). For years I thought a soldier’s name was Phillip Laupers as his card and pension file seemed to indicate this. It was not until I saw his name listed in a book as Laupus did I realize my mistake.

The Organizational Index

If you are looking at doing a comprehensive look at a unit, these microfilms document pensions that based upon the unit(s) or ship to which the individual was officially attached. A soldier will have as many cards as units as he has served.  Each card will list all of his organizations that were documented by the pension applicant.

Henry K. Smith's card documenting his five units in the Civil War

If the applicant did not indicate additional service on the pension application, cards will not be on file for these unidentified units.

Frederick Seclor did not enumerate his service in three Civil War units

Typically the organizational cards will have the following: 

• The soldier’s name and aliases (dependents' names are not listed)
• Units/Ships (the card for a specific unit will be listed as the primary unit)
• Index numbers for all applications and granted pension certificates
• Date of original application filing(s)
• Rank information may be listed
• Enlistment and discharge information may be listed
• Date and location of death may be listed
• The date of refiling for additional benefits based on age and/or service.

Fold3.com provides a searchable index for the Organizational cards. The searching of both Ancestry’s General Index and Fold 3’s Organizational Index will help in trying to determine file numbers on the cards.

Accessing Your Ancestor’s Pension Record

Depending on where you live and how many pension files you want to view, a trip to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, DC may be in order. If you are searching for a multiplicity of records (such as researching a unit), a trip to NARA will be much more cost effective than ordering the files. Figure in transportation, lodging, meals, parking, and incidentals for your trip. I will detail what you can expect at NARA in a future post.

If you only desire a few pension files, you can order these direct from NARA. They offer two plans: the pension documents packet for $25.00 and the complete pension file (up to 100 pages) for $75.00. If you order the complete pension file and it is in excess of 100 pages, NARA will send you the first 100 pages and an invoice for the remaining pages. It is up to you to order the remainder of the file if you desire. From my experience, the larger files generally date from 1890 to 1900. Of the 500 pensions I’ve perused, only a small percentage of these files would have been over 100 pages.

While the complete pension – is as it sounds – complete, the pension document packet includes the following (which are also part of the complete file): a declaration of pension, a declaration of widow's pension (if there is one), statement of service, questionnaires; “Pension Dropped” cards; and marriage, death, and discharge certificates. For many genealogists, the pension documents packet will provide a sufficient number of documents that will provide genealogical data.

The complete file will include additional documentation including testimony from the soldier, physicians, neighbors, fellow veterans, and family members. In one pension file that I viewed, the testimony from the soldier, his estranged wife, and his oldest son documented family troubles that existed for over twenty years. The file was quite interesting as it painted a very descriptive picture of this dysfunctional family. Other complete pensions will have photos, war time letters, certificates, and a host of other documentation.

These can be ordered via mail or online from Archives.gov. Credit card orders will receive priority attention. You should expect a turnaround time of four to eight weeks depending upon the demand at the time.

File Numbers

When ordering the files in person or online, you will be required to provide as much detail from the index cards including all of the veteran's units and all of the card's file numbers. These include the application and certificate numbers. Rejected pension applications will have only an application number. NARA desires all file numbers, although the pension file will be cataloged under the most recent certificate number. If no certificate number exists for the file, the pension will be stored under the most recent application number.

It is important that you list all numbers on the card. In the event of seven digit file numbers, you must check for newer file numbers listed on the bottom of the General Index cards (these are not found on the Organizational Index cards). Typically, the numbers start with C, XC, or IC. This was a new cataloging of active files in the early twentieth century to distinguish active pensions from those that were retired due to the pensioner’s death.

Rush M. Shaner's General Index card with newer index number

These numbers must be present on your request for the file. If not present when presenting your request slip at NARA, your desired file will not be returned and you will receive notification that the file cannot be found. For paying customers at a distance, the lack of the newer numbers will delay your processing as it will require the staff to research your documents.

Files not Found

In addition to NARA not being able to find files without the C, XC, or IC numbers, there are other situations where a file appears to be missing. This may occur because your numbers for the pension were incorrect and those file numbers related to another soldier. This can happen from our own sloppy transcription of the cards or not being able to discern the hand written numbers. The number seven may appear on the cards as being #1.

The file may have been misfiled and the clerk couldn’t find it. The file may have been removed for another patron or for microfilming and it is temporarily unavailable. Some of these complete pension files have been microfilmed and some are completely digitized and are available online at Fold3.com. These files are removed from circulation during these times.

There is an additional reason the files may have been removed. This usually only refers to active pension files dating from the 1930s and onward. Because the jurisdiction of the pension office was transferred to the Veterans Administration, several pension files were removed from the National Archives and now are in the custody of the Veteran’s Administration. To get access to these records, a request must be made to the Veteran’s Administration.

Lastly, I have chalked up a final reason for a file not being found – laziness or a lack of attention to detail by some NARA clerks. A file may be misfiled one or two slots over from its intended location. Some staff members will check around the intended number's file location, while others will not. I tested this once as I received a rejection slip on one file that should have been present (I had seen this same file on a previous visit). The rejection slip said that the file was not found within NARA’s holdings. I requested the very same file the next day and it was delivered to the document room for me to study.

The Genealogical Importance of Civil War Pensions

I have used pension documents to fill in the gaps of my family history. While my great grandmother’s first and last name was misreported to me by family, I found her actual first and maiden names in my great-grandfather’s pension. With other soldiers' files, I learned important dates of birth of family members, the dates and places of marriage, health issues, and much more. You may be able to deduce the psychohistory of your own family because of documentation found in these files. Good luck in your search and happy hunting.

Information Found Within Civil War Pension Files

In my last installment, I analyzed the various ways a Union Civil War veteran or his dependents were eligible to receive a pension. Today, I’ll briefly discuss what you may find when you delve into your pensioner’s records.

Several variables dictate the number and types of records you may find inside pension files. These variables include the following:

1. The original filing date.
2. The person who originally filed for the pension.
3. The outcomes of the filing.

THE ORIGINAL FILING DATE

As I have seen numerous Civil War pensions over the years, I have discovered that there are certain elements that are consistent based upon when the pensions were filed.

Wartime Pensions

Veterans’ pensions that were filed during the Civil War tended to have less documentation than later pension applications. If the unit was still in the field, it was relatively easy for the claimant to have a commanding officer provide documentation of the nature of the soldier’s wound or death. Often this documentation was the deciding factor whether a soldier, sailor, or marine qualified for a pension based upon injury or if a serviceman's death was war related. 

The value of the wartime pensions include descriptions of the events that were close to the time of occurrence. Later pensions often require more documentation. The proliferation of accounts may have several accounts that conflict with one another and may not be correctly remembered twenty years after the fact. In addition, those who may have better testimony of the event may be difficult to find or may even be dead in the years following the war.

Unless it is a dependent’s pension, there probably will not be too many references of genealogical importance as it will not be necessary for the soldier to file information regarding his family. That does not mean you shouldn’t seek out these pensions, as surprises can be found in any record.

One such widow’s pension record yielded church membership information that directly conflicted with published histories about the soldier. At least five published volumes reported (and several emphatically) that the soldier in question was a Quaker pacifist; however, pension records indicated that he was actually Lutheran. Records from the local Lutheran congregation confirmed and documented that he was raised as such from the time of birth and was active as a Lutheran throughout his early life.

Unlike others in his father's family, he was never a Quaker. This assumption grows stronger with each published account of his life.  The earliest account has him living with his uncle and attending a Quaker school - this not only was possible, but probable as well.  From this early reference, others have the soldier standing in front a of Friends Meeting renouncing his faith so he might go to the battlefield.  Although it is a great piece of literary characterization and hyperbole, it is also a work of fiction as it is far from the truth.

Post War Applications Filed under the General Act prior to 1891

These pension files tend to be the most complete records, as documentation was critical in establishing an applicant’s eligibility. In addition, if the veteran was married and had dependent children – this information was often provided in the event that a pensioner died and his widow or dependent children were eligible to apply for dependent pension.

The documentation of the wound or illness will provide testimony of relatives, friends, and fellow veterans. In some cases, insight to a person and his family becomes evident. In one post-war pension, the soldier's brother-in-law did not help his sister's cause in obtaining a widow's pension as her brother basically indicated that the former soldier's death was due in part to heavy alcohol abuse.

You may also learn of prior marriages, names of the veteran’s parents, documentation of marriages, documentation of the birth (and death) of children, where the veteran lived since the war, and other various sundry items of interest. The diagnosis and treatment of said wound or ailment will be documented by physicians and the veteran’s vital signs are often recorded. Since these are submitted when an increase in pension benefits were sought, you can find a time line of the veteran’s health over the years.

Some of these records may indicate a person's service in another conflict.  I have seen detailed accounts of one soldier's involvement in the Mormon War, documentation of a wound that occurred in the Bleeding Kansas border struggle, several Mexican War references, foreign service before the soldier immigrated to the US (most of these were in the armies of various states), and one Civil War pension that was merged with a Spanish-American War claim in the early 1900s.

Applications under the Act of 1890

These applications were originally sought for a post-war disability. Some of these files can be quite large and may encompass two file folders. Like the post war files, you will find much of the same documentation that you find under the post-war General Act applications. The difference will be the documentation of the wound or ailment that prevents the veteran from earning a living by manual labor will not be related to a service injury.

 Rudimentary Radiograph from 1902 used as evidence in a pension claim

The Age/Service Acts

Those pensions filed for age related benefits will be smaller than the other post-war pension applications. There were a number of forms that were required including documentation of age and information regarding dependents. Since these are not related to illnesses or injuries, documentation from others will not be generally found. The only time when you find documents from others is when the soldier’s age is in question and/or to document a date of the veteran’s marriage.  These pensions are not contained in envelopes, as older files, but rather are attached to a fastener file.

Fastener file used for pensions filed under the age/service acts.

THE PERSON WHO FILED THE ORIGINAL CLAIM

When the person filing for the pension was other than the veteran, the files become more interesting. The most interesting are when parents file for their son’s pension. Because a parent had to prove that his or her son had materially contributed to the family's substance, parents would often provide wartime letters from their sons that referenced their monetary help to the family. I have found these letters fascinating. In some pension files, you may find upwards of twenty letters that the parent parted with in order to be provided for in his or her old age.

Letter to parents from the field used as evidence of their son's support

Widows and dependent children pensions usually will provide documentation of the marriage and birth of the children. In some cases the actual wedding certificate is provided. In about four pensions that I've viewed, a photo of the soldier was included as part of the documentation. Since many of these files may not have been accessed for over 100 years, the photos are in excellent shape and a good scan of the photo can provide with an excellent “likeness” of the soldier in question.

Photo of a soldier sent in by his father as pension evidence

THE OUTCOMES OF THE FILING

Even if a pension was not successful, these incomplete files should provide documentation of age, marriage, and children may be listed. Veterans may be denied pensions for a variety of reasons. Some of these could be that the soldier filed under an act that he was not eligible; the soldier was mustered into state service, but not into federal service – so he was not qualified to receive a pension; the soldier was a deserter; or the soldier died shortly after filing and the claim was considered abandoned.

For widows, claims may have been rejected because the claimant was divorced from the veteran; the widow had remarried; the soldier had not been honorably discharged, a completing claim from another wife had been approved and this wife had been considered the legal heir of the veteran; and occasionally a widow was rejected as the soldier’s marriage late in life was considered suspect. In the latter category, I saw a pension where a soldier married a young girl in 1912. Upon his death in 1913, the town’s postmaster petitioned the pension office to deny her widow’s claim, as the marriage, while legal, appeared to be suspicious in nature.

For dependent children, the pensions usually were rejected on the basis that the child was no longer a minor. While orphaned siblings could file for their brother’s pension, these recipients had to be of minority age. In one pension I studied, a child was determined to be not the soldier’s child as he had been imprisoned at the estimated time of the child’s conception. It was impossible for him to be the father of this child.

A parent’s claims for a soldier’s pension were usually rejected because there was inadequate documentation presented to prove that the soldier materially provided for their living. Step-parents were also ineligible to apply for a parental dependent pension even if the step-son provided for his step-parent’s living.

A soldier’s claim under the Service Acts may have been rejected as the soldier counted service under the state’s jurisdiction. While his entire service may have been over three years in length, his federal service was actually less than this period. Three years of service were required for full service related benefits. Likewise, a soldier who was a deserter (even when charges were forgiven) was not allowed to count time during which he was AWOL.

WHAT PENSION RECORDS TOLD ME

While I have studied over 500 pension records, only four of these were for my direct ancestors that included three great-great grandfathers and one great grandfather. While all four ancestors’ pensions provided a wealth of data, the most valuable was for my great grandfather, Thomas Wesley Day.

For years, I hit a brick wall regarding my great-grandmother. I was always told that her name was Alice Amy Champlain; however, I never could find any record of her or her family. When I looked at her husband’s pension record for the first time over 11 years ago, I found that I had been misinformed of her name.

Her last name was not Champlain, but rather Champlin. In addition, family tradition had transposed her first and middle names. The pension records indicated that her name was Amy A. Champlin. I additionally learned her date of death and the birth dates of her three children.

 Questions answered by claimant concerning his family

Other information came to light regarding this ancestor such as the date and location of his marriage. Additionally, I always wondered how my great-grandfather from Maine and his wife from Connecticut met. This becomes evident by reading the documentation that was provided by others. By comparing with other research, the two sisters who were neighbors of my great grandfather in Maine told of how he stayed with their mother following the war.  At some point, she moved  to Massachusetts with her two daughters and both daughters married men they had met in the Boston area. One of the sisters was married to Alfred Champlin who had moved to Massachusetts from Connecticut.  Alfred was the oldest brother of my future great-grandmother - the rest is history.

Affidavit of the two sisters who knew 

Thomas Day from his childhood.

I also learned some descriptive info about this ancestor. Like me, he had blue eyes. There is the possibility that I inherited this trait from him.

Declaration by pensioner that features a physical description

Although my great-grandfather’s second marriage was not documented in the pension, his future wife was often utilized as a witness as she served as his caretaker prior to their marriage. The pension record documented his middle name of Wesley which is found in no other records.

Letter from my grandmother's Congressman 

that mentions Thomas Day's middle name

This particular Civil War pension opened up several research doors for me and allowed me to discover more about my great-grandmother’s family.  For other relatives, pension records provided much needed information to help understand illnesses, occupations, and genetics. 

Not all pension records lead to stories of heroism and not all Civil War vets were upstanding men.  In my Civil War research, I discovered substance abusers, men who inflicted injuries upon themselves for the purpose of being discharged, one man who murdered his own brother, six suicides, husbands who deserted their wives, three individuals who changed their names to escape their pasts, an alarming number of divorces, and one medal of honor winner who spent more time deserting and defrauding the federal government than he did in actually serving his country.  Even the stories of infamy might provide a narrative that will enliven your family history.

Civil War Pensions – Understanding Eligibility

Over the years, I have had the opportunity of studying over 500 Civil War pension records and have grown to appreciate their importance as historical and genealogical records. While the Civil War was not the only war where pensions were issued, it remains the war that produced the largest number of pensioners in American history.

My Great-Grandfather's Pension Card

In the 1930s, the Veterans Administration became the successor to the Interior Department’s Pension Office. The management of veteran and survivor benefits was transferred to the VA during this period.

Civil War pensions were first issued in 1862 and continued until the last pensioner died. When considering their value as a genealogical record, It is best to have a basic understanding of who qualified for a pension and what type of material you can expect to find. In this post we will briefly discuss how a person qualified for a pension.

To be totally honest, outside of my own observation and knowledge, a large portion of what follows was synthesized from Claudia Linares’ The Civil War Pension Law, a working paper for the Center for Population Economics at the University of Chicago. Ms. Linares’ document is ©2001 and is invaluable for understanding the pension system in great detail. If you are considering a comprehensive look at Civil War pensions, I would suggest reading her paper on the subject.

Not Every Civil War Veteran Received A Federal Pension

While a large number of pensions had been processed, it only represented a portion of the soldiers who served. Most of my pension research centers on one particular union regiment and 70% of its nearly 1200 men had a pension application associated with their service. Not all applications were successful in securing pensions; however, these applications continue to remain on file and can provide specific information about the soldier in question.

My specific unit, the Ninth Pennsylvania Reserves, had some unique characteristics that may have elevated the number of pension records associated with its soldiers. It was a three-year regiment that served in several major campaigns and was named by William F. Fox in his Regimental Losses of the Civil War as one of the top 300 Union fighting units of the Civil War. Other regiments with shorter terms of enlistment and a lower number of engagements would have a lower percentage of pensioned soldiers or survivors under the original pension rules.

Other variables also determined whether a soldier would have a pension associated with his service. If he was not a wartime casualty, then how long a soldier lived, whether he had any subsequent disabilities, or if he predeceased his widow and she did not remarry would all constitute variables that determined whether a pension record may be associated with the veteran's service.

In addition, federal pensions were only available for Union and not Confederate veterans. Southern soldiers and sailors were considered as being in rebellion against the United States and their service was not honored by the US government.

Not all northern soldiers were eligible for pensions – only those who served in units that were officially mustered into service of the United States were eligible. Members of state mustered militia units and locally raised home guard units were ineligible from applying for a pension. In some cases these units may have been temporarily mustered for federal service; however, if the length of this service was less than 90 days, veterans of these units could not apply for Civil War pensions.

Several Pension Systems Existed

General Law System

Up until 1890, only one system existed: the General Law system that provided pensioners with a monthly amount based on an inability to perform manual labor because of an injury or illness that was incurred in the line of duty during the war. Survivors were also able to apply and receive a pension based on whether a soldier died in the line of duty or as a result of disease or injury occurring during the war.

Survivors, primarily widows and dependent children under the age of 16, were able to apply and to be pensioned. If the deceased soldier did not leave a widow or children, other survivors could also apply, namely parents and orphaned siblings under 16. These applicants had to provide evidence that the son or brother had contributed to the survivor’s livelihood.

The monthly rates for which pensioners were paid varied due to the soldier’s or sailor’s rank and his type of disability. The formula for calculating pensions became quite complicated over time and disabilities that did not permit pensions in the past were added at a reduced rate. Furthermore, Congress also raised rates periodically for certain permanent disabilities.

Additionally, the passage of the Arrears Act in 1879 allowed veterans to additionally claim a lump sum benefit that was paid based on the time of his discharge of service. Survivors were paid a lump sum based on the date of the soldier’s or sailor’s date of death. Claims for pensions soared at this time.

Act of 1890 System

In 1890, the federal government permitted Union veterans the opportunity to apply for a pension based on an inability to perform manual labor due to a non-service related disability. Unlike the General Law system, rates were set to fall between $6.00 and $12.00 per month.

The more severe the disability, the greater the rate; however, the maximum was limited to $12.00 per month. To qualify, a veteran had to serve at least 90 days, be honorably discharged, and his disability could not be related to or caused by vicious habits (i.e., drinking, substance abuse, non-accidental self inflicted injury, etc.).

Additionally, the 1890 Act allowed widows to apply for a pension originally at a rate of $8.00 per month as long as her husband had served 90 days or more and was honorably discharged. In 1904, age related benefits were added to the 1890 system.

A veteran, who had no disabilities, could apply for a pension based on age and receive monthly benefits for life. These were prorated based on age at filing. These rates were as follows: $6.00 for 62 or older, $8.00 for 65 or older, and $12.00 for 70 or older.

Prior to passage the 1890 act, a special census of Union Veterans was conducted that year. This special census, which was taken simultaneously with the 11th census, enumerated the veteran's rank, unit, enlistment and discharge dates, length of service, disabilities incurred in service, and address. As the 1890 census was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1921, a similar fate occurred to the special census prior to 1943.

All of the records for the states and territories alphabetically from Alabama through Kansas were completely destroyed and half of Kentucky's records were affected. The complete surviving records are from states and territories alphabetically from Louisiana through Wyoming. In addition, the records for the District of Columbia were also spared.

Various Age/Service Acts

The Service and Age Pension Act of 1907 allowed individuals to apply for a pension based on age and length of service (90 days or more) and provided monthly benefits for men at various increments of age: 62 or older $12.00, 70 or older $15.00, and 75 older $20.00.

In 1912, the Service and Age Act passed and this act adjusted the 1907 rates based on the amount of time in service. For example, soldiers who served three years received a higher benefit rate than those who served for 90 or 100 days or another shorter period of time. Rate increases to this system occurred in 1918.

In the next installment, I’ll discuss what a researcher may find in within the various pension files and how this material can be of genealogical importance.

The above information was synthesized from:

Linares, C. (2001). The Civil War Pension Law. Center for Population Economics working paper series document 2001-6. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago.
Available from http://www.cpe.uchicago.edu.