In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, let's discuss Civil War pension records, where to find them, and let's examine a few examples of their contents.

Where Are Civil War Pension Files Located?
There are two essential places to check for military service records for your Civil War ancestor: the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and with the state archives of the state in which your ancestor lived.

NARA is the repository for copies of all sorts of U.S. military records. Materials have been microfilmed and indexed there. And while it may take a while to receive copies from NARA because of the huge volume of requests it receives, the results are usually worth the wait. NARA maintains two types of records for the Civil War soldiers. These are the military service records and the pension files. Copies of these are available by filling out a Form 80, copies of which are free on request from the Textual Reference Branch (NNR1), National Archives and Records Administration, 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20408.

Military service records contain information about enlistment or conscription, dates of service, rank attained, details of assignment locations and battles, and other military information. Seldom will military records contain much in the way of family information. That does not, of course, mean that you shouldn't obtain these records. For example, if you didn't know where your ancestor lived before he joined the military—North or South—the place of enlistment is a very good indicator of his place of residence at the time.

Pension records often contain much more interesting information. They reflect the soldier's life many years after the completion of his service, and often include information about his spouse and family. In order to apply for the pension, the veteran had to provide some proof of his service. In many cases, this proof came in the form of a sworn affidavit filed and signed by the veteran. Affidavits sworn and signed by other soldiers who served with the applicant often were also used as proof. Widows also applied for their husbands' pensions or for continuation of the pensions after their husbands' deaths. In some cases, children also applied for the pension or for a continuation of it. All of the applications, correspondence and corroborating proofs are likely to be included in the pension file.

State archives' files are not always duplications of what is stored at NARA. While NARA has a great deal of information, you will find no records there for soldiers who served in the State Militia rather than as State Volunteers. (A militia was a state-organized and controlled army whose purpose was to protect people and property inside the state. State Volunteer regiments were formed by the state. They were then turned over to their national governments, Union or Confederate, for service.)

Pension applications filed by veterans at the state level and housed in the state archives may contain additional documents that NARA's files do not contain. Depending on the court processing the paperwork and the clerk, some documents may have been deemed too unimportant to be sent with the file for processing of the pension application. Also, incomplete applications and those that were denied or not approved at the state level may never have been forwarded elsewhere.

The quality and quantity of the materials available from the state archives varies. Some states, such as Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania and New York, maintain large and well-organized collections. You may find other states' collections less extensive or complete. I've found, though, that the people who work at all the state archives I've dealt with, are kind and helpful.

The point is that you should write both NARA and the state archives for the state from which the soldier served. If you have submitted a From 80 to NARA and received a reply indicating that no records were found, don't give up. Write to the state archives. If they locate a file for your ancestor, most states will provide a brief abstract of what is contained in the file so you can make a decision about ordering copies. As I was seeking Confederate military service and pension records for my great-grandfather, I wrote the state archives in Georgia. They responded that they had no files for him but that he had served as a witness for his brother's pension application. This pointed me in another research direction, and his witness record was another primary record for my great-grandfather that I had to see.

Types of Information Found in the Pension Files
Every pension file's contents are different. Some are huge volumes containing page after page of sworn affidavits, hearing notes, letters of appeal, the widow's application, and other correspondence. Others contain only the veteran's pension application and a few other sheets. There are many pension files at NARA containing detailed descriptions of wounds suffered. These were part of application for invalid pensions. Other files are indigent persons' pensions, filed because the person was too old or infirm to support himself and his family. There were a number of reasons for filing a pension application.

What is important is that each document is a primary document providing more details about your ancestor. Let me share with you a few of the findings I've encountered in Civil War pension files.

In a pension application filed in Floyd County, GA, the following personal facts were found: