United States, General Index to Pension Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This index covers service files between the years 1861 and 1916.

Record Description
This is a name index to pension files held at the National Archives. Most of the files are for Union Civil War service but also include the war with Spain, Philippine Insurrection, Boxer Rebellion and Regular U.S. military forces. The index is alphabetical.

Record Content
Pension files often include the following genealogical information:


 * Name of the person claiming the pension
 * Service record of the soldier, including rank, company, and regiment
 * Enlistment date
 * Discharge date
 * Date pension was filed
 * Whether an invalid, widow, or minor
 * Application number
 * Certificate number
 * Additional service information, including company and regiment
 * Death date of the soldier
 * Death place of the soldier

How to Use the Record
Use the index to find pension applications of Civil War veterans and also veterans of the Indian wars, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine insurrection, and 1917 records of World War I.

Record History
The index was produced to provide easier access to the full pension application files.

Why this Record Was Created
State and federal governments filed pension records so as to keep track of the fund leaving the treasuries to support the veterans and widows of wars. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints then obtained this collection to help individuals find information about their ancestors.

Record Reliability
Pension applications are usually reliable, depending on the memory of the applicant and the records to which he had access.

Related Websites
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Related Wiki Articles
[United States Civil War Pension Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)]

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the following link: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

Sources of Information for This Collection
United States. General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. NARA publication T288. United States. Federal Archives and Records Center. Washington D.C.