United States, National Homes For Disabled Volunteer Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
These are historical registers of veterans who resided in the twelve regional homes. Pages in the registers are divided into four parts for each veteran:


 * Military history
 * Domestic history
 * Home history
 * General remarks

Home numbers 1-5064 from the home in Bath, New York, are not currently available.

The National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers was established on March 3, 1865, for volunteer soldiers who had received disabilities while serving in the Union forces in the Civil War. Initially, the Asylum, later called the Home, was planned to have three branches: the northeast, the central area north of the Ohio River, and the northwest (now the upper Midwest). Seven more branches were added between 1870 and 1907 as broader eligibility requirements allowed more Veterans to apply for admission. Veterans admitted into the Home were recorded in "Historical Registers," which were maintained at various branches. These registers are now at the National Archives in Record Group 15, Records of the Veterans Administration. A home number was assigned to each individual upon admission. The member retained his original number even if he was discharged and later readmitted to the branch. The records cover the years 1866 through 1938.

The records were created to keep track of the disabled war veterans who were being housed and provided for in the Homes. They are generally reliable and a great place to research Civil War veterans.

Record Content
Information found in this collection may include:


 * Name of disabled veteran
 * Time and place of enlistment
 * Rank, company and regiment in which served
 * Time and place of discharge
 * Nature of disability
 * Date admitted to home
 * Birthplace
 * Age and physical description
 * Religion
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Marital status
 * Name and address of nearest relative
 * Date and cause of death
 * Pension information
 * Place of burial

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know the full name of your ancestor. In addition, the following information will help you to match the correct records with your ancestor:


 * Rank
 * Company
 * Regimant
 * Branch of the military
 * Approximate dates of service

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection image by image. ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Soldier Home" ⇒Select "Home Index or Register No." which takes you to the images Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. This information will often lead you to other records. For example:


 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth to locate census, church, and land records.
 * Use the death date to search for death certificates, mortuary, or burial records.
 * It may be helpful to compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor. This is especially helpful if the surname is unusual.
 * If you are having difficulty finding your ancestor, look for variations in the spelling of the name. If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Continue to search the index and records to identify other relatives.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

Related Websites
The National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers

Related Wiki Articles

 * National Homes for Disabled Soldiers
 * US Military Old Soldier Home Records lists known federal and state soldier homes; cites records.
 * United States, Records of Headstones Provided Deceased Union Civil War Veterans (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation