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Description:
This publication group contains over two million index cards for pension applications of veterans who served in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917. Most records are from the Civil War, but there are also several from four later wars:
* the Spanish-American War
* the Philippine Insurrection
* Indian wars
* World War I
Search on a name, or browse by state, arm of service (infantry, cavalry, militia, etc.), regiment, and company. Drill down through each sub-category to locate individual records within each unit.
Each card lists the soldier's full name, rank, company and regiment, when he enlisted, and when he was discharged. It will also include a certificate number for each pension requested.
Any record stamped "DEAD" in the upper left-hand corner will include a soldier's death date and where he died at the bottom of the card, but only if he died after the war was over. Those who were killed or died during the war will have an application classified as a widow's file, and sometime as a minor's file.
You can view a list of all abbreviations used in this publication and learn more about this pension file index by reviewing the descriptive pamphlet for publication T289, provided by NARA here.
If you wish to order copies of a serviceman's complete pension file, you will need most of the information displayed on the index card, and most particularly the certificate number. Then visit the National Archives webpage for "Requesting Copies of Older (pre-WWI) Military Service Records" at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/pre-ww-1-records.html. There you can order the pension file online or request to have NATF Form 86 mailed to you.
Source:
Records shown here are scanned from the microfilm publication of the Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900, T289, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC..
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