Civil War Ancestor Genealogy
Topics below Contributed by
CIVIL-WAR List members:
General
Virginia Pensions by Jeff Weaver
Southern Claims Commission by Deborah Bass-Frazier
Pension Act of May 11, 1912 by Geri Kanner
GENERAL:The first and best source of information is the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA.) NARA searches are an indispensable tool for Union Veteran research and can give leads for Confederate Veterans. There are 3 very important Union records kept in NARA: Service Records, Pension Records and Medical Records. In specific cases the search might also include Court Martial Records. The form for these searches is the NAFT-80. You will need to send in a separate form for each type of Record. You will be charged a minimum of $10.00 if there are records, and nothing if there are no records. In the case of Confederates your search should be for Service Records as Pension and other records were kept by the separate states. The National Archives (NARA) has a lot of Confederate records, basically the entire remaining archive was taken to Washington when Richmond fell. However, a lot of records were burned. You must include the following minimum information for the search to take place:
The National Archives DOES NOT answer requests for specific information about a person through e-mail. All requests are done by written form through regular US mail, NOT the internet/e-mail.
To request forms:
NAFT-80
forms: National Archives Search: a link to a
web site where you can obtain the forms by email. (The actual
search can only be done by regular mail)
Civil War Center at LSU a link to information on searching for your civil war ancestor.
Union:
Sources other than NARA:
The 1890 census had a separate schedule of Union veterans still
living. This is just about the only part of the 1890 census still
extant, as the rest burned in a NARA fire in 1922.
Most Union states published lists of the soldiers and many unit histories were written which contain unit rosters. Civil War Bookstores and Publishers have reprinted many of these.
Confederate: Sources other than NARA:
There is a multi-volume set of books which is an index of all
Confederate Veterans. This is alphabetical, not by state. Most
big genealogy libraries have a set. The Nat. Genealogical Society
library in Arlington, VA has one, for example.
Also, a lot of state lists were published as separate books or in
unit histories. An example is Tennesseans In The War.
Each state of the former CSA maintains military service records
in its archives. In addition, the states also maintain
Confederate pension records. Pensions were means-tested, so not
every veteran received one. Furthermore, the pension legislation
didn't get passed in most states until AFTER Reconstruction, some
as late as 1899, etc., so if the veteran died before this and did
not leave a widow, they would also not have received a
pension.
Information is more difficult to obtain for militia units.
Militia units later in the War were basically those ineligible
for regular military service: older men, boys. Units that were
only called up a few days would not generally be eligible for
pensions (depending upon the state). For example: the Georgia
militia was called up and asked to report. They organized
themselves into regiments, companies, etc., and did their own
muster rolls. The local militia captains often registered these
muster rolls with their local courthouse but often did not.
Texas Archival Link:
Texas Confederate Pensions go to Civil War Links page and click on "Search Texas Pensioner's List
Virginia Pensions: Confederate Records: (Our thanks to the author, Jeff Weaver, an author of Civil War Military books)
Confederate pensions for Virginia: Thought I would scribble a few lines which might be of help for Virginia Pension searches. I would imagine that other states had similar requirements, but I am not certain of this. The legislature authorized three pension acts, 1888, 1900, and 1902.
With all of this said, there were some caveats to obtaining a
pension. First there were property requirements. Anyone who
applied for a pension could not have more than $1000 in real
property, nor have an income from any source in excess of $300
per year. Additionally, if a veteran had a government job, such
as mail carrier, deputy sheriff, etc., they were ineligible for a
pension as long as they held the government job. A veteran, or
his widow, was also ineligible for a pension if they resided with
a child able to care and provide for them.
When a veteran or his widow completed his or her application, it
was submitted to a local pension board, composed of from three to
five local veterans. The board met quarterly or semi-annually,
depending upon the volume of work to be done. (These boards were
discontinued in 1925). This board reviewed the application and
either approved or disapproved it. If a veteran met the property
limits, a pension was usually approved, but not always. Some were
rejected for insufficient evidence of service, and were set aside
for further investigation. Others were rejected out of hand
because the applicant was a "deserter." Occasionally a
pension was approved that should not have been (usually because
of the desertion question), it was recalled and revoked. The
pension board also set the amount of the pension. When it was
approved at the local level it was forwarded to the auditor of
Public Accounts in Richmond for disbursement.
Virginia only granted pensions to veterans or their widows who
lived within their borders. If an approved pensioner moved to
another state, his pension was discontinued. Virginia granted
pensions to soldiers from other states who lived in Virginia at
the time of application for a pension, but did not grant pensions
to Virginians who moved to other states or who lived in West
Virginia..
The auditor of public accounts compiled annual lists of
pensioners. These lists were published and are available for
review at the Library of Virginia in Richmond.
Southern Claims Commission:
View a claim for an appropriated horse
The book which indexes claims
before the So. Claims Comm. is:
Southern Loyalists in the Civil War: The Southern Claims
Commission. Mills, Gary B. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co.,
Inc. c 1994.
Listings are by the claimant's name and include county, state,
date the claim was reviewed, and its disposition, i. e.,
approved, disallowed, barred, etc.
While the majority of names appear to be those of men, women were
able to prosecute their own claims and many claims were brought
in behalf of an estate. Copies of the files for allowed claims
are available from NARA. It is possible obtain copies of
disallowed claims from NARA on microfiche as well. These claims
may include testimony of neighbors, relatives, and slaves,
supporting the claimant's assertion that he/she is due funds to
repay for property taken from a loyal union person during the
late Unpleasantness. It does indeed make for interesting reading.
Pension Act of May 11,
1912
Be it enacted by
the Senate and House of Representivies of the United States of
America, in Congress Assembled:
That any person who served ninety days or more in the military or
naval service of the United States during the late Civil War, who
has been honorably discharged therefrom,and who has reached the
age of sixty-two years or over, shall, upon making proof of such
facts,sccording to such rules and regulations as the Secretary of
the Interior may provide, be placed upon the pension roll and be
entitled to receive a pension as follows: In case such person has
reached the age sixty-two years and served ninety days, thirteen
dollars per month; six months, thirteen dollard and fifty cents
per month; one year , fourteen dollars per month, one and a half
years, fourteen dollars and fifty cents per month; two years ,
fifteen dollarts per month; two and a half years fifteen dollars
and fifty cents per month;three years or over, sixteen dollars
per month. In case such person has reached the age of sixty-six
years and served ninety days, fifteen dollars per month; six
months, fifteen dollars and fifty cents per month; one year,
sixteen dollars per month; one and a half years, sixteen dollars
and fifty cents per month;two years, seventeen dollars per month;
two and a half years, eighteen dollars per month; three years or
over, nineteen dollars per month. In case such person has reached
the age of seventy years and served ninety days, eighteen dollars
per month; six months, nineteen dollars per month; one year,
twenty dollars per month; one and a half years, twenty-one
dollars and fifty cents per month; two years, twenty -three
dollars per month; two and a half years, twenty- four dollars per
monyh; three years or over, twenty-five dollars per month. In
case such person has reached the age of seventy-five years and
served ninety days, twenty =one dollars per month; six months,
twenty- two dollars and fifty cents per month; one
year,twenty-four dollars per month; one and a half years
twenty-seven dollars per month; two years or over, thirty dollars
per month. that any person who served in the military or naval
service of the United States during the Civil War and received an
honorable discharge, and who was wounded in battle or in line of
duty and is now unfit for manual labor by reason thereof, or who
from disease or other causes incurred in line of duty resulting
in his disability is now unable to preform manual labor, shall be
paid the maximum pension under this act, to wit, thirty dollars
per month,without regard to lenth of service age. That any person
who has served sixty days or more in the military or naval
service of the United States in the War with Mexico and has been
honorably discharged therefrom, shall, upon making like proof of
such service, be entitled to receive a pension of thirty dollars
per month. All of the aforesaid pensions shall commence from the
date of filing of the applications in the Bureau of Pensions
after passage and approval of this act: Provided, that pensioners
who are sixty-two years of age or over, and who are now receiving
pensions under existing laws, or whose claims are pending in the
Bureau of pensions, may, by application to the Commissioner of
pensions, in such form as he may prescribe, receive the benefits
of this act; and nothing herein contained shall prevent any
pensioner or person entitled to a pension from prosecuting his
claim and receiving a pension under any other general or special
act; Provided, That no person shall receive a pension under any
other law at the same time or for the same period that he is
receiving or shall hereafter receive a greater pension under any
other general or special law than he would be entitled to receive
under the provisions herein shall be pensionable under this act.
Sec. 2. That rank in the service shall not be considered in application filed hereunder.
Sec. 3. That no pension attorney, claim agent, or other person shall be entitled to
receive any compensation for services rendered in presenting any
claim to the Bureau of pensions or securing any pension, under
this act, except in applications for original pension by persons
who have not heretofore received a pension.
Approved May 11, 1912
Submitted
by Geri Kanner