Self Help

Probably the most important military records out there are called pension applications. Of the literally millions of applications, the National Archives has divided them into seven categories: Revolutionary War invalid, Revolutionary War service, Old Wars, War of 1812, Mexican War, Indian Wars, and Civil War and Later.

Many pension applications contain a variety of information, including letters from relatives, friends, and fellow soldiers, birth and marriage certificates - anything that would have added credibility to the veteran’s pension clam. If the claim was filed by the veteran himself, then it most likely includes vital statistics and a summary of his duties in the Armed Forces. If filed by his widow, then it also includes her vital statistics and the names of their dependents. If it was filed by a dependent, then the application includes the dependent’s vital statistics as well.

Female ancestors don’t only show up as dependents in military record files. Until the nineteenth century, women’s main contact with the military was pension application or support employment. Then, in 1890, Civil War nurses became eligible to apply for federal pensions for their own service. Later, women served in World War I, and increased their numbers in World War II through such organizations as the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services (WAVES), Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), and other branches.

To find out more, examine records for the individual war department and indexes. When trying to find your ancestor’s pension application, you must be able to provide the National Archives’ staff with the exact state and preferably town or county that your ancestor came from, because of the number of duplicate names on file.

To get a copy of your ancestor’s pension application file, or to find out whether one of your ancestors has ever made such a claim, contact the National Archives and request NATF Form 80. If you feel more valuable information was not sent to you, write the National Archives and ask them how much it will cost to obtain a copy of the complete file. They will let you know, and you can then decide whether it is worth the fee.

Don’t limit your search to the National Archives only. The Veteran’s Administration has many documents of interest, as does The American Legion bounty land grants Land grants were one way the government rewarded its veterans. Patriots (or their heirs) who fought in wars between the years 1775 and 1855 were entitled to land that was part of the public domain. Besides providing an inducement for men to serve their country, land grants also brought about the migration of people to the western area of the United States.