United States, Civil War Widows and Other Dependents Pension Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
These records date from the beginning of the civil war to the end of the Civil War 1861–1865

Record Description
This collection consists of Civil War pensions for the wives of soldiers who were killed during the time of the war. This is a joint project with Footnote. We're providing images, they're supplying the index. Initially we'll publish the index and link to their images.

Record Content
Key Genealogical facts include:


 * Soldier’s name
 * Company
 * Regiment
 * State of Service
 * Widow’s Name
 * Sometimes the record gives the date of death

How to Use the Record
To search for your ancestors in the index you will need to know the name of the widow and the soldier.

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. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

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:


 * Death dates may lead to death certificates, mortuary, or burial records.
 * Use the names along with the residence of the widow to locate census, church, and land records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased, this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Remember:


 * This index is to widow’s pensions, but you will still need some information on the soldier.
 * This index is for widows whose husbands died during the war. It does not include widows whose husbands died after the war.
 * Indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.
 * Your ancestor may have used a nickname or an alias. In addition, ages may have been altered to allow men to serve who were not of the appropriate age.

Record History
From the onset of the Civil War, the US government granted pensions to widows of men who died in service to the Union Army. Then the Pension Dependent Act of 1890 extended benefits to those who could prove that they were the widows of honorably discharged veterans serving the Union for at least ninety days during the Civil War. A widow also had to provide proof of the soldier’s death, unless it resulted from his military service. An applicant could not have any means of support other than her day labor, and her marriage to the soldier had to occur before 17 June 1890, the date of the act.

Why this Record Was Created
This index was created to provide a quick access to the pension records. Pension records were created to determine eligibility benefits.

Record Reliability
These records are generally accurate. However, some soldiers used aliases and some lied about their names and ages.

Related Websites
“Civil War (Union) Widows' Pensions Now Online” - From genealogymagazine.com, record of pensions 20 October 2008

“United States Civil War Service and Pension Records” James St. John

Related Wiki Articles
United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865

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. Civil War Widows Pension Files. National Archives and Records. Washington D.C