United States, Old War Pension Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of a card index to pension files located at the National Archives for service in the Regular Army, Navy or Marine Corps between 1815 and 1926. This collection is part of RG 15 Records of the Veterans Administration and is NARA microfilm publications T316. The event date and place represent the earliest filing of either the veteran or dependent.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
The index cards ask for the following information, but the information given will vary:


 * Name of veteran
 * Names and class of dependents
 * Rank and military unit in which served
 * Enlistment date
 * Discharge date
 * Additional service information
 * Date of filing for pension
 * Application filing number
 * Certificate number
 * File number
 * Bounty land information
 * Other remarks

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search for you will need to know:
 * The full name of your ancestor
 * The name of your ancestor's spouse
 * The names of your ancestor's children

Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page: 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.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Surname Range" 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.

What Do I Do Next?
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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * The application or certificate number will lead you to the full pension record.
 * The enlistment date and branch of service will lead you to the military service record.
 * The service information may lead to a death or cemetery record.
 * The bounty land information may lead you to a land grant record.
 * The name and class of dependents can help you compile a family record.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * 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.
 * Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.
 * Even though names are searchable, alias names are grouped with both the given name and surname. This can be very confusing.
 * 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.

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry): Image Citation