United States, National Homes For Disabled Volunteer Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
These are registers of members who resided in the twelve regional homes. Pages in the registers are divided into four parts for each veteran:


 * Military history
 * Domestic history
 * Home history
 * General remarks

Home numbers 1-5064 from the home in Bath, New York, are not currently available.

The National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers was established on March 3, 1865, for volunteer soldiers who had received disabilities while serving in the Union forces in the Civil War. Initially, the Asylum, later called the Home, was planned to have three branches: the northeast, the central area north of the Ohio River, and the northwest (now the upper Midwest). Seven more branches were added between 1870 and 1907 as broader eligibility requirements allowed more Veterans to apply for admission. Veterans admitted into the Home were recorded in "Historical Registers," which were maintained at various branches. These registers are now at the National Archives in Record Group 15, Records of the Veterans Administration. A home number was assigned to each individual upon admission. The member retained his original number even if he was discharged and later readmitted to the branch. The records cover the years 1866 through 1938.

The records were created to keep track of the disabled war veterans who were being housed and provided for in the Homes. They are generally reliable and a great place to research Civil War veterans.

National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Locations
 * Eastern Branch, Togus,Maine, 1866-1934 Registers of Members, 1866-1934 NAID 2124650
 * Central Branch, Dayton,Ohio, 1867-1935 Registers of Members, March 26, 1867-March 28, 1934 NAID 2124641
 * Northwestern Branch, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1867-1934 Registers of Members, 1867-1945 NAID 2124660
 * Southern Branch, Hampton, Virginia, 1871-1933 Registers of Members, January 1871-September 1933, NAID 2124714
 * Western Branch, Leavenworth, Kansas, 1885-1934 Registers of Members, 1885-1934 NAID 2124725
 * Branch, Sawtelle, California,1888-1933 Registers of Members, May 1888-October, 1933 NAID 2124681
 * Marion Branch, Marion, Indiana, 1890-1931 Registers of Members, 1890-1931 NAID 2124654
 * Roseburg Branch, Roseburg, Oregon, 1894-1932 Registers of Admissions, 1908-1932 NAID 2124697
 * Danville Branch, Danville, Illinois, 1898-1934 Registers of Members, October 1898-March 1934 NAID 2124644
 * Mountain Branch, Johnson City, Tennessee, 1903-1932 Registers of Members, October 1903-May 1932 NAID 2124656
 * Battle Mountain Sanitarium, Hot Springs, South Dakota,1907-1934 Registers of Members,March 1907-March 1934 NAID 2124638
 * Bath Branch, Bath, New York,1876-1934 Registers of Members, December 1878-June 1934, NAID 2124634

Home Histories
 * Pacific Branch, Sawtelle, California,1888-1933

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Homes For Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
 * Name of disabled veteran
 * Time and place of enlistment
 * Rank, company and regiment in which served
 * Time and place of discharge
 * Nature of disability
 * Date admitted to home
 * Birthplace
 * Age and physical description
 * Religion
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Marital status
 * Name and address of nearest relative
 * Date and cause of death
 * Pension information
 * Place of burial

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search you will need to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The rank your ancestor held in the military
 * The company your in which your ancestor served
 * The regiment your in which your ancestor served
 * The branch of the military
 * The approximate dates of service

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select Soldier Home
 * 2) Select Home Index or Register No. to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

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. Additional information may be found in pension files General Index to Pension Files, 186101934

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth to locate census, church, and land records
 * Use the death date to search for death certificates, mortuary, or burial records
 * It may be helpful to compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor. This is especially helpful if the surname is unusual
 * 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
 * Additional information may be found in pension files General Index to Pension Files, 186101934
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * 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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records
 * Beginning United States Civil War Research
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.