U.S. Military Pension Files (1776-1916): A Gold Mine for Family History Research

From the founding of the United States of America, its government has provided compensation for those who served in the military. Pension files contain applications from soldiers and their family members for government assistance and often include information of great genealogical value. This class will cover when and why military pension records were created and what information they contain; how to identify whether pension files exist for your ancestor; and how to access, read, and evaluate these records.