In order to be eligible for a pension, the veteran had to have a disability attributable to his military service. A surviving widow or children under 16 were eligible. The pension wasn't large. For a surviving widow it was something like $6/month + $2/month for each eligible child. I don't know what the veteran himself would have received. There were modest increases in later years. Regardless of whether a pension was granted, if the veteran applied for one there should be a pension file at the National Archives. Send email including your postal address to 'inquire@arch2.nara.gov' and request two (2) copies of 'NATF Form 80'. They'll arrive in a week or two. Fill out one for Military record (if wanted), the other for Pension file. Return both to the address on the form. The fee is $10 each if found; no charge if not found. Expect to wait a few months for their response. (If you happen to be in Washington DC you can look it up yourself for free, and actually examine the original papers.) BTW, "Unit" is a perfectly acceptible general term. Regards, Charles Sullivan "Linda Crannell" <lindac@jump.net> wrote: >Greetings! This is going to several lists, so please forgive the duplication >(and the repetition of things you may have heard me say before). >I am writing a history of the Washington County (NY) Poor House. > >OK, I can't stand the puzzle any longer! So I'm gonna have to track this one >down. > >I have become quite interested in the effect of the Civil War in Washington >County as reflected in admissions to the Poor House. This has been a verrrry >tricky one. In 1862 & 1863 there were several mentions made; ie. father >killed in war, father away in war, husband killed in war ... even a couple >of men of whom it was said they were hurt in the war. Then, abruptly, no >more mention of the war in any admissions. > >Now, I know there was a Civil War Pension program. I know lots of >generalities about it ... like it became huge over time and included even >distant relatives of men who stubbed their toe in the war. (OK, so that is >an exaggeration. No disrespect intended, but the vast expansion of the >pension program was a fact and quite a political issue.) > >Here is the example I just MUST try to track down. > David MOUNTAIN > Male 57 White Single born Ireland/Waterford/? >Poor House Admission/Discharge >11/10/85 - 4/19/86 >11/13/86 - 4/25/87 >5/2/87 - 5/6/87 >Comments on his certificate: >Rheumatism -- served in the War, 16th Artillery > >Here's my question (obvious!) >WHY would a man whose service in the Civil War could surely be documented -- >after all, they even knew which unit (sorry, guys: probably wrong term--I >don't know military terminology from Greek!)in which he served -- who would >almost certainly have been eligible for a pension -- spend TWO WINTERS in >the Poor House?!? > >I need HELP!!! (2 kinds, actually) > >1. How do I track down this man's application for a pension and its >disposition? (I have avoided learning this genealogy technique because I was >more interested in the following.) > >2. Where do I find good HISTORICAL (NOT genealogical) information about the >CW Pension program? (When it started, how it worked, a chronological >timeline for its implementation, relevant laws, etc.) > >I am a little bit desperate here. I will be in Albany and Washington County >for about two weeks -- I leave in a week (takes 4 days to drive there from >Texas). I could spend lots of time looking in the libraries & archives there >but I don't know the system. Any help will be GREATLY APPRECIATED. Feel free >to e-mail me privately if you don't think your info would be of interest to >the whole list. > >BTW, anybody out there have info about this David Mountain? >Thanks, Linda > > >==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== >Have you forgotten how to UNSUBSCRIBE? >Visit the GEN-NYS-L Frequently Asked Questions (And Answers!) web page: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nozell/GEN-NYS-L/FAQ/GEN-NYS-L.html