TIP #516 - REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATIONS I trust that this will help both the new researcher and the experienced as well with a look at the Revolutionary War Pension applications - who could apply, what was necessary and where to order the applications. Pension applications were created primarily under two acts of Congress dating between 1818 and 1853. The first act of 18 March 1813 applied to veterans of the continental establishment and those in naval service who had served a minimum of 9 months. Congress cut back on this act on 1 May 1820 and stated that the pensioner submit property schedules to prove they were in need of a pension. Another act was approved 7 June 1843 which provided that veterans with 6 months of service (irrespective of the type of service, and irrespective of need) were entitled to apply for a pension. On 4 July 1836, widows of veterans with the required minimum of service were allowed to apply for a pension provided that they had married the veterans before the expiration of the last period of the veteran's service. An act provided pensions for widows who married veterans at a later date and finally, on 3 February 1853, widows were allowed to apply for a pension regardless of the date of marriage. Since there weren't many official records of the Revolutionary War, an applicant had to submit evidence of his service and identity. This would include a discharge certificate or notice of his commission, testimony of a comrade in arms, or a family Bible record showing birth, marriage and death dates. Files containing the pension applications are arranged alphabetically by the name of the veteran. Filed with these are invalid pension reports, most of the Revolutionary War bounty land warrant application records and large record carts relating to bounty land warrant application records that were destroyed by fire, and some final payment vouchers described below. These records contain cross references to the half-pay files of Virginia naval officers described later in Claim Files for Special Naval Awards. Documents that may be included here would include commissions, discharge papers, diaries, family Bible records. Some of these documents have been transferred to the Library of Congress under an act of Congress 25 Feb 1903. An alphabetical name index to the Revolutionary War pension application files has appeared serially beginning in March 1943 in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. This index does not include entries relating to transcripts of the 1796 reports on invalid pensioners described above. The printed index entries for veteran's files whose surnames begin with A through S is available on microfilm. Also on microfilm are the face sides of envelopes or record cards relating to veterans whose surnames begin with T through Z. These indexes show the name of the veteran, the State from which they served (provided the service was other than that rendered with the Continental Line or naval forces), the name of his widow if applicable, the pension application file number and/or the bounty-land warrant application file number. A pension application file contains much information such as: Name, rank, military or naval unit, period of service, and, if he applied for a pension his age or date of birth, place of birth, place of residence. If a widow applied it shows the date and place of his death, her age and place of residence, the date and place of her marriage and her maiden name. Research aids. --There are several published lists of value in identifying Revolutionary War pensioners. The Revolutionary War and other pensioners who were or had been on the rolls are listed by name of State or Territory in War Department Report From the Secretary of War, . . . in Relation to the Pension Establishment of the United States, 1835 (23d Cong., 1st sess,, S. Doc, 514; serials 249-251), unindexed. Volume 1 lists the names of pensioners residing in New England; volume 2, those residing in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia; and volume 3, all others. The names of pensioners on the rolls, in 1840 were obtained from the population census schedules. The pensioners are listed by name with age in Department of State, A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services (Washington, 1841), an unindexed volume, which was reprinted in 1954. Entries are arranged by name of State or Territory, thereunder by name of county, and, in the case of some counties, by name of minor subdivision. Some entries, however, do not relate to Federal pensioners and may refer to State pensioners. The Genealogical Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints also has a typescript index to the names appearing in the above publication. It also has a negative microfilm copy of the index. National Archives Library also has a typescript copy and a microfilmed copy of the index. How to order copies: Copies of the continental line military service records (which are more rare than those of South Carolina militia), revolutionary war pension application records (the most rewarding records, if you are lucky enough to have an ancestor in them), and bounty land warrant records may be ordered from the National Archives: National Archives (G.S.A.), Military Service Records (NNCC), Washington, D.C. 20408, and request three or four copies of GSA Form 6751: Order and Billing For Copies of Veteran's Records. To file a request for records, you must have the following minimum information: name; State from which he served; war in which he served, or dates between which he served. Note that there are a few documented women who served (masquerading as males) in the revolutionary war! There is room for unit and branch in which he served (infantry, cavalry, artillery, navy), date of birth, place of birth, name of widow, and other information, if available. The more information you supply, the more likely it will be that the National Archives can locate the records. If any potentially relevant information is located, you will receive notification of cost for photocopies and a bill. Note that the Archives will only send what they find. This information is not necessarily that of your ancestor! For a more complete search, visit the U.S. National Archives in Washington in person, or one of the regional branches (which all have microfilm copies of these records. Details on records at the U.S. National Archives is taken from "Guide to Genealogical Records in the National Archives" M.B. Colket, Jr. & F.E. Bridges, U.S. Govt. Printing Office, 022-002-00016-3, 1964. Colonel Sandi Gorin SCKY Links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html Sandi's Puzzlers: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gensoup/gorin/puz.html Gorin Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/