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