Linda here is a site that tells how to obtain penision records from the national archives, I have used it and got them in about 10 weeks. http://www.oz.net/~cyndihow/pensions.htm Linda Crannell 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 -- ******************************************************************************* Jim Yates [log in to unmask] Kingston, NY [log in to unmask] First Capitol of NYS [log in to unmask] ********************************************************************************