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Archiver > MD-CIVIL-WAR > 2006-10 > 1160853016


From: "John Siemon" <>
Subject: Re: [MD-CIVIL-WAR] FW: Civil War Index Card
Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2006 15:10:16 -0400
In-Reply-To: <001e01c6efb4$fd502e80$020aa8c0@NEWCOMPUTER>


Leta,

There are two meanings for "invalid." One is "not valid." That is not the
meaning they were using. The meaning they were using is "one who is
incapacitated by a chronic illness or disability." Today, we'd probably
call them "disabled." I believe the Government did not give pensions just
for serving in the Civil War. Veterans had to present evidence that they
had suffered some type of disability or injury from their service.

I suspect, as many of them got older, they suffered from the same conditions
many of us suffer from as we get older. But if they could convince the
Government that the condition resulted from the war, they would get a
pension. If their condition was not obvious or documented during the war,
my guess is that the pension required a lot more effort and documentation in
order to get approved. That is just my guess from reading and thinking
about the one file I have a copy of.

John

-----Original Message-----
From:
[mailto:] On Behalf Of Leta Sheaffer
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2006 1:20 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [MD-CIVIL-WAR] FW: Civil War Index Card

John,

Again many thanks for your reply. One more question - If my civil war
soldier enlisted in 1862 and was discharged in 1863, why would there be a
date of 1880 stating invalid, and he didn't die until 1909. I'm getting
confused with the word invalid. Could this possibly be a date he tried to
increase his pension and it became invalid ? He never suffered and injury,
but became ill, he claimed as the result of sleeping in the damp and cold.
The word Invalid means null or legally ineffective, or unjustified, so I'm
not clear as to why there would have even been a civil war pension
certificate number and also his wife shown as widow in 1909 with an
application and certificate number.

I have two other civil war records for other ancestors and they did receive
a pension, but the word invalid is on their too.

Big hang up with this word invalid.

Thanks,

Leta

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Siemon" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: [MD-CIVIL-WAR] FW: Civil War Index Card


> Yes, the word you can not read on the pension index card is "invalid." I
> believe the more complete name for the pensions was "Invalid Pension." In
> order to get a pension, a Civil War veteran had to have suffered an injury
> or wound. If he had an obvious wound or his injury was documented in his
> service records, it was probably easier to get. My wife's ancestor,
> Richard
> E. Rich, filed a claim for eye disease and chronic rheumatism that he
> claimed stemmed from his service in the Atlanta Campaign. His file
> included
> records from a doctor's examination and many affidavits from friends and
> neighbors, attesting to his conditions and their belief that he had
> sustained them during the war. He was granted a pension in 1888 and died
> in
> 1889.
>
> If a veteran had a pension, when he died, his widow could then file for a
> widow's pension. After Richard Rich died, his wife Fidelia claimed and
> received a pension until she died in 1914. The file also included her
> death
> certificate and records of her death and burial expenses, submitted and
> claimed for payment by their attorney after her death.
>
> I write all of this to tell you what a wealth of background information
> you
> might find if you get copies of the pension files. Make sure you ask for
> both the pensioner's and widow's. I can not remember if they were in the
> same file or separate, but they have separate numbers.
>
> John
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> [mailto:] On Behalf Of Leta Sheaffer
> Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 8:22 AM
> To:
> Subject: Re: [MD-CIVIL-WAR] FW: Civil War Index Card
>
> John,
>
> Many thanks for your reply and explaining the civil war index card. Yes,
> I
> did get it from Ancestry.Com, but it is so blurry, very hard to read. The
> date of the filing for the soldier was May 8, 1880, and the date for the
> widow was Dec. 8, 1909. Would he have filed for a pension in 1880 and
> then
> his widow filed after his death in 1909 ?
> What does it say next to the date column , just above where it says widow
> ?
> I have tried to make out it out and it looks like the word Invalid. I
> will
> send for the record.
>
> Again, Thank you so much,
>
> Leta
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Siemon" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 12:46 AM
> Subject: [MD-CIVIL-WAR] FW: Civil War Index Card
>
>
>>
>>
>> Leta,
>> If you mean the Civil War pension index cards, which are at Ancestry.com,
>> the preprinted info includes:
>> Name of Soldier
>> Name of Dependent (widow or minor)
>> Service (meaning the unit he was in)
>> Date of Filing, Claim, Application No., Certificate Number, State from
>> Which
>> Filed
>> At the bottom is either "Attorney" or "Authority" and probably "remarks."
>>
>> If you have found a card on your ancestor, there should be a pension file
>> at
>> the National Archives for him and for his widow if listed on the card.
>> You
>> can order a copy using the information on the index card. They can be
>> pretty
>> interesting reading.
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:
>> [mailto:] On Behalf Of Leta Sheaffer
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2006 8:05 AM
>> To:
>> Subject: [MD-CIVIL-WAR] Civil War Index Card
>>
>> Would someone be able to tell me what the pre-printed information says on
>> the civil war index card. It is blurry and hard to read, especially to
>> the
>> left - Date of ?/ Class ? and Source ? - I can read the one below the
>> solders name as widow, but not the one for the solder. I am mainly
>> interested in the first two blocks to the left of the card. What does it
>> say?
>>
>> Many thanks for any help you may provide
>>
>> Leta
>>
>>
>>
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