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Archiver > NY-Military > 2000-02 > 0951064796


From: "Gary Welch" <>
Subject: RE: [NY-Mil] Re: Gravestone problem
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2000 10:39:56 -0600


It may depend on what the disability was. One of my grandfather's brothers
entered the army about 1901, shortly after the Spanish-American War, and
served in the Philippines. He contracted TB while in the army and spent
several years in a military hospital in New Mexico before being discharged
for disability about 1909. He died of TB in 1913 at age 30. NARA didn't
find any pension file for him.

-----Original Message-----
From: John Clavin [mailto:]
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2000 10:34 PM
To:
Subject: [NY-Mil] Re: Gravestone problem


At 05:49 PM 2/19/00 -0500, you wrote:
> Thanks for the insight. Would he have a pension file seeing as he died
> at age 35? I did send to the National Archives and they could not find
> anything on him, I have now sent to NY State Archives hoping they may
> have some information. Wouldn't he have had to apply for a pension to
> have a pension file though? I did get the Civil War pension records for
> my gr grandfather and they contain a lot of information. Thanks - Eileen

Eileen,

I am sending theis reply to the list as well because it contains some
information which may be of interest to others.

He most likely would have a pension file if he was disabled during the war
and was awarded a disbility pension, which is a distinct possibility if he
died in 1909 at such a young age. I am not certain of the pension rules for
those years relating to Spanish American War vets, but the surviving family
may have also been able to claim a pension if he died of a "service
connected disability". However, if you have already checked that avenue
with the NA, then it appears to be a dead end.

New York State Archives may be a possibility, but I don't think they have
as much info on the Spanish-American War soldiers as they do on the Civil
War.

Another place to try is the Military History Institute at US Army Carlisle
Barracks:
http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usamhi/
although, again, they are somewhat more useful for the Civil War.

Try local newspapers of the era. They may not be in your local library any
longer, but some are available at the State Archives or major universities.
See the NY State Newspaper Project at:
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/nysnp/
You may be able to locate an obituary. Depending on the size of the paper
and town, there may also be an earlier article about him "going off to war".

***** John Clavin | NY-Military-L List Administrator | *****

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