Pre-World War I U.S. Army Pension and Bounty Land Applications
Affidavit of John Crosley, son of former slave Prince Crosley, who served in the Revolutionary War
(威尼斯人娱乐场 Identifier )
The 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building in Washington, DC (Archives 1), houses pension applications and pension payment records for veterans of the U.S. Regular Army and State Volunteers, their widows, and heirs from the Revolutionary War to the early twentieth century (pre-World War I).
Early pensions were only based on injuries or death sustained in the line of duty, but later pension acts allowed benefits for general military service.
From 1788 to 1855, the War Department also granted bounty land warrants as a reward for military service. Archives 1 houses bounty land warrant applications, as well as surrendered warrants. (For more information about surrendered warrants, see Accessing Land Entry Records.)
Pension applications and bounty land applications are both part of Record Group 15, Records of the Veterans Administration. In general, records are arranged by the war or conflict, thereunder by the veteran's name (for the Revolutionary War through the Mexican War) or by file number (for the Civil War and later conflicts).
Researchers can order copies of pension and bounty land applications by using NATF Form 85 or placing an order online.
Contents of Applications
When applying for a federal military pension or bounty land, veterans (or their widows or heirs) had to provide proof of their federal military service.
At a minimum, they had to provide their regiment and approximate dates of service so that government officials could compare this information with records on file, including muster rolls and compiled military service records. Widows and heirs had to provide proof of their relationship to veterans.
For a detailed look at how the government processed Civil War pension applications, see the Prologue article "A Reasonable Degree of Promptitude: Civil War Pension Application Processing, 1861鈥�1865."
Supporting Documentation
Pension and bounty land application files can include supporting documentation such as narratives of events during service, birth records, marriage certificates, death certificates, family letters, statements from witnesses, and affidavits.
This documentation can provide the veteran's regiment, rank, place of residence, age or date of birth, and time in service.
A widow's application can also include the widow's maiden name, date and place of marriage, place of residence, date of the veteran's death, and names of children under the age of 16.
A child or heir's application can include information about the veteran and widow, including the date and place of the widow's death, as well as the child's place of residence and date of birth.
Note that not all application files include all of this information.
Applications by War/Conflict
Archives 1 houses pension and bounty land applications for veterans of the U.S. Regular Army and State Volunteers, their widows, and heirs from the Revolutionary War to the early twentieth century (pre-World War I).
Microfilmed indexes to these records are available. Most indexes have been digitized and made available online. Some application files have also been digitized.
Pension Payment Records
In addition to pension applications, Archives 1 houses documentation of payments made to veterans who were approved for pensions.
Some series of pension payment records are found in Record Group 15, Records of the Veterans Administration. Others are found in Record Group 217, Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury.
Series are listed below in rough chronological order.
- Registers of Pension Payments, 1789鈥�1872 (威尼斯人娱乐场 Identifier )
- M1786, Record of Invalid Pension Payments to Veterans of the Revolutionary War, and the Regular Army and Navy, March 1801鈥揝eptember 1815 (威尼斯人娱乐场 Identifier )
- Index to Pension Agency Payment Books, 1805鈥�1909 (威尼斯人娱乐场 Identifier )
- Pension Agency Payment Books, 1805鈥�1909 (ARC Identifier )
- Registers of Pension Payments, ca. 1811鈥�1868 (威尼斯人娱乐场 Identifier )
- Register of Pension Payments, 5/29/1813鈥�7/27/1866 (威尼斯人娱乐场 Identifier )
- Pension Payment Records, 1826鈥�1857 (威尼斯人娱乐场 Identifier )
- Records of Pension Payments, 1859鈥�1901 (威尼斯人娱乐场 Identifier )
- M850, Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907鈥�1933
- 鈥�Available online through
See Revolutionary War Final Pension Payments for more information about Revolutionary War pension payments.
Related Records
Archives 1 houses additional documentation of U.S. Army veterans' military service. These records include:
