Facts

Microfilmed pension records are available from the National Archives, heritage Quest Online and the Family History Center (now called Family Search Library).

The first step is to examine indexes to compiled records on microfilm at the National Archives.  Of primary interest to genealogists are service records and pension records. Many records are available through the National Archives.

Veterans' pension records may hold clues to your African-American ancestors.  More than 250,000 slaves and free blacks fought for the Union in the Civil War.  Applicants were required to prove their identity, so you'll find their date and place of birth, as well as marriage records and names of parents and children.

For 19th and 20th century immigrants, check Civil War and WWI draft records. Your immigrant ancestors had to register for the draft regardless of their citizenship, and draft records may tell you where they came from.

During the Civil War, the Union drafted aliens who'd declared their intention to naturalize.  The records show these foreign-born draftees' country of birth.

in 1871, pensions were granted to veterans who fought in the War of 1812 and their survivors.  If you know your ancestor fought in the War of 1812 and cannot find his pension records, he may have died before the government granted these pensions.

One condition veterans of the War of 1812 had to abide by was that the applicant did not support the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Did you know that the 1910 U. S. Federal Census asked whether a person was a veteran of the Union Army (UA), Navy (UN), or the Confederate Army (CA) or Navy (CN)?

More than one generation may be listed in a household.

The U. S. Federal Census has been taken every 10y ears since 1790 on years ending in the digit zero (e.g.1790 or 1950).