Family Tree Friday: More Unexpected Finds in Military Pensions
Last week John showed you an example of an unusual find in a pension record – a Fraktur which was used by a widow or other dependent to prove their relationship to a deceased soldier – and asked if anyone had found anything else unusual or revealing. Even more “typical” documents can reveal a lot of information about the daily life of a pensioner or his family, something you might not otherwise find.
William Graham was 64 years old when he submitted this document in support of his Revolutionary War pension application in 1820. The pension laws in effect then required him to prove not only his service, but also his need for monetary support. The inventory seen here lists his personal property.
He owned very little, including two hogs valued at $5.00, and a broken kettle worth 18 cents. The total value of his property was $10.53½. In a letter that follows the inventory, he writes that he and his wife are too old and ill to work, and that he also needs to support an unmarried daughter who lives with them.
You can see the rest of William Graham’s pension application on www.footnote.com, to learn more about his wife, Mary, and their children as well as his military service from 1777 to 1783. Similar records for other Revolutionary War veterans can be found in NARA’s series “Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service,” ARC ID 300022.
What else have you found in a pension record that reveals information about the daily life of your ancestor?
Posted by Katherine on November 20, 2009, under Family Tree Fridays, Genealogy / Family History.
Comments: 5
Comments
Comment from merleen gholdston
Time November 20, 2009 at 2:50 pm
My ancestor Obediah Underwood served in the Civil War (Co K, 43rd Ohio vol Infantry) and was wounded at Salkehatchie River South Carolina in February 1865. His left arm was amputated at the shoulder and his pension file includes a photo of Obediah, bare chested, as evidence of his disability. I have a jpg of this photo but am not sure how to attach it, if you’re interested.
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Time November 20, 2009 at 3:47 pm
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Comment from Katherine
Time November 25, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Hi Merleen, It sounds like you found a great record for your ancestor. I always get excited when I find unexpected photos in the records. They may be the only photos of your ancestor, and you won’t know they are there until you open the file.
Comment from bandsxbands
Time February 3, 2010 at 12:28 pm
My friend and I were recently talking about how we as a society are so hooked onto electronics. Reading this post makes me think back to that debate we had, and just how inseparable from electronics we have all become.
I don’t mean this in a bad way, of course! Ethical concerns aside… I just hope that as technology further advances, the possibility of transferring our brains onto a digital medium becomes a true reality. It’s a fantasy that I daydream about every once in a while.
(Posted on Nintendo DS running R4i SDHC DS SPPost)
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Time November 20, 2009 at 12:58 pm
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