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INDEX

Original Applications

by Will Graves

(as of January 25, 2012)

A number of users of this site have asked how they can obtain photocopies of the original pension applications from which the posted transcripts were made. As far as we are aware, there are 4 ways to obtain copies of the applications as follows:

1. For a fee, the National Archives (NA) will copy a pension file. The person requesting the copy must fill out a request form provided by the NA. For specifics on getting a copy of the required form and file from the NA, see its website at http://www.archives.gov/.

2. Many libraries and archives have microfilm versions of the pension applications. There are microfilm readers (equipment with which microfilm is viewed) that can copy the image from the microfilm. The National Archives made to different sets of microfilm. One set (consisting of thousands of rolls of microfilm) is denominated NARA M805 and contains only the 'Selected Records' portion of each pension file (see paragraph 3 below for an explanation of how to access the 'Selected Records' online). The other set (also consisting of even more thousands of rolls of microfilm) is denominated NARA M804 and contains the entire contents of each pension file (see paragraph 4 below for an explanation of how to access these images online).

3. HeritageQuest Online (HQ) provides digital images of the 'Selected Records' portion of the pension files at its website. There images are taken from the NARA M805 series of microfilms. Individuals, however, cannot subscribe directly to HQ. Its service is only available through institutions such as universities and public libraries. A large number of public libraries subscribe to HQ and make it available to holders of their library cards. Check your local library to see if it offers access to HQ. Some libraries offer access to HQ online allowing their card holders the convenience of accessing HQ from their home computers. At HQ, the digital images of the 'Selected Records' portion of each pension application can be downloaded from the Internet and printed. The “Selected Records' portion of each pension file is exactly what it sounds like it is, that is: it is only a portion of the entire file selected based on the selector's perception of relevance and interest. It usually contains at least the final application filed by the veteran and/or his widow, executor or heirs. It normally does not include documents such as discharges, commissions or other materials submitted by the claimant in support of the claim. In other words, there are a lot of documents of potential importance to researchers and genealogist which are NOT included in the 'Selected Records.'

4. Fold3.com, a private, subscription service, has posted on the Internet digital images of all of the Revolutionary War pension applications taken from NARA M804. For current subscription information for F3, see its website at Fold3.com. F3 allows subscribers to download digital images of individual pages of pension applications one page at a time. We have been informed that some public libraries and other institutional libraries are providing access to Fold3.com free to their card holders or members. You should check with the libraries of which you are a card holder or member to see if it provides such access to Fold3.com.

CAUTION: The digital images available at both HQ and F3 vary in quality depending on the condition of the original and the quality of the image made of it. Unfortunately, there are some applications which are in such poor condition as to render them totally illegible in both the HQ and F3 versions. Some applications have missing pages and/or text. Our experience has been that it is worth looking at both the HQ and F3 versions of applications as the methodology of copying the images used by each service varies and results in the images captured by one service being better quality (i.e., easier to read) than the image captured by the other service.

NOTE: Please do not request copies of the digital images of the pension applications from this site. Being a volunteer operation which provides access to its site free of charge to its users, we are not equipped to handle such requests. Those interested in obtaining copies of the original pension application of a particular claimant should pursue one of the options listed above. There may be other options, but the ones listed above are the only ones of which we are currently aware.

Researchers will note that in the vast majority of cases, pension and bounty land file numbers will be preceded by "S," "R," "W, "BLWt." or "Dis. No Papers." On occasion we are asked what these designations signify. These designations were assigned when the files were re-catalogued so as to arrange them in alphabetical order by surname of the veteran. The process of re-cataloguing the applications was completed in 1912. Here is a table that explains our understanding of these designations:

S	"S" designates files in which the application for a pension filed by a revolutionary war veteran was granted by the Pension Office of the War Department. The "S" designated "survivors" – veterans who lived long enough to qualify for a pension.
R	"R" usually designates files in which at least one of the applications contained in such file was rejected by the Pension Office. Just because a file is designated "R," however, does not mean that no pension was granted to the veteran upon whose services the application was based. For example, such files may contain a veteran's application upon which he was granted his pension but his widow's application for her pension was rejected or the application of the heirs of the veteran and/or his widow was rejected. Also, rejection of a veteran's application does not necessarily mean that the veteran was deemed by the Pension Office to have not served in the Revolution. As noted in the "Legislation" article on this site, there were numerous pension laws enacted by Congress, each of which carried separate criteria for qualifying under its provisions. If the veteran served in the war but failed to establish service which met the criteria applicable to the act under which his application was filed, then his application was rejected. Quite often, "R" files will contain applications by veterans who were awarded a pension but whose widow failed to establish her marriage to the veteran to the satisfaction of the Pension Office or whose marriage took place beyond the criteria for length of marriage as set by the particular legislation under which her application was filed. Another example of "R" designated files which do not necessarily apply to rejected claims are files relating to claims by sailors who served in the Virginia Navy and claims for half-pay made by officers in the Virginia service who were covered by a special legislation passed on July 5, 1832 whereby the Congress agreed to relieve Virginia of its responsibility to pay such claims. To further complicate matters, many of the claims covered by the Act of July 5, 1832 were assigned the same file numbers as those already assigned to other veterans' claims.
W	"W" designates files containing one or more successful applications filed by the widow (or her heirs) of a veteran who failed to live long enough to qualify for a pension in his own right. Such files do not contain any application filed by the veteran himself.
BLWt	"BLWt" designates files which contain bounty land warrant claims filed by the veterans, their widows or the heirs of either the veteran or the widow. Because bounty land legislation was separate and distinct from pension legislation, some files will contain both a letter designation and a bounty land designation which indicates that such files will contain both pension applications and applications for bounty land warrants.
Dis. No Papers X	This designation is used for files containing no papers for veterans who were granted disability pensions prior to 1800. A fire in 1800 destroyed the papers relating to these pensioners. The "X" designation which we have used to index these files in our database is as assigned by HeritageQuest.com in its postings. The "X" designation is part of the official file designation system used by the National Archives.

The National Archives has a descriptive pamphlet formatted as an 82-page pdf file which explains the Pension and Bounty Land records in great detail. That pdf file can be downloaded for free at Fold3.com web site at NARA Descriptive Pamphlet on Rev War Pensions.

In addition to the official file designations set forth in the table above, researchers will encounter in this database transcriptions bearing designations "GA," "NC," "SC," "VA," or "VAS" followed by a number. Such designations were assigned by me to indicate that these pension statements are not in the Federal files. Most are applications that can be found in local court records but for some reason unknown to me never made it into the Federal pension files. The exception is the designation "VAS" which designates records found in the online digital image collection of the Virginia State Library. Leon and I felt that since these records are available online and contain information relating to veterans whose services might otherwise go unknown to researchers, we would expand the database to include transcriptions of records found there.