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Printed conditions on a War Department certificate for Sergeant Max Littman, 27th U.S. Infantry, dated July 20, 1874 (copy photoprint, National Park Service, Gateway Arch National Park); the block is printed sideways on the form and shown here turned upright

Ten lines of pale printed capitals, crossed by sideways handwriting from the rest of the certificate: This certificate is issued upon the sworn statement of this soldier, that he has lost his discharge, and the certificate will not be accepted as a voucher for the payment of any claim against the United States for pay, bounty, or other allowance, nor as data in the preparation of a claim, nor shall payment under any circumstances be made on it; it is to be considered simply as evidence of honorable service, and will be rendered invalid by transfer.

Pension Office certificate in the claim of the executor of Nathaniel Welch, Captain and Brigade Quarter Master, Virginia State line, February 16, 1850 (Virginia Half Pay pension files)

Handwritten page: Pension Office, February 16th 1850. I hereby certify that I have examined the case of the Executor of Nathaniel Welch, deceased, who claims commutation of five years full pay with interest to the present time under the Act of 5th July 1832, for services of the said Nathaniel Welch, deceased, as Captain and Brigade Quarter Master in the Virginia State line, during the war of the

Indian Wars pension card on the file jacket of Kee-week-oo-la-war-uckster (John Buffalo), North's Battalion of Pawnee Scouts, and his widow Eliza Buffalo, OklahomaToday

A printed pension card stamped Indian Wars. Name of soldier: Kee-week-oo-la-war-uckster, (now) Buffalo, John. Name and class of dependent: Buffalo, Eliza, Wid. Service: rank Private, enlisted 1876, discharged 1877, Major Frank North's Battn., Pawnee Scouts, U.S.A. Two filing lines: 1918 July 9, Ind. Sur., application 16101, certificate 8906, Act Mar. 4, 1917, Okla.; 1920 Mar. 8, Ind. Wid., application 14912, certificate 10291, Act Mar. 4, 1917, Okla. Remarks: I.O. 1101381, died Feby. 10, 1920, Pawnee, Okla.

Today's questionThe Class column has "Ind. Sur." on the 1918 line and "Ind. Wid." on the 1920 line. What happened?

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This week's challenge · Week 7

Untangle a date before 1752

Find one date from before 1752 in your tree, from a colonial or British record, and check whether it needs double dating or an Old Style adjustment.

See this week's steps

Play a round

All games

Round of 10

Abbreviations

Jno., Wm., inst., ult., d.s.p. Read them at a glance.

With sound

The census taker's ear

Hear a name. Guess how it was written down.

Case file

What killed Seth Hobbs?

Four papers from a Civil War pension file disagree. Which one do you trust?

Round of 10

Old occupations

Cordwainer, chandler, ostler. What did they do?

Round of 10

Old causes of death

Dropsy, ague, consumption. Decode the death record.

Research plan

What records exist for my ancestor?

Birth year in, a plan out: every census, draft card and war to check.

From the card catalog

Open the dictionary

Legal and landIIndictmentGrand jury's formal written charge of a crime NicknamesQQuillAquila Causes of deathEErysipelasRed, spreading strep skin infection DatesSShrove TuesdayDay before Lent begins (moves with Easter)LatinPpuerBoy, male child Causes of deathHHivesCroup (old name), not the skin rash

Today's record