Daily AncestorHonorable discharge
An honorable discharge meant a soldier left the service with his record in good standing, a condition for many later veterans' benefits.
The kind of discharge mattered long after the war. In 1873 Congress granted burial in national cemeteries to all honorably discharged Union veterans. Mexican War pensions from 1887 and Union pensions under the act of 1890 also required an honorable discharge.
A desertion charge on a soldier's record could therefore cost him or his widow a pension. When a pension file questions a man's discharge, look for the record of the charge and its outcome.
As seen in a recordUnion discharge certificate, 1865
Discharged honorably June 28, 1865, by reason of expiration of service
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Honorable discharge." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/honorable-discharge. Last checked 2026-10-03.