Daily AncestorPension file
A pension file is the government folder from a veteran's or widow's military pension claim, often holding affidavits and family details found nowhere else.
To get a federal pension, a veteran had to prove his service, and a widow or heir had to prove the relationship as well. Files can therefore hold discharge papers, marriage certificates, birth and death records, Bible pages, letters and sworn statements from neighbors and comrades.
NARA arranges files from the Revolution through the Mexican War by the veteran's name, and Civil War and later files by number, found through the General Index to Pension Files, 1861 to 1934. There are no federal pensions for Confederate service.
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Daily Ancestor. "Pension file." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/pension-file. Last checked 2026-10-03.