Civil War pension claim book
Collection — Volume: 270
Identifier: V270
Scope and Contents
This collection includes a record book used to document pension claims of military veterans, largely from the U.S. Civil War, in Clark County, Indiana, ranging from 1887 to 1891. Most claims are identified with either Maring and Slusher or Maring, Slusher and Company, but a few note Evans, Jewel and Company as the claimant's representative. A number of the claims are for soldiers who had served in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois regiments. There are more than 30 claims from African-American soldiers and widows regarding service in the following regiments: the 28th, 48th, 107th, 108th, 109th, 115th, 118th, 122nd, 123rd, and 124th United States Colored Troops; the 5th and 6th U.S.C. Cavalry; the 12th U.S.C. Heavy Artillery; the 55th Massachussetts; and 1st U.S.C. (possibly Kansas). Also included is information regarding claims made by Nancy Lyon, widow of Florida War veteran Platt Lyon, and by William Taylor, a veteran of the segregated 9th U.S. Cavalry who served from 1872 to 1877. The record book in this collection is "book 4" and several entries are continuations from "book 1," refer back to a page number, but do not identify the claimants by name. The location of record book 1 is unknown.
Dates
- 1887-1891
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Historical Note
Prior to the Civil War, the number of veterans and widows on pension rolls was relatively small and payments totaled just over $1 million a year. But by 1885, nearly 325,000 Union veterans, widows and other dependents along with an additional 20,000 War of 1812 veterans and widows were on the pension rolls and the annual payments by the pension office were around $36 million. The Dependent and Disability Pension Act passed by Congress on June 27, 1890 authorized pensions for honorably discharged veterans who served at least ninety days and were suffering a mental or physical disability, not due to poor personal behavior, that made them unable to perform manual labor. Veterans already receiving pensions found it possible to receive larger pensions under the new act and the law also eased requirements for widows, minor children under 16 years, and dependent parents to receive pension payments.
Sources:
"Dependent Pension Act: The New Measure for the Relief of Ex-Soldiers - Its Provisions." Indianapolis News (Ind.), June 30, 1890.
Glasson, William H. Federal Military Pensions in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press, 1918.
Prechtel-Kluskens, Claire. "'A Reasonable Degree of Promptitude': Civil War Pension Application Processing, 1861-1885." Proloque Magazine, Spring 2010. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2010/spring/civilwarpension.html.
Sources:
"Dependent Pension Act: The New Measure for the Relief of Ex-Soldiers - Its Provisions." Indianapolis News (Ind.), June 30, 1890.
Glasson, William H. Federal Military Pensions in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press, 1918.
Prechtel-Kluskens, Claire. "'A Reasonable Degree of Promptitude': Civil War Pension Application Processing, 1861-1885." Proloque Magazine, Spring 2010. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2010/spring/civilwarpension.html.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 volume)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by subject.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a purchase on 1978/05/08
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed in 1998 by Philip N. Williams. EAD finding aid created 2020/08/25 by Laura Eliason.
- Title
- Civil War pension claim book
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
