United States War of 1812 Pension Records

Resources

Online Resources

Index

United States, War of 1812 Index to Pension Application Files, 1812-1910 at FamilySearch - How to Use the Collection;
War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815 at Fold3.com - (Free collection)
U.S., War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815 at Ancestry ($)

Online Copies of Pension Records

A large portion of pension records are digitized and online:

War of 1812 Pension Files at Fold3.com — images, incomplete (Free collection)
Index to War of 1812 pension application files at Internet Archive.

Order Copies from National Archives

Copies of military pension application files can be obtained three ways from the National Archives (NARA):

Ordered online from NARA
Ordered by mail using the NATF Form 86.
Visiting the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. in person and request to see the original compiled military service records.

Pension Application Records

Pensions were first granted to soldiers who were disabled while in the service and to heirs of soldiers who died during the war. The first pension acts based on service were not passed until 1871 and a second was passed in 1878.

The files may contain any of the following information:

Personal account of war experiences
Reasons why an individual joined the war effort
Company, rank, duties
Dates served
Companions with whom served
Officers under whom served
Depositions from neighbors and friends authenticating the testimony of an individual or affirming his character
Age at time of enlistment or time of filing application
Residence(s) since the war
Wife or widow's information including the death date of the veteran
Date of marriage (especially if widow filed for pension)
Dates of birth and names of children
Pertinent medical information and/or physicians' statements
Supporting documents
Signature of the veteran

Index to Pension Application Records

These index record cards may contain:

Name of soldier and spouse
Military unit
Enlistment and discharge dates

Categories of War of 1812 pension files available using NATF Form 85:

A complete Federal pre-Civil War military pension application based on Federal military service before 1861 (includes the Pension Documents Packet.)
A partial Pension Document Packet that contains reproductions of eight documents containing genealogical information about the pension applicant, to the extent these documents are present in the file.

Other War of 1812 Pension Records Indexes

Books

Index to War of 1812 Pension Application Files . Searcheable FS Library films 840431–500. This lists the soldier's name and often the name of his wife. Also locatable at 847501–32; Worldcat
United States Veterans Administration. Index to War of 1812 Pension Application Files. (Washington, DC: National Archives, 1960). This index may have name of soldier, dates of enlistment and discharge, pension and bounty land numbers, residence of soldier or widow, maiden name of widow, date and place of marriage, date and death place of soldier, date of death of widow. National Archives Microfilm Publication M313. On 102 FS Library films beginning with FS Library film 840431
White, Virgil D., transcriber. Index to War of 1812 Pension Files. Two volumes.(Waynesboro, Tennessee, National Historical Publishing Company, 1992). This index is arranged alphabetically. Applications are based on service between 1812 and 1815. Also listed in the index are the Bounty Land Warrants for which no pension application was made. There is a cross-reference to the wives, widows and other family members. Transcribed from the National Archives microfilms. FS Catalog book 973 M22i 1992
White, Virgil D., transcriber. Index to Old Wars Pension Files, 1815-1926. (Waynesboro, Tennessee: National Historical Publishing, c1993). FS Catalog book 973 M22wh; Worldcat.
Bell, Annie W. B. Major index to pension list of the War of 1812. (FS Catalog book 973 M24); (Worldcat)

Other Pension Indexes

List of Pensioners: Bryon C. Clark. A List of Pensioners of the War of 1812. 1904. Online at: Internet Archive.
1840 Census of Pensioners: 1840 Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services
June 1, 1840, 1840 Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary and Military Service as returned under the act for taking the sixth census.
1883 Pension Roll - ($): List of pensioners on the roll, January 1, 1883, Vols. 1-5 at Ancestry ($). On December 8, 1882, the U.S. Senate required the Secretary of Interior to submit a list of pensioners on the roll January 1, 1883.
1883 Pension Roll - Free index: List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: giving the name of each pensioner, the cause for which pensioned, the post-office address, the rate of pension per month, and the date of original allowance, as called for by Senate resolution of December 8, 1882, Volume One. Five volumes. Includes some pensioners from the War of 1812.
Widows Receiving Pensions: List of Widows receiving pensions, War of 1812
Ledgers of Payments: United States Ledgers of payments, 1818-1872, to U.S. pensioners, under Acts of 1818 through 1858, from records of the office of the Third Auditor of the Treasury Includes Revolutionary War pensioners and invalid pensioners of War of 1812 under act of 1818.

Discharge Certificates

War of 1812 Discharge Certificates by name.

References