Organization Index to Pension Files

Wars covered

Civil War (1861-1865) Indian Wars (1780s-1890s) Spanish-American War (1898) Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902)

(list may not be complete)

An Index to Pension Applications of veterans who served in the US Army between 1861-1917 is available on online. Officially called the "Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900" (NARA T289). Despite the name, the records actually cover 1861-1917. This collection is also known as the "Organization Index" and the "Civil War Pension Index Cards". It is similar to the "General Index to Pension Files". Each card gives the soldier’s name, application and certificate numbers, state of enlistment, and might include rank and death information. The majority of the records are of Civil War veterans, but the collection also includes records for veterans of the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Indian Wars, and World War I.

These records are also available free at any library providing free access to Fold3.com.

The actual pension records that the "Organization Index" and "General Index" cards refer to are currently only available through the National Archives. See Civil War ‘Widows’ Pensions for more information.

Content of the Records:

Name Rank, Company and Regiment Date of enlistment Date of discharge Date of application filing

Application number Certificate number (if pension was approved) Additional military service Remarks Date and location of death

Online

• Civil War and Later Veterans Pension Index (Fold3) ($) - images of index cards
• Civil War Pension Index Cards (FamilySearch) - transcription of index cards only

Libraries

• Locate these records at a library using Worldcat.
• Family History Library Various film numbers

See also

• General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934

National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.