In my ancestor’s Civil War pension file, he listed his 12 children and their years of birth. At the bottom of the form, he wrote, “This is all of my children and all alive and 65 grandchildren, 55 Republicans, Beat that if you can.”
One of my earliest frustrations as a new genealogist back in the 1980s was my inability to find my paternal great-grandfather’s final citizenship papers. It never occurred to me to look for it in the homestead application of his son, my grandfather, Wilfrid Vincent. There among the other pages was the Certificate of Naturalization for my great-grandfather, Felix Vincent! The enclosed certificate was created years after Wilfrid was naturalized as the minor son of Felix, but still that Certificate of Naturalization, with its impressive gold stamp, is a thing of beauty in my eyes.
I found my great-great Uncle’s Civil War CMSR and Widow’s pension files. They included his letter requesting an honorable discharge due to family circumstances that he outlined so sweetly. He is a real person now.
I read mission reports of the WWII pilots who returned to base on the mission on which my father’s plane was shot down. I also uncovered a “War Crimes” report stating the German guards would randomly shoot into the POW’s barracks at night: one bullet went through my father’s bedding!
I have been trying for 25 years to find the birthplace of my husband’s 2nd-great-grandfather. Family tradition held that he was born in New Brunswick. He applied for a homestead in Minnesota and on his application, he stated he was born in Portland, Maine! Now we have a new hint and a new place to research to try and break through the brick wall!
I discovered an 1817 map at Archives II that showed landowners who had private claims along the Tombigbee river in Mississippi Territory, including my 5th great grandmother. And I was hoping just to get a feel for the cartographic room!
I followed a bookmark from a compiled military service record of Lucius Fairchild to a letter written by the Wisconsin Secretary of State and the Chairman of the Union Party to “the Honorable Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States.” They urged the president to accept the resignation of Fairchild, so that he could return to Wisconsin and run for Secretary of State there. Two years later, he would be elected governor of Wisconsin. What more could I ask than to end my time at the National Archives with a letter to Abraham Lincoln — a letter which has real significance to my home state!
I opened my g-g grandfather’s Civil War pension file and found out he was not only injured but taken prisoner and later had his hand amputated. The file had certified copies of land ownership, marriage, children’s names and DOBs, listed every battle he was in and the injuries sustained in each revealing the path taken over the course of three years during the war. I also confirmed the origins of my Norwegian ancestors’ names and located numerous documents confirming their migration to the US.
I finally discovered why my 3rd great grandfather was discharged after his first enlistment–he got a hernia lifting a pork barrel. What a great family story to tell my dad! Best of all I unearthed my grandfather’s Chinese birth certificate in the Consulate Records, thanks to an amazing staff member at the National Archives in College Park.
It was a powerful although sorrowful experience to hold original records relating to my ancestors in my own hands, particularly the note written by my 2nd great grandmother: “I am a poor old widow and plum broke down with toil and hard ships…”
I was able to hold the land patent and other records which had my second great grandfather’s handwriting and his own words. It felt like an actual spiritual experience.
I discovered that my ancestor was a world traveler by the time his stint in the Navy was done in 1850 — he had been to England, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, and Sweden on the frigate the St. Lawrence. Amazing! I wish I could hear his stories.
I found my grandfather’s military records from the Spanish-American War–not a surprise. However, I was astounded to find in them, in the Adjutant General’s Office papers, TWO hand-written letters from his mother (!) requesting his early discharge for family hardships. I had never seen this great-grandmother’s handwriting before and this was the last place I’d have expected to find it.
Reading correspondence in the records of the 324th Machine Gun Battalion during World War I, provided me insight into my grandfather’s experiences in France and Belgium during 1918.
Finding the Log Deck Book for PT 131 was always on my list. Paul, the “Navy” guy at Archives II, helped me fill out the pull slips. Waiting was the hard part but it was worth it! The best part was seeing that many of the entries are in my father’s handwriting! I only wish he was still alive, so I could have shared this with him.
I have been looking for the birthplace of one of my Norwegian ancestors for quite some time. His Civil War Compiled Military Service Record contained a Certificate Of Disability for Discharge naming his birthplace.
In a Civil War CMSR I found my 3GGfather’s enlistment documents that gave a birth County in Pennsylvania for him, information I have wanted for eight years. The discovery of his birth county puts him in the same location at the same time as my DNA 4th cousin’s ancestral line. Voila, there are deep cracks in the brick wall.
At NARA, I found the 50+ page 1922 immigration file for my 24-year-old distant cousin who, after deserting his post in the Polish army, sailed to Mexico and tried to sneak into the U.S., disguised as a painter. Fortunately, his lack of a passport generated reams of court documents including a deposition naming his birthplace in Poland as well as his parents’ and siblings’ names.
A Civil War pension file yielded an unexpected treasure – a photo of my husband’s dashing, mustachioed distant cousin, pleading for his deceased father’s last Civil War pension payment. His request was written on his 1914 business stationary stamped not only with his picture but also the business name, “The Mutual Theatrical Exchange…Refined Entertainment Furnished For All Occasions. If You Want Your Audience Pleased Let Us Book Your Shows.”
A single affidavit from a client’s ancestor’s Civil War pension file revealed: His precise date of birth; identification of his father and his brother; that the ancestor was blind at the end of his life; that his devoted wife took excellent care of him; and that on the night the ancestor was newly wedded he and his bride danced all night. There was also a copy of the death certificate and several affidavits regarding the date of the wedding in the file.
I found an original marriage certificate for one of my 3GreatGrandparents! I found letters written by one of my 3GreatGrandfathers who served in the Civil War. Now to transcribe them and translate from Swiss German.
I located the ship’s log for the USS Raleigh and found the entry where my father reported for duty in early August 1936 as a newly-minted Able Seaman. I look forward to returning in the near future to go through the rest of the boxes.
I found the cash sale land record for 315 acres purchased by my great-grandmother in 1858. She was 21 years old and single at the time she purchased the land. In the file is a declaration signed by her stating what improvements she made on land that was later deeded to my great-grandfather.
I was happy to finally confirm that one of my grandfathers had a land grant due to his 1812 service. His service record and his wife’s pension papers rounded out the picture.
Pulling pension packets for a half dozen ancestors was an eye opener. Not only did I learn one of them was an ambulance driver in the Civil War, but…another was captured and imprisoned as a Confederate soldier, despite the rest of his family being pro-Union. The discovery leads to many new paths!
I found that an ancestor’s brother-in- law was involved in many lawsuits in D.C., including a fascinating divorce case and a case where he was sued by a tenant for erecting a wall that prevented the tenant from using the building’s outhouse! My great-grandfather’s D.C. police employment file listed the founder (and most of the senior leadership) of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union as endorsing his application to join the force. The same file included several indictments in police court for drinking on the job. A civil war pension for a collateral relative named his wife and provided evidence he was a member of the family of interest. The list goes on… it was a very productive week!
Thanks to the staff at the Archives I was able to find my g-g- grandfather’s Civil War Pension file, all 200+ pages!
While going through over a dozen land entry file records for my ancestors, I was able to come across a couple of letters written in their own hand. How amazing it was to hold a document created over 150 years ago by my 3rd-great- grandfather!
I found my 3rd great uncle’s land patent records and a clue to information about his father, my 3rd great grandfather.
Reading 27 pages of statements and affidavits in in a special pension inquiry was like hearing family members tell the stories in their own words. And the documents gave critical information that the family had not found before.
Looking at the original muster roll uncovered an error in the Soldiers and Sailors database. This helped resolve exactly where a formerly enslaved sailor enlisted.
Opening what I expected was a simple “cash sale” land record, I discovered it was a “pre-emption” claim with evidence of occupation, improvements made, of widowhood, and remarriage. Affidavits from neighbors testified to the family’s habits, work ethic, and good character. This really helped fill in details about this family and narrowed the time frame for several family events.
For 20 years I have been attempting to verify a family tradition that an ancestor fought in the War of 1812. After spending 8 hours combing through the Miscellaneous 1812 Pension files, I not only found him but wonderful letters proving his identity and linking him and his wife to their travels from Virginia to Ohio to Illinois where he died in 1823.
My G-Grandfather’s pension file was missing when I searched for it 20 years ago. But due to extra efforts of NARA staff during Gen-Fed, this time I got the file and also an understanding of why I didn’t get it before now. It documented two marriages that I had struggled to verify.
Seeing examples of photographs at Archives II made me think of my uncles and other family members who had served in WWII and other wars. I found images of one uncle’s ship being bombed, and they add so much to the stories he had told of that event.
My grandfather’s uncle was killed at Cold Harbor in 1864. I don’t know if he even knew his uncle was in the Civil War–my mother didn’t know it. I held his service record in my hand!
Within minutes of discussing a DC probate problem with an archivist, I had the bond in my hands that dated the case and revealed the decedent’s last residence.
I found a hand-written letter from my 2nd great-grandmother in her first husband’s pension file. Now I can compare that to a hand-written family group sheet that was passed down in the family.
A death record provided by the widow in a homestead file confirmed two different men are combined in most Ancestry family trees.
I had always known that my grandfather had quit school in 8th grade to support his family but did not realize the long years of health problems his father had and the struggle his mother had after he died. A sadder story than I realized.
