1. Summary
The Union Army data has significant information on recruit pension applications. This includes application type, date, attorney's name, and claims.
2. Variable Groups
Collection: Military, Pension and Medical Records
Application: Pension application type, Pension application date
Attorney: Pension attorney's name
Claims: Claim of disability for pension, Self claim, Board claim
File Type: Pension file type
Length of pensionable service: Length of pensionable service- years, months, days
Pension Affidavits and Deposition: Deponent, Affidavit date, Type of information, Time of information, Date of information, Affidavit description
Board Ruling: Ruling amount, Beginning date for ruling, Ending date for ruling, Increase/decrease/ rejection designation, Reason for decrease or rejection, Beginning date of arrears, Ending date of arrears
Pension Law: Pension application law, Pension law date
Collection: Surgeons' Certificates
Rulings from Surgeon Certificate: Examination date, Previous pension rating, What previous pension is for
Place and date variables are qualified by a set of codes that can be found in the Quality Codes User Guide.
3. Historical Background
3.1 Original Sources
The primary source of pension application data is the Pension record. Recruits could apply and reapply for a pension multiple times; information about each pension application is recorded separately and stored in variables which share the same numeric suffix: appty01, appdt01, etc. The numbers of the applications usually do not correspond to any chronological order. Up to 20 different applications could be recorded.
Civil War pensions were available for veterans with disabilities as well as for deceased veterans' widows, minor children, dependent major children, and parents. Under the Act of July 14, 1862, the first pension legislation specific to the Civil War, the veterans were eligible only for disabilities (wounds or chronic illnesses) received during wartime. The Act of June 27, 1890 changed that requirement and expanded eligibility to include disabilities not directly related to wartime experience. As a result, the number of men on the pension rolls swelled.
When a soldier wanted to receive a pension, he would, under his attorney's supervision, fill out an application/declaration. This form was sent to the Pension Bureau in Washington D.C., which reviewed the application and collected further testimony in support of the soldier's application. The decision is recorded on a claim form, which is input alongside the pension application/declaration. Soldiers could apply and re-apply for pensions multiple times. Information about each pension application/declaration and claim is recorded separately.
Many claimants hired attorneys to help them apply for pensions. Attorneys' names appear on both the pension application and claim forms. For each specific disability recorded on the pension claim form a corresponding indication is made identifying if the disability was claimed by the soldier, approved by the board, or both. The board could approve disabilities the soldier did not claim. Disabilities include diseases, wounds, and results for which the claimant was seeking a pension.
A veteran's pension record also includes information on his birth, residences and employment after discharge from the service, a summary of military and medical wartime experience, and family information, including a listing of spouses and children, whether living or dead. It also includes the veteran's or the surviving dependent's application and the corresponding record of the Pension Bureau's action. The record also contains documents in support of the veteran's application, including affidavits from comrades, neighbors, family members, and physicians. Because a veteran could, and often did, apply for a pension under several laws or submit additional applications because of an increase in disability or a dissatisfaction with the Pension Bureau's decision, records usually contain more than one pension application and claim.
3.2 Variables
Some examples of pension application data include the variables apptyp and attrny. The variable apptyp03 is the third instance of a recruit's pension application type, which shares the same numeric suffix as appdt03. There are several types of pension applications recorded in this variable. The variable attrny15 is one instance of the attorney's name. Many claimants hired attorneys to help them apply for pensions. The numerical suffix matches the suffix number of apptyp to which it relates, so in this case, attrny15 corresponds to apptyp15. These variables follow no chronological order. For each disease, wound, and result for which the claimant was seeking a pension, the variables are preceded by one of the letters a-l. The suffix number matches the suffix number of pension application type, to which it relates. These are not in chronological order. The variable a_sclm04 is one instance of a self claim of disabilities by the pensioner. Similarly, the variable g_bclm04 is one instance of a board claim approval.
4. User Guide Table
| Variable Label | Variable Name | Data-Set | Source |
| apptyp01 - apptyp20 | Pension application type | MIL | PEN: Pension Application Pension Ruling |
| appdt01 - appdt20 | Pension application date | MIL | PEN: Pension Application Pension Ruling |
| attrny01 - attrny20 | Attorney's name | MIL | PEN: Pension Application Pension Ruling |
| a_clm01 - l_clm20 | Claim of disability for pension | MIL | PEN: Pension Application Pension Ruling |
| a_sclm01 - l_sclm20 | Self claim | MIL | PEN: Pension Application Pension Ruling |
| a_bclm01 - l_bclm20 | Board claim | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| penftype | Pension file type | MIL | PEN: Pension Application Pension Ruling |
| lopsyrs | Length of pensionable service years | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| lopsmth | Length of pensionable service months | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| lopsdys | Length of pensionable service days | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| dponet01 - dponet20 | Deponent | MIL | PEN: Affidavit, Deposition |
| afdvdt01 - afdvdt20 | Affidavit date | MIL | PEN: Affidavit, Deposition |
| afdvqc01 - afdvqc20 | Quality code for affidavit date | MIL | Military Quality Codes |
| info[1-2]t01 - info[1-2]t20 | Type of information | MIL | PEN: Affidavit, Deposition |
| infotm01 - infotm20 | Time of information | MIL | PEN: Affidavit, Deposition |
| infodt01 - infodt20 | Date of information | MIL | PEN: Affidavit, Deposition |
| infoqc01 - infoqc20 | Quality code for date of information | MIL | Military Quality Codes |
| afdesc01 - afdesc20 | Affidavit description | MIL | PEN: Affidavit, Deposition |
| afcond01 - afcond20 | Affidavit description, continued | MIL | PEN: Affidavit, Deposition |
| rulamt01 - rulamt20 | Ruling amount | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| rulfdt01 - rulfdt20 | Beginning date for ruling | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| rultdt01 - rultdt20 | Ending date for ruling | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| rulidr01 - rulidr20 | Increase/decrease/ rejection designation | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| reason01 - reason20 | Reason for decrease or rejection | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| arrfdt01 - arrfdt20 | Beginning date of arrears | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| arrtdt01 - arrtdt20 | Ending date of arrears | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling |
| applaw01 - applaw20 | Pension application law | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling Pension Application Envelope |
| appldt01 - appldt20 | Pension law date | MIL | PEN: Pension Ruling Pension Application Envelope |
| a_xmdate | Examination date | DIS | Surgeons' Certificate |
| a_xmdtqc | Quality code for examination date | DIS | Surgeons' Certificate |
| a_prated | Previous pension rating- dollar amount | DIS | Surgeons' Certificate |
| a_pratef | Previous pension rating- fraction | DIS | Surgeons' Certificate |
| a_ratefor | What previous pension is for | DIS | Surgeons' Certificate |