I have several Genealogy To-Do lists. I work my way through them slowly, as I am often so busy with another family's history that I kind of neglect my own. One of those lists is records of which I would like to purchase copies. Primarily, those items are records are from the National Archives and associated with ancestors who served in the U.S. armed forces prior to WWI. I like learning more about my ancestors' service, but I prioritize the records for those who are the brick wall in that line. I still have a few War of 1812 and Revolutionary War veterans whose parents are unknown, and I harbor some hope that these records might help.
I've ordered bounty land warrant applications, invalid pension applications, and widows' pension applications from wars and conflicts spanning our country's history. I feel that each of the packets I've ordered has been worthwhile and has offered me enough breadcrumbs to keep expanding my research.
However, like genealogy in general, you never know what's in the record until you find it--and in this situation, pay for it. I generally recommend ordering such records to our clients, but I always include the caveat that it might only add dimension to your ancestor and not offer any clues to necessarily open up your research and find an elusive family of origin.
I recently ordered a Civil War pension packet for a client--again with the caution that it might not contain anything new. The cost was $80. But was the possibility worth the $80 gamble, in case the results offered clues about his brick wall's siblings, parents, or birthplace? Our client thought it was.
And I am so glad he did. After an interminable 3-month wait, the packet arrived recently. It was filled with amazing detail about this ancestor's life. The man served in the Civil War, but this document read more like the script of a soap opera. It was the acrimonious 1860s divorce, a subsequent elopement, manufactured evidence, and the testimony of the "biggest liar in seven states" that added a dimension to this man that we could not have imagined. It even included where the ancestor was born, and the names of a couple of his siblings. At the end of the 103 pages, I was sad and wanted more. And amazingly, the National Archives had more to offer! They mailed a letter notifying us of at least 50 more available pages. We've sent in our check of an additional $35 and are eagerly awaiting the next episode of this compelling drama.
This is absolutely not representative of pension or bounty land application materials. This is the 1%. I have a few pages for my own ancestor that added no insight to his antebellum life or his family of origin. I was disappointed--until I later ordered the War of 1812 pension packet for his mother's first husband. That additional packet helped me solve a huge mystery.
There's no telling what information might exist for your veteran ancestor. But is it worth the gamble?
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