A question I get asked frequently is if it’s still worth it to order the Civil War pension file for a soldier who’s application wasn’t approved. The answer is, absolutely!
Sometimes the denied ones can be more informative than the approved ones. If there was any kind of investigation or any other documents were needed to verify anything, that would all be included in the pension file. Sometimes there was additional paperwork needed or more questions asked. That’s when the files get really interesting.
I can’t guarantee anything in any pension file. But don’t overlook a denied pension– there could be some really good stuff in there!
(The pension card shown here was a denied one. We know that because there is an application number in the first column, but there isn’t a certificate number in the other column. The approved ones will have a number in both columns)