Getting to Know Hannah Lathrop Keith: Contacting Archives

This is a continuation of my previous two posts about my ancestor, Hannah Lathrop Keith. She lived for a short time and did not show up by name in census records or vital records. I had a few family sources about her, but I wanted to see what else I could find online. My firstContinue reading “Getting to Know Hannah Lathrop Keith: Contacting Archives”

Interpreting Your Ancestor’s Civil War Pension File: The Pension Certificate

We’ve talked generally about the laws behind Civil War Pension records, and outlined how to order copies of them. Once you receive your ancestor’s pension file, a new challenge arises. Many at this point find themselves sitting before a large, intimidating stack of papers all shuffled together, unorganized and difficult to decipher. The next fewContinue reading “Interpreting Your Ancestor’s Civil War Pension File: The Pension Certificate”

My Ancestor’s Struggles with the Civil War Pension Office

As I write our series of tips about how to do Civil War genealogy, I think regularly about my own ancestors in the Civil War. My great great grandfather, Newell Elijah Gile, comes to my mind very often. He fought hard to receive an adequate pension for wounds he received during the conflict. I imagineContinue reading “My Ancestor’s Struggles with the Civil War Pension Office”