Find your ancestors in General Correspondence of the Record and Pension Office, 1889-1904

Explore the records and find your family members in the General Correspondence of the Record and Pension Office. Learn new facts about your ancestor such as their rank and unit name.

What can these records tell me?

There are nearly 800,000 records representing the correspondence of veterans with the United States government. While the information for each person varies, General Correspondence of the Record and Pension Office, 1889-1904 usually includes:

• First and last name
  
• Rank
  
• Unit name
  
• Company
  
• NARA publication number
  

Discover more about the General Correspondence of the Record and Pension Office, 1889-1904

The Record and Pension Office was a branch of the United States War Department and maintained government service records for decades. Between the years 1889 and 1904 it handled records for many veterans of the Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish American War.

Use the records to uncover new facts about your ancestors as they requested various types of government documents including discharges, pensions, and military and medical history records. You may be surprised to discover an unknown relative or family member applying for the records on behalf of your ancestor, sometimes with addresses included. The details you learn will help expand your family history and lead to exciting new research possibilities.