Was your ancestor seriously injured during the Civil War? There may be a clue on his pension index card that could indicate that.
Look at the date that he filed for his invalid pension. In order to be considered an invalid, soldiers had to prove some sort of disability or injury. If the filing date was during the war or shortly after, there’s a good chance that he finished his service with a major injury.
- Darius Ames’s pension index card (A) shows that he filed for an invalid pension in March 1864. This tells us that he was likely claiming an injury that he suffered during the war. Multiple files from the National Archives confirm this theory.
- His pension file had several references to his injury, including (B) a description of what happened in his own words (he was injured after stumbling onto his gun, causing a series of wounds and sicknesses).
- His service records included a copy of his discharge for disability (C) and a reference to him being in a hospital in Cumberland, Maryland (D).
- His carded medical records documented his chronic rheumatism, chronic bronchitis, and the contusion on his right side (E).
Have you heard stories that your ancestor was injured in the Civil War? The details could be contained in his military files at the National Archives. Let us help you get your ancestor’s military files in your hands!
