I wrote about requesting and receiving the pension files for a good friend’s family a couple weeks ago.When I receive a pension file I sort it by date and use post it notes to mark each year. Then I create a table of contents for the entire file. Just gives me a better idea of what is in it. This is my first draft of the table of contents. As I go back through the file again and again I’ll add more details to it.

Here are the results of what was in the file for Henry A. Hayes.

Henry A. Hayes Civil War Pension File

Co. A. 18^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, then Co. I. 185^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Service: 9 August 1861 – 26 Sept 1865

• 1 Feb 1878            Declaration for Original Invalid Pension
• 1 Feb 1878            Examining Surgeon’s Certificate
• 16 April 1878       Application for Pension. Approved for $4 per month
• 3 Oct 1878            General form of Affidavit Henry A. Hayes
• 20 Dec 1878         Surgeon General’s Office Transcript
• 26 May 1879        General form of Affidavit Michael Devine and Joshua R. Wisehart
• 27 June 1879        General Affidavit Henry A. Hayes
• 16 Oct 1879          Acknowledgment of Service
• 27 Sept 1881        Handwritten affidavit given by Henry A. Hayes
• 5 Jan 1882             Examining Surgeon’s Certificate. Approved for $8 per month
• Undated                 Original Invalid Pension overview of service and pension applications
• 14 Sept 1885        Declaration for the Increase of an Invalid Pension. Appears his pension was reduced to $4 per month at some point and he is asking for an increase.
• 6 Jan 1886             Increase of Pension form. Increased to $6 per month
• Undated                 Invalid Pension overview of service and pension applications
• 14 April 1888       Declaration for the Increase of an Invalid Pension
• 18 Dec 1888         Surgeon’s Certificate
• 15 March 1889    Application for Re-Rating, Arrears and Increase of Pension
• 17 June 1889        Invalid Pension overview of service and pension applications
• 1 May 1890           Physician’s Affidavit of J.J. Evans
• 5 May 1890           Affidavit of John Cleaver and Solomon Truitt
• 11 June 1890        Declaration for the Increase of an Invalid Pension
• 27 June 1890        History of Claimant’s Disability
• 21 July 1890         Declaration for the Increase of an Invalid Pension
• 24 July 1890         Legal document from Office of Patrick O’Farrell
• 21 Aug 1890         Proof of Disability
• 31 Aug 1890         General Affidavit of Josiah Hayes and Mary E. Hayes
• 10 Sept 1890        Physician’s Affidavit J.J. Evans
• 17 Sept 1890        Surgeon’s Certificate
• 17 Sept 1890        Certificate of Increase – pension raised to $8 a month
• 4 Dec 1890           Affidavit of Thomas Drusmore (?)
• 16 Dec 1890         Certificate of Official Character of Justice of the Peace
• 7 Jan 1891             Proof of Disability
• 7 Jan 1891             Inability Affidavit
• 28 Jan 1891          Surgeon’s Certificate
• 8 April 1891          Affidavit of Solomon Truitt and Proof of Disability Evidence given by Truitt
• 21 April 1891       Invalid Pension overview of service and pension applications
• 6 May 1891           Pension increase to $12 per month (see one of last forms of total file)
• 21 June 1893        Surgeon’s Certificate
• 26 Sept 1894        Notice from Commissioner of Pensions
• 3 Oct 1894            Affidavits from Mary E. Hayes and Josiah Hayes
• 1 May 1895           Surgeon’s Certificate
• Various                   Special Examiner’s Report – index sheets with file listings. Lots of depositions.
• Various                   Special Examiner’s Report – index sheets with file listings. Lots of depositions.
• 4 May 1898           Deposition of Henry A. Hayes stating name of his wife and children with dates.
• 6 July 1898            Surgeon’s Certificate
• 2 Aug 1898           Invalid Pension overview of service and pension applications
• 3 Dec 1909           Affidavit about a family bible purchased in 1865
• 13 Dec 1909         Declaration for Pension
• 29 Dec 1909         Invalid pension overview of service and pension applications
• 31 May 1912        Declaration for Pension.
• 3 June 1912          Service Slips. Approved for $25 per month.
• 7 Feb 1913            Commissioner of Pensions Notice
• 18 Feb 1913         Invalid Pension overview of service and pension applications. Approved for $25 a month. Also approved for $30 a month commencing 26 Nov. 1914.
• 6 April 1915          Deposition of Henry A. Hayes listing names of children and service information.
• 25 Feb 1922         Drop Report – after death of Henry A. Hayes
• Various                   Service slips and pension payment slips

On one of the last payment overview slips it lists a payment of $4 per month commencing 10 Nov 1864 (?) yet there did not appear to be papers on that unless I missed them. The note says “D… from Feb 11, 65. O. Sept 20, 65, incl.”

Depositions in the file from:

Jacob E. Gray                         Hiram Bennett                      Isaac Bennett

Hugh Bennett                       Frank Hillerbrandt               Mary E. Hayes

Josiah Hayes                          Dr. Jno J. Evans                     James M. Farmer (?)

John Cleaver                         George W. Aldridge            Thomas Dunsmore (?)

Dr. G.A.C. Hoffart (?)            Joshua Smart                         Thomas S. Wells

Benj. F. Parker                      Mich Devine                         L. (?) Ed..ston [difficult to read]

Julia (nee Truitt) Smart (widow of John Smart and sister in-law of Henry)

Reply from claimant statements:

Charles F. Myer                    Abram McCoy                       Christian Schull

Nathan McCalla                    George M. Coffman             Ezra Zeller

Justice V. Kennedy               David R. Bethel                     William Fultz

Related articles

• Military Monday – Civil War Pension Files (generationsbiz.com)
• Breaking It Down Series – Is It In Date Order? (kidsgenealogy.generationsofstories.net)