Civil War Pension Records

I have sifted through all of the original Claffey invalid, widow and other Civil War pension folders that I requested after looking up the names in the General Pension Index. Some are very extensive, such as when widows try to prove that a legal marriage existed with the deceased veteran (at least one Claffey had two wives at the same time) or when the veteran would have to continually be checked out by doctors for years and years. Others are very brief, such as when a veteran or widow tried for a claim, but it wasn't granted (thus, a certificate wasn't issued).

Although I have extracted all the genealogical data from these records, there is still a lot of information that I either have not included online, or did not copy, such as years of medical examinations, or affadavits from friends or relatives, or copies of marriage certificates. If you want to know if I have more than I put online, email me with a specific request and I'll see if I have more. If you know that a soldier is an ancestor, you may want to request the Federal Archives to copy the files. More information on how to do that will be added later.

The National Archives in Washington, D.C has the origianl pension records. To access them, Microfilm T288 is first used to find the name of the soldier on the alphabetized Civil War Pension Index Cards. Each card has the following information:

Name of Soldier
Name of Dependent (if the dependent is making the application)
Service
Class of Filing (Invalid, Widow, Minor, Parent)
Application Number(s)
Certificate Number(s)
Attorney:
Remarks: (Usually more numbers starting with XC or C)

With this information, a Request For Military records (NA Form 14027 1-86) can be filled out, and the records get pulled and set aside for review for three days.

The original records contain information of the soldiers enlistment and discharge, as well as information on marriages and children, physical disabilities resulting from service, and residences since discharge from service, which can be extremely valuable in locating further genealogical information.

General Pension Index

1861-1934
Microfilm T288, Roll #82
National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Andrew J. Claffey - Massachusetts Infantry; Invalid Application 161156? filed 02NOV1870; Invalid Certificate 327930?

Charles Claffey - Trans. Serv. 2M Dept. USA; Invalid Application 1561368 filed 15NOV1926 in California; Remarks: C2310904

Charles J. Claffey - C3 US Cavalry & Gen. Mtd. Service; Invalid Application 1250343 filed 22JUN1900 in Connecticut; Invalid Certificate 1041615; Remarks: C2540971

David Claffey - Ohio Infantry; B22 Pennsylvania Cavalry; & Greenfield's Independent Co., Pennsylvania Cavalry; Dependent: Louisa Claffey, widow; Invalid Application 493093 filed 20AUG1883 in Ohio; Invalid Certificate 518620; Widow's Application 990276 filed 16JUL1912 in Ohio; Widow's Certificate 748220

Edward Claffey - A & C 16 Pennsylvania Cavalry; Dependent: Mary Claffey, widow; Invalid Application 466520 filed 08DEC1882 in Pennsylvania; Invalid Certificate 836815; Widow's Application 603711 filed 02NOV1894 in Pennsylvania; Widow's Certifcate 407358

Edward J. Claffey - A 10 Ohio Infantry; Dependent: Clara C. Claffey, widow; Widow's Application 1641793 filed 30APR1929 in New York

Francis Claffy - B144 Illinois Infantry; Dependent: Mary Claffy, widow; Widow Application 410084 filed 07DEC1889 in New York

Francis J. Claffey - C 69 New York Infantry; Invalid Application 7497872 filed 20MAR1924 in New York; Invalid Certificate A83127; Remarks: C234158

Frank Claffey - A1 Connecticut Infantry & L16 US Infantry; Invalid Application 1513183 filed 30JAN1925 in Connecticut; Invalid Certificate 1266184; Remarks: C2383659

Frank Claffey - A23 Connecticut Infantry; Invalid Application 1187708 filed 13MAR1897 in Connecticut

Frank J. Claffey - Navy; Dependent: Lillian L. Claffey, widow; Widow Application 1163099 filed 08SEP1920 in Massachusetts; Widow Certificate 968882; Remarks: Died May 29, 1914, Springfield, MA; XC2717790

Hubert Claffey - C 21 Massachusetts Infantry; Invalid Application 20539 filed 29APR1863; Invalid Certificate 8849?

James Claffey - L8 Pennsylvania Cavalry; Dependent: Annie Claffey, widow; Widow Application 360122 filed 03SEP1887 in California

James Claffy - I5 New York; Dependent: Ann Claffy, widow; Invalid Application 410434 filed 27SEP1880 in New York; Invalid Certificate 491187; widow Application 399730 filed 09JUL1889 in New York; Widow Certificate 272722

John Claffee - H23 Connecticut Infantry; Invalid Application 876240 filed 12JUL1890 in Connecticut; Invalid Certificate 617028

John Claffey - E2, E33 & D33 Massachusetts Infantry; Invalid Application 693710 filed 12MAR1889 in California; Invalid Certificate 900247

John Claffey - F12 & H39 Massachusetts Infantry; Invalid Application 668944 filed 20AUG1888 in Massachusetts; Invalid Certificate 421890

John Claffy - F5 Connecticut Infantry; Invalid Application 785987 filed 08JUL1890 in Connecticut; Invalid Certificate 933014

John Claffy - D16 Massachusetts Infantry; Invalid Application 1175318 filed 06MAR1896 in California; Invalid Certificate 1033143; Remarks: C2545280

John Claffy - B13 Michigan Infantry; Dependent: Mary A. Claffy; Invalid Application 423689 filed 23JUN1881 in Michigan; Invalid Certificate 335458; Widow Application 572083 filed 13MAR1893 in Michigan; Widow Certificate 541849

John Claffy - H148 New York Infantry; Invalid Application 746492 filed 27FEB1880 in New York; Invalid Certificate 48422

Joseph Claffey - I158 New York Infantry; Invalid Application 944493 filed 28AUG1890 in New York; Invalid Certificate 867563

Joseph Claffy - H22 New York Infantry; Invalid Application 545950 filed 29JUL1885; Invalid Certificate 329593

Keeran Claffy - B4 & B&K Illinois Cavalry; Invalid Application 995919 filed 16JAN1891 in Illinois; Invalid Certificate 780170

Martin Edward Claffey - US Marine Corps; Invalid Application 1675811 filed 12AUG1930; Remarks: XC2634649

Martin Claffy - C142 & C169 New York Infantry; Dependent: Annie E. Trim, widow; Invalid Application 992250 filed 04FEB1891 in New York; Invalid Certificate 757605; Widow Application 1097533 filed 02APR1917 in New York

Michael C. Claffey (alias Michael Dolan)- E12 New York Cavalry; Dependent: Bridget Dolan, widow; Widow Application 516990 filed 06DEC1882 in New York

Michael Claffy - A69 New York Infantry; Dependent: Elizabeth Claffy, mother; Mother Application 193608 filed 06FEB1871

Patrick Claffey - C33 Pennsylvania Infantry; Invalid Application 603448 filed 25MAR1887 in Louisiana; Invalid Certificate 924124

Patrick Claffey - US Marine Corps; Dependent: Ellen A. Claffey, widow; Widow Application 1197587 filed 07DEC1922 in Massachusetts; Widow Certificate 945099; Remarks: Died Dec. 8, 1914, Lafayette Park, Roxbury; XC2712465

Patrick Claffy - H2 & G2 US Cavalry, & G.I. & M. US Cavalry; Dependent: Mary Claffy, widow; Invalid Application 1052379 filed 26AUG1891 in Massachusetts; Invalid Certificate 889736; Widow Application 1181619 filed 15APR1921 in Massachusetts; Remarks: See Indian Wars Survivor Application 17045

Patrick H. Claffy - D20 & D80 New York Infantry; Dependent: Sarah Claffy, widow; Invalid Application 654091 filed 10MAY1888 in Canada; Widow Application 406260 filed 17OCT1889 in Michigan; Widow Certificate 282412

Patrick T. Claffee - C9 Connecticut Infantry; Dependent: Mary T. Claffee, widow; Widow Application 6339 filed 17NOV1862; Widow Certificate 26497

Peter Claffey - E21 New York Cavalry; Invalid Application 74785 filed 28JUN1865; Invalid Certificate 73744

Thomas Claffey - Dependent: Mary Claffey, mother; Mother Application 329651 filed 12AUG1885 in Louisiana; Mother Certificate 224659

Thomas Claffey - B19 Massachusetts Infantry; Dependents: Margaret J. Claffey, widow & P. Cullen, minor guardian; Widow Application 10932 filed 21JAN1863; Widow Certificate 1303; Minor Application 157?479 filed 22AUG1867; Minor Certificate 111977

Thomas Claffy - A13 Wisconsin Infantry; Invalid Application 608276 filed 03MAY1887 in Indiana; Invalid Certificate 680813

William Claffey - I115 Illinois Infantry; Dependent: Catherine E. Claffey, widow; Widow Application 22142; Widow Certificate 18305

William Claffey - D1 Massachusetts Infantry; Invalid Application 4918 filed 28NOV1862; Invalid Certificate 10907?

William Claffey - A100 Pennsylvania Infantry; Widow Application 737104 filed 14MAR1901 in PA; Widow Certificate 514666; Remarks: XC2671932

William Claffy - Landman in US Navy; Invalid Application 7074 filed 30JUN1880 in Massachusetts; Remarks: Papers missing 07APR1884

William Clafly - A100 Pennsylvania Infantry; Invalid Application 298228 filed 16JUL1879; Invalid Certificate 216766

William L. Claffey - D1 Illinois Cavalry; Invalid Application 1353519 filed 27OCT1906 in Illinois; Invalid Certificate A4163A?; Remarks: C2354773