President Lincoln signed an Act of Congress creating what he hoped was an answer for injured veterans. Along with accomplishing Lincoln’s goal it’s outstanding genealogy research material.
By 1865, the Civil War raged on into an unprecedented fourth year. The United States soon found itself faced with yet another dilemma previously unknown to the country. There were a growing number of disabled veterans who were finding it difficult to care for themselves. With a lack of healthcare and the inability of family members to nurse these type of injuries, veterans declined in health.
In March of 1865, President Abraham Lincoln signed an Act of Congress creating what he hoped would be an answer for the ailing veteran, the National Homes for Disabled Soldiers. This Congressional Act appropriated the building of three “Homes”. The first one was built in Togus, Maine and referred to as the Eastern Branch. The second home was built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and known as the North Western Branch and the third home, known as the Central Branch was located in Dayton, Ohio.
As the war ended and soldiers returned home from hospitals and prison camps, it was apparent the need was much greater than originally anticipated. Additional Homes for Disabled Soldiers were built across the country.
These new homes were located in Hampton, Virginia, known as the Southern Branch, the Western Branch was in Leavenworth, Kansas, the Pacific Branch was at Sawtelle, California, the Marion Branch in Indiana, the Danville Branch was in Illinois, the Mountain Branch was in Johnson City, Tennessee, the Battle Mountain Sanitarium was at Hot Springs, South Dakota the Bath Branch was in New York, the Roseburg Branch in Oregon, the St. Petersburg Home in Florida, the Biloxi Home in Mississippi, and the Tuskegee Home in Alabama.
Soldiers were able to check themselves into (and out of) these homes voluntarily. They only had to show they served the Union honorably and their injury was a result of battle action. Run very similar to military life, veteran patients wore uniforms, were assigned to companies and woke each morning to a bugle call. These National Homes for Disabled Soldiers were now being referred to as the “Old Soldiers Home”.
Records were kept on each veteran admitted to a Home and those registers are now kept at the National Archives in Record Group 15, in the Records of the Veterans Administration. The National Archives has a very informative page on the history of the Homes for Disabled Soldiers, but they don’t have the records online. They are available for research on FamilySearch and Ancestry.
When searching either website you’ll be able to view a copy of the actual record. I have found most records to be pretty well-filled out with information that may be new to the researcher. Some of the details contained in a record include name, rank, company, regiment, discharge, date admitted to home, birthplace, age, religion, residence, marital status, name and address of nearest relative, pension info, date and cause of death and place of burial (if applicable). The bottom of each veteran’s page has a space for general comments as well. I’ve found height, hair color, eye color and complexion included on some records.
If your Civil War veteran fought for the Confederacy he may have stayed in a state-run Soldiers Home. If that’s the case, contact the state archives where the home was located for their records. A list of state-run homes can be found on the National Archives website as well.
Those Old Soldiers Homes include:
Old Soldiers’ Home, Mountain Creek, Alabama , Arkansas Confederate Home, Little Rock Arkansas, Confederate Soldiers’ Home, Atlanta Georgia, Kentucky Confederate Home, Pewee Valley Kentucky, Soldiers’ Home of Louisiana, New Orleans Louisiana, Maryland Line Confederate Soldiers’ Home, Pikesville (Sudbrook) Maryland, Missouri Confederate Home, Higginsville Missouri, Confederate Home for Soldiers and Sailors, Columbia South Carolina, Texas Confederate Home, Austin Texas, Virginia Confederate Soldiers’ Home, Richmond Virginia.
One final thought, when searching records from Old Soldiers Homes, start in the state where your ancestor would have been living later in his life. If you’re drawing a blank, try checking neighboring states, moving on to places where his children were living.
Researching the National Homes for Disabled Soldiers records may provide nuggets of unknown information about your Civil War veteran but most importantly may add insight into his life. Especially how the war and his injuries may have affected him in his later years. Good luck in your continued search!