The 1890 veterans schedules can help you locate a Civil War veteran or widow between the 1880 and 1900 censuses. Request a free genealogy lookup in this index for selected U.S. states. Use a possible match as a guide to the schedule itself, rather than treating the index as the full record.
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Using the 1890 Veterans Schedules
This index lists a person’s name, state, county, locality, and a National Archives microfilm page reference. Keep those details with your research notes. They can help you find the entry on the original schedule and compare it with other records.
The Eleventh Census included special schedules for Union Civil War veterans and their widows. However, enumerators sometimes listed Confederate veterans and veterans of earlier wars as well. Therefore, do not rule out a search solely because a family story describes Confederate service.
What the Full Schedule May Show
The schedule may record a veteran’s rank, company, regiment or vessel, service dates, and length of service. It can also include an address, a service-related disability, or remarks. If a widow appears, the entry can name her deceased husband. These details belong to the full schedule and may go beyond what the index supplies.
Next, compare any match with pension files and other military records. Check the unit and dates carefully. A similar name alone is not enough to identify your ancestor, especially when several veterans lived in the same county.
Check the Surviving Coverage
Many schedules are missing. Most from Alabama through Kansas, plus about half of Kentucky, were lost before the surviving records reached the National Archives in 1943. The veterans schedules are separate from the largely lost 1890 population census. Avoid assuming that every loss came from its 1921 fire.
Finally, search the place where the veteran or widow lived in 1890, which may differ from the place of enlistment. If no index match appears, try another spelling or residence. Then turn to pension, cemetery, and local records to continue the search.
Learn More
Using the 1890 US Veterans Schedule: Learn how to read this special census source.
The 1890 Veterans Census: Explore an alternative for the gap between population censuses.
Military Records for Tracing Ancestors: Follow service and pension clues after an index match.