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John Pennybaker Atkinson

Replies: 21

Re: John **not Pennybaker** Atkinson-a postscript

Posted: 17 May 2012 4:56PM GMT
Classification: Query
Just to clear up a misconception, Footnote (now Fold3) does not have "about half" of the Civil War pensions online, and probably won't in our lifetime! They began scanning only the widow's pensions, and only about the first 3,000 or so. Thus, since FamilySearch's contract with NARA was only to do the first 3,000 or so, they used to have on that database that it was "41% complete", or something like that. In reality, there are 1,280,000 widows' pensions files from the Civil War; and many, many more soldiers' pensions, minors' pensions, and dependent parents' pensions; none of which they are scanning at all at this time. I know this because I do onsite research at NARA.

Keep in mind that the subscription services are always going to exaggerate about what they have. They are not ever going to tell you what they don't have. In most cases, thorough research still needs to be done the old-fashioned way.

Happy hunting!
SubjectAuthorDate Posted
co_farmer 19 Jul 2006 7:56PM GMT 
frostfreedet 13 Jul 2009 8:53PM GMT 
co_farmer 13 Jul 2009 9:12PM GMT 
frostfreedet 16 Jul 2009 3:21AM GMT 
frostfreedet 23 Jul 2009 8:32PM GMT 
co_farmer 23 Jul 2009 8:48PM GMT 
frostfreedet 23 Jul 2009 11:57PM GMT 
1PeggyReeves 17 May 2012 10:56PM GMT 
1PeggyReeves 17 May 2012 10:59PM GMT 
gaymeredithda... 15 Jul 2009 12:16PM GMT 
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