The Civil War and Later Veterans Pension Index, one of Fold3’s earliest titles, now has a partner in the recently added Pension Numerical Index. Officially called A1158, Numerical Index to Pensions, 1860-1934, this card index from the National Archives is a great cross-referencing tool as it covers pension application and certificate numbers for men who…
On August 20th’s, Who Do You Think You Are? episode, Chris O’Donnell discovered a letter on Fold3 written by his ancestor, Michael McEnnis, requesting a discharge from service in the Mexican American War after learning of his father’s death. The letter, written on 11 December 1846, described McEnnis’ service and circumstances. He wrote, “I left a large…
The Society of the War of 1812 Applications is the newest title in Fold3’s growing War of 1812 Collection. Thousands of names, dates, and relationships are available in over three hundred membership applications. The Society, founded September 14, 1814, is comprised of thirty-two state societies, one of which is the District of Columbia whose application…
After the 1947 “Roswell Incident” in New Mexico, the U.S. Air Force launched Project Blue Book which ultimately investigated nearly 13,000 UFO sightings within the United States and abroad. The reports and records of these sightings are available free on Fold3. When the project closed in 1969, the Air Force had concluded that none of…
The Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863 What can we say today about an event as historically significant and perpetually reviewed as the Battle of Gettysburg? It is seared into our consciousness like no other military engagement—probably as a result of Lincoln’s impassioned Gettysburg Address. Or perhaps because the casualty count was the highest ever…
The Second Continental Congress determined the design of the American flag on Saturday, June 14, 1777. Within the Papers of the Continental Congress on Fold3, we can view the resolution in both the rough journal entry and the transcript journal entry. The latter reads: Resolved that the flag of the thirteen united states be 13…
In partnership with the National Archives, Fold3 recently finished scanning and publishing the complete set of compiled military service records of the United States Colored Troops (USCT). The collection is comprised of over 3.6 million document images for the 1st through 138th USCT Infantry, the 1st through 6th USCT Cavalry, and the USCT Artillery. Notably,…
