In 1838 the U.S. Congress directed that money remaining unclaimed by pensioners be transferred by the agents for paying pensions to the Treasury, if the money had remained unclaimed for eight months. Listed in the book by Craig R. Scott, "'Lost' Pensions: Settled Accounts of the Act of 6 April 1838" are 16,000 settled accounts for pensioners or their heirs who were required to obtain their payments from Washington. Pensioners from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Indian Wars, and the Mexican War are included. Pension Officers from all over the United States forwarded their accounts. Since these records were collected and maintained by the Auditors, and not the Pension Offices, they have not usually been included in pension research. "Lost Pensions" is a finding aid to 144 boxes of accounts located in the National Archives, Washington, D.C. Mr. Scott's book is available in genealogical libraries and for purchase through Willow Bend Books.

THE ‘LOST PENSIONS: Settled Accounts of the Act of 6 April 1838 - Craig Roberts Scott 1996, 5½x8½, paper, index, 374 pp, ISBN: 1888265035 [S0003HB] $28.00