Bob's Volunteer Experience at the National Archives

Friday was Bob's first day at the National Archives. He was one of many volunteers putting together information for the wives of the Civil War casualties. These documents included petitions for pensions as well as proof of the death of their spouses and the spouses war information. So many of these fellows died of diseases and wounds of battle. Of interest, only the Union forces were entitled to pensions as the Confederate soldiers were considered traitors...the secessionists. A law was passed in the mid twentieth century that reversed this. I don't think many were left to collect their pensions.