Have You Heard?
Military Headstones with Coins
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Beyond the Battlefield
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Did you ever wonder what federal benefits were available for War of 1812 veterans?
Honorably discharged War of 1812 veterans typically received pensions for service-connected disabilities and land bounties for 160 or 320 acres for their service to the nation. Their heirs also received survivors’ pensions for five years; this was increased in later years. Native Americans and African Americans served with U.S. Army or naval units and state militias during the War of 1812 and many of them applied for and received pensions. The 1818 Service Pension Law established pension rates at $20 per month for officers and $8 per month for enlisted men. At the time, being added to the U.S. pension rolls or having a pension extended often required a private act of Congress. In the immediate post-war period, a majority of land bounties were for property located in Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, and modern day Arkansas.
There were no veterans hospitals or national cemeteries in existence for War of 1812 veterans. The first federal hospital established for military veterans was the U.S. Naval Asylum, which opened in 1834; sick or disabled officers, sailors, and marines who served at least 20 years were eligible for admittance. National cemeteries weren’t authorized until 1862. Marine hospitals were the first federal hospitals established by Congress in 1798: they were initially established for active duty merchant marines and foreign mariners who became sick or injured—not veterans. Access to Marine Hospitals was extended in 1799 to U.S. Navy and Marines active duty personnel.
A wide range of new veterans benefits were established during the Civil War and these were eventually extended to veterans of earlier wars. In 1871—57 years after the treaty was signed to end the War of 1812—Congress liberalized pension eligibility for War of 1812 veterans: they no longer needed service-related disabilities to qualify for pensions--the only requirement was that they served for at least 60 days. In 1871, War of 1812 veterans, along with Mexican War veterans, were authorized for medical and long term residential care at the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (VHA origins). In 1878 the qualifying service period decreased to 14 days and eligibility was extended to those who served in the militia or volunteer forces.
Hiram Cronk, the last known War of 1812 veteran, died on May 13, 1905.
National WWI Museum at Liberty Memorial, Kansas City, MO
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