Pension Struggle

Original application for pension, October 1883

The history of his claims process

Letter from his congressman advocating for his service pension

Response from the pension bureau that shows he was denied an increase in benefits

Application for an increase in pension

List of the files in Hollingsworth file

List of files, second page

Affidavit from a friend attesting to his relationship with Hollingsworth

Request for Burial Expenses

Seymour Hollingsworth was eligible for a federal pension based on his experiences as a Civil War veteran. The earliest record available for him applying for pension benefits is in October 1883. Many records exist for Hollingsworth’s prolonged struggle to receive the disability benefits. He had to prove that he was indeed injured during the war, getting doctors to examine him, searching for affidavits from men he served with, and tracking down doctors who treated him during the war. He was repeatedly denied his requested for an increased in his pension. When he began receiving benefits he received $2 a month, which did see an increase to at least $90 a month. The documents displayed are a fraction of the paper trail left behind by his dealings with the pension bureau.