Information can include medical, personnel and pension file information. For example, pension papers state the date of death, date of last check before death and sometimes lists the death date of a spouse. Wives were required to show proof of marriage in order to qualify for payments and the childrens birth dates were listed as well. Other examples of records FHR would be able to obtain include unit combat reports, original maps, after action reports, archives describing battle actions and abstracts of active military service volunteer soldiers.
Reports often mention individuals names and units.
Records exist for the Revolutionary War, Post Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Indian and Mexican Wars, Civil War, Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection. These records were obtained from muster and payrolls, hospital , prison, subsistence, ration, ordinance and clothing records. The typical record might reveal a soldiers name, rank, unit, dates of service, death and even desertion date. However, certificates and documents can still be issued as a proof of military service . Some records however, can be reconstructed from other sources.