The Results of Break

Finally back from break!  Well, I don't know if you could really call it a break.  I spent two days in D.C. back at my favorite place in the world, the National Archives, and pulled 25 new pension files and 25 legislative files.  Most of the legislative files were for nurses I already had pension files for, and a few were vice versa, which is why the new grand total is 378 rather than 400.  I'd still say that's pretty good for two days work though.I also realized something I'd missed before.  One of the forms in practically every claim filed after the Army Nurses Pension Act announces the final decision of the Bureau; it list the claimant's name, address, attorney, and whether or not the claim was submitted for rejection or approval--and if rejected, it outlines why.  At the very end of the form is a section called "Service Shown By Record."  Normally the first line is what the claimant states her service was, and the second line is what the official records reveals.  Just above or below that is the vague little phrase, "claimant writes," or, sometimes more clearly, "claimant signs by mark."  Originally, I thought all it meant was that this was what the claimant said as opposed to the official records.  When I opened my first file over break, however, a bigger meaning dawned on me (and then proceeded to scold me for being so slow).  Bureau officials were taking note of whether or not a claimant was literate or not.  Many of the studies I've read about pensions for widows and blacks note that success was tied to literacy.  From the numbers I've pulled from my database it doesn't appear that literacy was a deciding factor in nurses' applications, but I plan on going back through the files and doing a more thorough analysis.  When I have, I'll post some hard numbers.  Right now, however, my priority is the rough draft of my first draft and surviving midterms.  I'll post a file for one of the nurses I pulled over break tomorrow, I promise!