Assuming you are in Indiana this may help as there is a Regional Office of the National Archieves at Chicago.

A record of veterans admitted to the homes is contained in "Historical Registers" that were maintained at the various branches. These registers are now at the National Archives in Record Group 15, Records of the Veterans Administration. The home registers have been reproduced as National Archives Microfilm Publication M1749, Historical Registers of National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866 - 1938. The microfilm is available at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., and many of the National Archives regional facilities.

Each page of the register is divided into four sections: military history, domestic history, home history, and general remarks. The veteran's military history gives the time and place of each enlistment, rank, company, regiment, time and place of discharge, reason for discharge, and nature of disabilities when admitted to the home. The domestic history provides information about the veteran such as birthplace, age, height, various physical features, religion, occupation, residence, marital status, and name and address of nearest relative. The home history provides the rate of pension, date or dates of admission, conditions of readmission, date of discharge, cause of discharge, date and cause of death, and place of burial. General remarks contain information about papers relating to the veteran, such as admission papers, army discharge certificate, and pension certificate. Information was also entered concerning money and personal effects if the member died while in residence at the branch.

David could have entered the home particularly after 1890 for any number of reasons--family problems, money problems or disability.

His slight deafness is as of 1890 but certainly after 1900 he could have been suffering from "old age" ailments aggravated by what I assume was four years of uninterrupted service and part of that service was severe even without any battles.

There is no indication that his widow received a pension although it was allowed by law. His widow would have had to apply. I revisted David's pension index card and even tried his widow under the name Nichols without success.

Send me an e-mail direct--heseltine@gwi.net--if you want the various battle reports that cover the regiment's major combat actions from Stone Rive through the Carolina campaign. Its too long to put on this message board.

I think I once had a roster of soldiers at the Omaha Barracks/Department of the Platte but I can't find it. I'm continue to look.