The Incredible Index

By doing things the hard way and wasting so much time, you quickly hold on to tips that make life easier. One of the simplest and best is getting used to looking for an index first. For example researching for James Guymon's military information, specifically his pension record, and found it pretty easily on FamilySearch.org. Stopping there, I would have found what I was looking for, however, going one step farther with this simple tip I can get more. Since I was already in the military records for Utah, all I did was go to the index and look for other Guymons. Right there in the index was his brother Noah Guymon. From finding him there I found where he was living at his death, his birth and death date, and his military information. All this was found by simply not simply focusing on my one guy but stepping back and seeing what else can be found where I already am.

For fun I will post the transcript of the information found on James Guymon's pension record. 

Name:          James Guymon

Date of Death:         22 Sep 1912

Place of Death:         

Date of Birth:         27 Dec 1816

Place of Birth:         

Cemetery:         City

Place of Burial:         Fountain Green, Sanpete, Utah

Military Unit:         Commd Cavalry Capt Thos J Holbrook

Branch of Service:         Ut Terr Mil

War:         Blackhawk War

Date of Enlistment: 1 April 1866

Date of Discharge: 1 Nov 1866


National Archives and Records Administration. Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line]. T288, 544 rolls. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Accessed 12/10/10.