The issue of Civil War pensions was ongoing. In 1862, the first pension act was passed, granting Civil War soldiers who could show they were disabled a pension. Initially, applicants had to apply within one year of the disability; otherwise, they only received pensions from the time they applied. The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), made up mostly of Union veterans, lobbied to improve pension benefits. In 1887, a pension act was passed granting a pension to any Civil War veteran who was unable to do manual labor. The original bill provided a flat rate of $12 a month to every qualifying veteran, retroactive to when they were entitled to it. However, this bill was vetoed by President Cleveland. In the 1888 election, the GAR supported Cleveland’s opponent, Benjamin Harrison, and their support was critical to his victory. The new bill, passed in 1890 and signed by Harrison, provided recipients with a range of $6 to $12 depending on the degree of disability.

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