If you cannot get to NARA in person, Gopher Records is the next best thing! I have used them several times to request Civil War pension records and have not been disappointed. They set realistic delivery expectations, but even so I have received all requests quicker than promised, even one that had to be retrieved from St Louis. This is a service you can rely on, and I will continue use them every time I need to request a pension file.

Recovering pension and posting records for a veteran of the Spanish American War and various INdian-frontier homeland postings.

The ordering system is so easy to use, and the service is so quick! I have only had to wait a few days for the documents I order. Very helpful for impatient (excited) genealogists!

I requested a pension file and the service was superb: easy ordering, fast turnaround, high-quality images, and seamless invoicing and delivery. The PDF was delivered with information on how the pages were scanned, e.g., how difficult-to-handle documents were imaged, and I think that attention to detail exemplifies Gopher Records commitment to high-quality customer service. I was thrilled with the whole experience. And, I found children's birthdates that are probably not available from any other source!

Once again Gopher Records came through! Prompt and quality service from start to finish.

I have submitted two orders to Bob myself, and I submitted one while working with a friend on her genealogy. Bob's prices cannot be beat, and the images I received were good quality and were delivered within a few weeks of my submitting the order. One of my orders was one of the few War of 1812 pension files that have not been digitized for free viewing on Fold3. When I submitted the order, the file had been removed from the stacks at the NARA because it was set to be digitized, and it was not available for researchers. [...]

I have now used Gopher a half-dozen times to retrieve pension files from NARA and they continue to amaze and delight me in both the speed they deliver the files and the low prices they charge for their work. I recommend them completely.

This is the first time I had used Gopher Records which had been recommended by one of my facebook groups. The service was very prompt, and I received very clear scans of the 137 page widow's pension file I had requested.

Ordered the Soldier’s Bundle and was quite pleased. Received the files in 5 days and there was so much more than I expected. Customer service was excellent and I was well informed about the process. Can’t recommend them enough. I’ll use Gopher for all my genealogy searches without any hesitation.

I highly recommend the services of Gopher Records! The service is quick, the document is very clear and it is always a joy to be able to have such a goldmine of genealogical information received so fast! One of the documents I received was well worth the cost: it contained a transcription of the family bible that listed the 13 siblings of the soldier (the oldest being born in 1814). If I had been at NARA, I would have been expelled from the reading room. I could scream all I want in the comfort of my home when I opened [...]