Hi all:
	It has been a few years (1980's or so)  since I did this, but here is another idea:
	Another possible source of discharge papers:   Try the County clerk's Office on the county of residence of the soldier AT THE TIME OF THE WAR. 
	After the war,  States often paid a bonus to any veteran who filed his/her discharge with the County of Residence.  Many counties still hold these records.  Sometimes there is a charge of a few dollars for a copy.
	Some States hold these records in the State Capitol;  A few States limit access to these records to next of Kin.  If I remember correctly, Illinois does this.
	Incidentally, as part of my Ph.D thesis research, I obtained  some 195 discharge records this way. I started out with an old address book one veteran had kept and went from there.  Tedious, but this was before days of the internet and White Pages etc.  

 
 

