Confederate Pension Records

United States

U.S. Military

U.S. Civil War

Confederate Pension Records

United States Civil War, 1861-1865
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State Resources for Pension Records

Confederate pensions are not at the National Archives. Many of the previous Confederate states passed laws approving pensions for Confederate soldiers at the state level. The National Archives has a list by state of where the original Confederate pension records are located with descriptions of state pension laws and addresses and telephone numbers of state archives that hold these records.

Note: Confederate soldiers requested a pension from the state where they lived at the time of application and not necessarily the state they enlisted and served under.

The following states Civil War pages have more information on Confederate pensions from their states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Pension Records by State

Alabama

• Confederate pension applications, ca. 1880-1930's (FS Library 1502476) (Worldcat). These have been digitized but not indexed. Images can be browsed online.

• Alabama, Confederate Pension Applications, ca. 1880-1930's (FamilySearch)
• Alabama, Confederate Pension and Service Records, 1862-1947 (Ancestry) ($)

See also: Alabama in the Civil War

Arkansas

• Confederate pension records, 1905-1934, Cleveland County, Arkansas (Worldcat)
• Confederate pension records, 1905-1937, Garland County, Arkansas (Worldcat)
• Confederate pension records, 1869-1929, Hot Spring County, Arkansas (Worldcat)
• Pension records, 1901-1939, Independence County, Arkansas (Worldcat)
• Ministers' credentials, 1878-1931, Logan County, Arkansas; Confederate pension records, 1931-1939 (Worldcat)
• Soldiers' and sailors' discharges, 1919-1947, Marion County, Arkansas; Confederate pension records, 1901-1933 (Worldcat)
• Naturalization records, 1921-1934, Washington County, Arkansas; Confederate pension records, 1901-1915 (Worldcat)

Online

• 1891-1939 Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1901-1929 Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — images only
• Arkansas Confederate pension records, ca. 1901-1929 (FS Library 1722443–563) (FamilySearch)

The following are indexes to Arkansas Confederate pension records, ca. 1901-1929:

• Arkansas Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications (FS Library 976.7 M28f) (Worldcat)
  Entries include the following information for the veteran or widow or both: name, application number, military unit of service, application date, county, and death date.
• Confederate Pension Applications... (FS Library 976.7 M22adl) (FS Library1697962 item 2) Contains the name of the veteran or widow or both, company, regiment, year of application, and death date.

See also: Arkansas in the Civil War

Florida

Online

• 1885-1955 Florida, Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1955 (FamilySearch) — index and images

In addition to the index available online at the link above, these records are also indexed in:

• Register of Florida CSA Pension Applications (FS Library 975.9 M2w) (Worldcat) Entries are listed alphabetically and include unit of service; widow’s name including maiden name; county of residence, and number of pages in file.

• Florida Confederate Pension Application Files (Florida Department of State)
  

See also: Florida in the Civil War

Georgia

• Confederate pension rolls (Georgia) (FS Library 1493047)

These records are indexed in:

• Index to Georgia Civil War Confederate Pension Files (FS Library 975.8 M22w) (Worldcat) Arranged alphabetically and contain name of veteran, military unit, widow’s name or witnesses, and county of residence. Covers pensions paid to veterans and widows from 1879 to 1960.

Online

• http://cdm.georgiaarchives.org:2011/cdm/landingpage/collection/TestApps Confederate Pension Applications, 1879-1960] (Georgia Archives, Georgia Secretary of State)
• Georgia, Confederate Pension Rolls, 1879-1920 (FamilySearch)

See also: Georgia in the Civil War

Kentucky

• Civil War pension application (FS Library 1670795–844)

These records are indexed in:

Index of Confederate Pension Applications, Commonwealth of Kentucky (FS Library 976.9 M2k) (Worldcat) Arranged alphabetically by the name of applicant, veteran, or widow, county of residence, date application was received, and application number.

Online

• 1912-1950 Kentucky Confederate Pension Applications, 1912-1950 at FamilySearch — index and images
• Department of Confederate Pensions (1912 - 1946) (Electronic Records Archives, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives)
  
• Browse Kentucky Confederate Pension Applications, 1912-1950 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
  

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:

Kentucky Confederate Pension Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records

See also: Kentucky in the Civil War

Louisiana

• Louisiana. Application Record for Pensions, 1898–1944 (FS Library 1412743–44)
• Record of Pensioners of the State of Louisiana, 1898–1940 (FS Library 1412742–43)
• 1898-1950 Louisiana Confederate Pensions, 1898-1950 at FamilySearch — images
• Louisiana Confederate Veterans Pensions, 1912–1936 (FS Library 1704156 item 17)

Online

• Louisiana Confederate Pensions,1898-1950 (FamilySearch)

See also: Louisiana in the Civil War

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:

Louisiana Confederate Pension Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records

Mississippi

• Confederate soldiers & sailors, widows pension applications (FS Library 902556) (Worldcat)
• 1900-1974 Mississippi, Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1900-1974 at FamilySearch — images

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:

• Mississippi Confederate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
• Mississippi Confedertate Veterans and Widiws Pension Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records

See also: Mississippi in the Civil War

Missouri

• Applications for Confederate Home & Pension (Worldcat)

Online

• Missouri Confederate Pension Applications and Soldiers Home Applications (FamilySearch) Includes name, birth date, birthplace, residence, length of residence in Missouri, date of enlistment, rank, unit of service, death date, and burial place.

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:

Missouri, Confederate Pension Applications and Soldiers' Home Admission Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records

See also: Missouri in the Civil War

North Carolina

• Applications for Confederate soldier's and widow's pensions, 1885-ca. 1953 (FS Library 175779)

• Applications for Confederate soldiers' and widows' pensions in North Carolina : [index] (Worldcat)

Online

• North Carolina, Confederate Soldiers and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1953 (FamilySearch)
  

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:
North Carolina Confederate Soldier's and Widow's Pension Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records

See also: North Carolina in the Civil War

Oklahoma

• Confederate pension applications for soldiers and sailors (1001529–48) (Worldcat)

These records are indexed in:

• Index to Applications for Pensions from the State of Oklahoma (FS Library 976.6 M24o) (Worldcat) Alphabetical by name with application and reel number.

Online

• Oklahoma Confederate Pension Index Cards (Oklahoma Department of Libraries)

See also: Oklahoma in the Civil War

South Carolina

• The FamilySearch Library has pension-related material for veterans residing in the following counties:
• Anderson County. Confederate veterans and widows applications for pensions, 1916-1956
• Charleston County. Confederate soldiers and widows pension rolls, 1916-1959
• Cherokee County, Cherokee County, South Carolina applications for Civil War pensions, 1919
• Edgefield County. Confederate veterans and their widows pension records, 1919-1924
• Fairfield County. Pension records of Confederate veterans and their widows, 1889-1891
• Laurens County. Confederate pension roll and record, 1898, 1933-1968
• Lancaster County, Confederate veteran enrollment book
• Lexington County, Confederate pension and veterans records, 1861-1948
• Pickens County. Confederate pension rolls and widows, 1922-1956
• Spartanburg County. Confederate pension records, 1889, 1896, 1916-1935
• Union County. Confederate veterans and widows pension applications, 1919-1920
• York County. Confederate pension record, 1896-1964

• Related Collections
• Applications for the Home for Confederate Veterans, Columbia, South Carolina, ca. 1909-1958
• Inmates record, Confederate Infirmary, Columbia, S.C., 1909-1958
• Artificial limb vouchers for Confederate service (South Carolina), 1867-1869, 1880-1887

See also: South Carolina in the Civil War

Tennessee

• Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch — images

These records are indexed in:

• Index to Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications (FS Library 976.8 M24t) (FS Library 0873919) (not published) Arranged in three parts: veteran, widow, and colored applications. The entries contain the name of applicant, county of residence, unit served, and application number.

• Tennessee Confederate pension applications (Worldcat)

Online

• Index to Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Soldiers & Widows (Tennessee State Library and Archives)

See also: Tennessee in the Civil War

Texas

Online

• Index of Confederate Pension Applications (Texas State Library and Archives Commission)

See also: Texas in the Civil War

Virginia

Online

• 1915 – 1967 Virginia, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Applications for the Relief of Needy Confederate Women, 1915-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

• Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows Collection (The Library of Virginia)

See also: Virginia in the Civil War

Related Records

Also see: Confederate Soldiers Home Records.

Some veterans received artificial limbs. The following publication provides information on available records.

• Artificial Limbs for Confederate Soldiers by Patrick McCawley (FS Library 975.7 A1 no. 109) (Worldcat) contains an index to artificial limbs vouchers and applications. The entries include name, county, year, folder number, and item number.

Additional Resources

Additional Confederate records are available at state archives and historical societies.

The following archive may also be helpful in researching Confederate soldiers:

Confederate Research Center
P.O. Box 619
Hillsboro, TX 76645
Telephone: 817-582-2555, ext. 242

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:

• Arkansas, Confederate Pension Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records
• Florida Confederate Veterans and Widow Pension Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records
• Louisiana Confederate Pension Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records
• Missouri, Confederate Pension Applications and Soldiers' Home Admission Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records
• North Carolina Confederate Soldier's and Widow's Pension Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records