Confederate Pension Records

United States U.S. Military Records U.S. Civil War Confederate Pension Records

Confederate Pension Records

State Resources for Pension Records

Confederate soldiers did not receive pensions from the Federal government. Many of the previous Confederate states, however, passed laws approving pensions for Confederate soldiers at the state level. 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. Pensions were granted to Confederate veterans, widows, and orphans.

The following states Civil War pages have more information on Confederate pensions from their states: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia have posted indexes and some links to images of Confederate pension records.

The National Archives has a list by state of where the original Confederate Pension Records are located with information of the dates when the pensions began.

Also see: Confederate Soldier Homes

Pension Records at the Family History Library

The following pension records are available from the Family History Library:

• Alabama (FHL films starting with 1502476).
• Arkansas (FHL films 1722443–563.) The following are indexes to these films:
  • Ingmire, Francis T. Arkansas Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications. St. Louis, Missouri: F. T. Ingmire, 1985. (FHL book 976.7 M28f.) 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.
  • Allen, Desmond W. Confederate Pension Applications... , Two Volumes. Conway, Arkansas: Arkansas Research, 1991. (FHL book 976.7 M22adl; film 1697962 item 2.) Contains the name of the veteran or widow or both, company, regiment, year of application, and death date.
• Florida (FHL films 0006717‑6885). These records are indexed in:
  • White, Virgil D. Register of Florida CSA Pension Applications. Waynesboro, Tennessee: National Historical Publishing, 1989. (FHL book 975.9 M2w.) Entries are listed alphabetically and include unit of service; widow’s name including maiden name; county of residence, and number of pages in file.
• Georgia (FHL 634 films). Index. (FHL films 1493047–85.) These records are indexed in:
  • White, Virgil D. Index to Georgia Civil War Confederate Pension Files. Waynesboro, Tennessee: National Historical Publishing, 1996. (FHL 975.8 M22w.) 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.
• Kentucky (FHL films 1670795–844). These records are indexed in:
  • Simpson, Alicia Simpson, compiler. Index of Confederate Pension Applications, Commonwealth of Kentucky. Frankfurt, Kentucky: Division of Archives and Records, 1981. (FHL book 976.9 M2k.) Arranged alphabetically by the name of applicant, veteran, or widow, county of residence, date application was received, and application number.
• Louisiana
  • Louisiana Confederate Pensions,1898-1950 (FamilySearch)
  • Louisiana. Application Record for Pensions, 1898–1944 (FHL films 1412743–44)
  • Record of Pensioners of the State of Louisiana, 1898–1940. (FHL films 1412742–43)
  • Louisiana Confederate Veterans Pensions, 1912–1936. (FHL film 1704156 item 17)
• Mississippi (FHL 94 films)
• Missouri (FamilySearch) (FHL films 1021101–27). These records are indexed in:
  • Fox, Peggy Barnes, compiler. and editor. Missouri Confederate Pensions and Confederate Home Applications Index. Hillsboro, Texas: Hill College Press, 1996. (FHL book 977.8 M2fp.) Arranged alphabetically and includes the name of the veteran and the county of residence.
• North Carolina. (FHL 105 films)
• Oklahoma (FHL films 1001529–48). These records are indexed in:
  • Index to Applications for Pensions from the State of Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Oklahoma Genealogical Society, 1969. (FHL book 976.6 M24o; fiche 6046932.) Alphabetical by name with application and reel number.
• South Carolina.
• The Family History Library has pension-related material for veterans residing in the following counties: Abbeville, Anderson, Charleston, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Lancaster, Laurens, Lexington, Pickens, Spartanburg, Union, Williamsburg, and York. For film numbers see the Family History Library catalog.
  
• Tennessee (FHL 181 films). These records are indexed in:
  • Index to Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications (not published), 1964. (FHL book 976.8 M24t; film 0873919; fiche 6051232.) Arranged in three parts: veteran, widow, and colored applications. The entries contain the name of applicant, county of residence, unit served, and application number.

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

• McCawley, Patrick. Artificial Limbs for Confederate Soldiers. Columbia, South Carolina: South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 1992. (FHL book 975.7 Al no. 109.) 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 your Confederate ancestor:

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