Arkansas Confederate Pensions - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
These records cover the years from 1901 to 1929.

Record Description


This database contains and index and images of pension applications filed by Confederate veterans and widows living in the state of Arkansas. These records were created at the state level and therefore there are some variations in the qualifications for receiving aid and the amounts of aid between the states. Requests for pensions were sent to the state where the veteran or his dependents lived at the time of application, which was often not the state in which the veteran had enlisted or served.

Record Content
Key genealogical information found in applications submitted by the veteran may include some or all of the following:


 * Name
 * Date and place of birth
 * Unit dates and places of enlistment and discharge
 * Brief description of service
 * Wounds received
 * Sworn statements on proof of service by comrades
 * War Department service abstracts
 * Place and length of residency in the state

If the application was submitted by the widow of the veteran it may also include the following:


 * Her full name
 * Date and place of marriage to the veteran
 * Date and place of the veteran's death

How to Use the Record
Confederate Pension applications can be used to find information about soldiers who served in the Civil War and their families. In addition to providing information about the veteran and his family, pension applications can also lead to more military records.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

The pieces of information in the record may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. This information will often lead you to other records. For example:


 * Death dates may lead to death certificates, mortuary, or burial records.
 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth of the deceased to locate census, church, and land records.

You may also find these search tips helpful:


 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased, this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been seeking the pension.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * When searching for an application keep in mind that in some cases the applications were filed under the name of the widow or other dependent who submitted the application.
 * Applications were sent in to and processed by the state where the veteran or family member lived at the time, which was not always the state in which the soldier had served.

Record History
In 1891 Arkansas began granting pensions to impoverished Confederate veterans and in 1915 the State began granting pensions to their widows and mothers. In most states the pension system began with providing pensions to injured veterans and then later expanded to include veteran’s widows or other dependents. In addition to Arkansas, Confederate pensions were also granted in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Why this Record Was Created
Pension applications were created to provide a way for veterans or their widows to obtain financial assistance after serving in the military.

Record Reliability
The information in these records is generally reliable.

Related Websites
Arkansas History Commission and State Archives

Search an online index for confederate pension files in Arkansas. This is an index to the pension files which may include the application, as well as other documents such as doctor’s certificates, etc. (index only, no images)  More information about Civil War Pensions:

Find out about pension records in other Confederate States

Related Wiki Articles
Confederate Service and Pension Records

Sources of Information for This Collection
“Arkansas Confederate Pension Applications, 1901-1929,” database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/); from Arkansas History Commission, Little Rock, Arkansas. “Arkansas Confederate veterans and widows pension applications.” FHL digital images, citing “Arkansas Confederate pension records, ca. 1901-1929”. FHL microfilm, 121 reels, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

A full bibliographic record is available in the.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023