Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Records of the Arkansas State Auditor's Office consisting of minutes of the State Board of Pensions with lists of pension claims allowed from February 3, 1893 to August 9, 1905; August 5, 1907 to 1916; and June 14, 1929 to September 1, 1939; Registers of Pension Warrants Issued between August 27, 1891 and December 15, 1939 which is a record of payments made.

The U.S. pension law governing claims based on death or disability from military service was passed on 14 July 1862. Later pension laws were based on length of service and disability not necessarily incurred in the service. Beginning in 1892 women who were employed as nurses by the government were also eligible for pensions.

Pensions were granted to Confederate veterans, widows, and orphans by the former Confederate states. Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia have posted indexes and some links to images of Confederate pension records. The Family History Library has an excellent collection of available Confederate pension records. Those for the following states are available on film at the Family History Library.

Pensions were created to provide financial assistance for veterans or their widows after serving in the military. The information in these records is generally reliable.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Pension
 * Full Name of pensioner
 * Pension Date Issued
 * Warrant Number
 * Amount Allowed
 * Amount Paid
 * The name of the County

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the soldier or widow
 * The age or residence of the pensioner
 * The date the pension was issued

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the Pension Board minutes or Pension Lists
 * 2) Select  the Year Range and County Range to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record at the State Auditor's Office, Little Rock.

I Found the Person I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records
 * Search for additional military records
 * If applicable, search for immigration and naturalization records as well

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Arkansas.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records
 * Beginning United States Civil War Research
 * Locating a Confederate Civil War Soldier (1861–1865)
 * Arkansas Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1880-Present

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.