Mississippi, Confederate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Mississippi 



Record Description
This collection includes records of state pensions paid to Confederate veterans and to widows of Confederate veterans living in Mississippi. County pension reports, 1900-1933 and Confederate pension rolls, 1889-1935 are also included. There are also two censuses, an enumeration of veterans and widows dated 1907-1933 and an enumeration of indigent and disabled soldiers and dependents, 1863-1868.

Record Content
Confederate Pension Records include only the following:


 * Name of pensioner/petitioner
 * County and post office where pension is sent
 * Date issued and number of warrant
 * Amount of payment

How To Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Soldier's name
 * Widow's or dependent's names
 * Approximate birth date or other identifying information

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select Browse through images on the initial search page ⇒ Select the "County" category ⇒ Select the "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" category which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
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.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * It may be helpful to compile the entries for every person with the same surname as the deceased; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Search the records for children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have received 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 the records keep in mind that in some cases the records were filed under the name of the widow or other dependent who received a pension.
 * Applications were sent 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.

Related Websites

 * Mississippi State Archives Confederate Pensions Collection Description
 * Mississippi State Archives Confederate Pensions Image Browse
 * NARA Confederate Pensions Available by State

Related Wiki Articles

 * Mississippi Genealogy
 * Mississippi in the Civil War
 * Confederate Pension Records

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation

Image Citation