Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of digital images of pension applications filed by Confederate veterans and their widows. The records cover the years 1891 to 1965. Tennessee began granting pensions to resident Confederate veterans in 1891 and to their widows in 1905.

An index to the records is available on the website of Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications.

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

Pension applications
 * Name of soldier, widow, or dependents
 * 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
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Date and place of the veteran's death

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the soldier
 * The name of the widow or dependent's names
 * The approximate date of birth of the soldier

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the File Category
 * 2) Select the Beginning Application Letter and Number 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?
When you have located your ancestor’s pension application, 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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * 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
 * 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 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

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Tennessee.
 * 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)
 * Tennessee Guided Research
 * Tennessee Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

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.