Confederate Pension Records

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

State Resources for Pension Records
Confederate pensions are not at the National Archives. Many of the previous Confederate states passed laws approving pensions for Confederate soldiers at the state level. The National Archives has a list by state of where the original Confederate pension records are located with descriptions of state pension laws and addresses and telephone numbers of state archives that hold these records.

Note: 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.

The following states Civil War pages have more information on Confederate pensions from their states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Alabama

 * Confederate pension applications, ca. 1880-1930's (Worldcat)


 * Online


 * Alabama, Confederate Pension and Service Records, 1862-1947 (Ancestry) ($)

Arkansas

 * Confederate pension records, 1905-1934, Cleveland County, Arkansas (Worldcat)
 * Confederate pension records, 1905-1937, Garland County, Arkansas (Worldcat)
 * Confederate pension records, 1869-1929, Hot Spring County, Arkansas (Worldcat)
 * Pension records, 1901-1939, Independence County, Arkansas (Worldcat)
 * Ministers' credentials, 1878-1931, Logan County, Arkansas; Confederate pension records, 1931-1939 (Worldcat)
 * Soldiers' and sailors' discharges, 1919-1947, Marion County, Arkansas; Confederate pension records, 1901-1933 (Worldcat)
 * Naturalization records, 1921-1934, Washington County, Arkansas; Confederate pension records, 1901-1915 (Worldcat)


 * Online


 * Arkansas Confederate pension records, ca. 1901-1929


 * The following are indexes to Arkansas Confederate pension records, ca. 1901-1929:
 * Arkansas Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications (Worldcat) 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.
 * Confederate Pension Applications...  Contains the name of the veteran or widow or both, company, regiment, year of application, and death date.

Florida

 * Pension claims of Confederate veterans and their widows beginning 1885-1955


 * These records are indexed in:
 * Register of Florida CSA Pension Applications (Worldcat)Entries are listed alphabetically and include unit of service; widow’s name including maiden name; county of residence, and number of pages in file.


 * Online


 * Florida Confederate Pension Application Files (Florida Department of State)

Georgia

 * Confederate pension rolls (Georgia)


 * These records are indexed in:
 * Index to Georgia Civil War Confederate Pension Files (Worldcat) 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.


 * Online


 * Confederate Pension Applications, 1879-1960 (Georgia Archives, Georgia Secretary of State)

Kentucky

 * Civil War pension application


 * These records are indexed in:
 * Index of Confederate Pension Applications, Commonwealth of Kentucky (Worldcat) Arranged alphabetically by the name of applicant, veteran, or widow, county of residence, date application was received, and application number.


 * Online


 * Department of Confederate Pensions (1912 - 1946) (Electronic Records Archives, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives)

Louisiana

 * Louisiana. Application Record for Pensions 1898–1944
 * Record of Pensioners of the State of Louisiana 1898–1940
 * Louisiana Confederate Veterans Pensions, 1912–1936


 * Online


 * (FamilySearch)

Mississippi

 * Confederate soldiers & sailors, widows pension applications (Worldcat)

Missouri

 * Applications for Confederate Home & Pension (Worldcat)


 * Online


 * (FamilySearch) Includes name, birth date, birthplace, residence, length of residence in Missouri, date of enlistment, rank, unit of service, death date, and burial place.

North Carolina

 * Applications for Confederate soldier's and widow's pensions, 1885-ca. 1953


 * Applications for Confederate soldiers' and widows' pensions in North Carolina : [index] (Worldcat)

Oklahoma

 * Confederate pension applications for soldiers and sailors (Worldcat)


 * These records are indexed in:
 * Index to Applications for Pensions from the State of Oklahoma (Worldcat) Alphabetical by name with application and reel number.


 * Online


 * Oklahoma Confederate Pension Index Cards (Oklahoma Department of Libraries)

South Carolina

 * The Family History Library has pension-related material for veterans residing in the following counties:, , , Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, , Lancaster, , , , Spartanburg, , , and . For film numbers see the Family History Library catalog.

Tennessee

 * Confederate pension applications: soldiers and widows, 1891- ca. 1965


 * These records are indexed in:
 * Index to Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications  (not published) Arranged in three parts: veteran, widow, and colored applications. The entries contain the name of applicant, county of residence, unit served, and application number.


 * Tennessee Confederate pension applications (Worldcat)


 * Online


 * Index to Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Soldiers & Widows (Tennessee State Library and Archives)

Texas

 * Online


 * Index of Confederate Pension Applications (Texas State Library and Archives Commission)

Virginia

 * Online


 * Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows Collection (The Library of Virginia)

Related Records
Also see: Confederate Soldiers Home Records.

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


 * Artificial Limbs for Confederate Soldiers by Patrick McCawley (Worldcat) 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 Confederate soldiers:

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

FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

 * Arkansas, Confederate Pension Applications (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Missouri Confederate Pension Applications and Soldiers' Home Admission Applications (FamilySearch Historical Records)