Arkansas Confederate Pensions - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This database contains and index and images of pension applications filed by Confederate veterans and widows living in the state of Arkansas for the years 1901 to 1929. 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
Information found in applications submitted by the veteran may include some or all of the following information:


 * Soldier's Name
 * Date and place of birth
 * Unit dates and places of enlistment and discharge
 * Brief description of service
 * Wounds received
 * Physician's statement
 * 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
 * Place of birth
 * Date and place of marriage to the veteran
 * Date and place of the veteran's death
 * Names of witnesses
 * Proof of indigence

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


 * Name of the soldier or widow
 * Some other identifying information such at the soldier's place of birth or the dates of service

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Beginning name - Ending name" 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. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. 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

 * 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.

General Information About These Records
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.

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

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Confederate Pension Records Arkansas History Commission
 * More information about Civil War Pensions

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)

Related Wiki Articles

 * Arkansas
 * Confederate Pension Records

Citations for this Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation: