Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This collection covers the years 1893 to 1939.

Record Description
The records consist of images of pension records of former Confederate soldiers and widows who resided in the state of Arkansas. The records were created by the Arkansas State Auditor.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts for these records usually include:


 * First Name
 * Last Name
 * Middle Initial

How to Use the Record
Ex-Confederate Pensions can be used to find information about soldiers who served in the Civil War and their families. In addition, pension records can also lead to more military records.

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.

You may also find these search tips helpful:


 * 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 filed for 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 an application.
 * Pensions were 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.

Record History
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.

Why the Record Was Created
Pensions were created to provide financial assistance for veterans or their widows after serving in the military.

Record Reliability
The information in these records is generally reliable.

Related Wiki Articles

 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865
 * Confederate Pension Records

Related Websites

 * Catalogue of Arkansas Resources and Archival Treasures
 * Arkansas Civil War

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71.
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023.

Sources of information for This Collection
Arkansas. Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1893-1939. Arkansas State Auditor. Little Rock, Arkansas.