Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in the Collection?
Images of a census of Confederate veterans living in Alabama. Originals are located in the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery, Alabama. Resident veterans of the Confederate army in Alabama were eligible for a state pension under certain conditions (see 1907 Code of Alabama, 1996, 2018 and 2020). Upon approval of the pension applications, the state auditor prepared an alphabetical record by county of all pensioners. Each probate judge received a copy of his county's pension record. Information provided in the 1907 series includes the pensioner's full name, address, birth date and place, rank and date of entry into military service, name and letter of company and regiment, and date and place of discharge or separation. Re-enlistment information is also given, if any.

The 1921 series is a questionnaire returned by Confederate pensioners concerning military and personal histories. Personal information reported on includes pensioner's name, place and date of birth, length of Alabama residency, wife's age and place of birth, marriage date and place, lists of living children, place of residency, and occupation. The 1921 series is arranged numerically and alphabetically by military unit, and then alphabetically by pensioner's name. Military units are filed in the following sequence: infantry, cavalry, navy, coast guard, marines, artillery, out-of-state commands. Researchers can determine a pensioner's military unit by referring to the Confederate Pension Applications, which are arranged alphabetically by pensioner's name. The records are arranged numerically and alphabetically by military unit, and then alphabetically by pensioner's name. Military units are filed in the following sequence:
 * Infantry
 * Cavalry
 * Navy
 * Coast Guard
 * Marines
 * Artillery
 * Out of state commands

The 1927 series was created when the state legislature, in considering changing pensioner classifications, needed to establish the birth date and marriage date of each confederate widow pensioner. The survey was conducted by the probate judge of each county. The record provides the veteran's name, the widow's name, her age and birth date and the marriage date. The record is arranged alphabetically by county, and then alphabetically by the name of the widow. This series is not complete.[https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/630229?availability=Family%20History%20Library Some of the returns are found in the Confederate Pension Applications. See the Family Search Catalog for microfilm numbers. ]

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How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. To begin your search, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the individual
 * The birth date or the name of a child or spouse

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images
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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.

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

 * Use the information to find other records such as birth, christening, marriage, census, land and death records.
 * Use the information to find additional family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

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

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of Alabama, United States Genealogy.
 * Search in the FamilySearch Library Catalog.

Citing This Collection
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