Arkansas Ex-Confederate Pension Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection covers the years 1891 to 1939. It consists of images of pension records of former Confederate soldiers and widows who resided in the stateco of Arkansas. The records were created by the Arkansas State Auditor.

Record Content
These records may contain the following information:


 * Full Name of pensioner
 * Pension Date Issued
 * Warrant Number
 * Amount Allowed
 * Amount Paid
 * The name of the County

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


 * Name
 * Other identifying information such as date pension was issued

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Pension Board minutes or Pension Lists" ⇒Select the appropriate "Year Range and County Range" 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. 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 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.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearbylocalities.

General Information About These Records
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.

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

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:

Arkansas. Ex-Confederate Pension Records, 1891-1939. Arkansas State Auditor. Little Rock, Arkansas.

Image Citation: