Civil War Confederate Pension Applications Index

This data set contains alphabetical listings of approximately 28,000 individuals who applied for Civil War Confederate pensions in Tennessee. These pension applicants were either Confederate soldiers or widows of deceased soldiers. Since you can find information on where to locate a microfilm copy of the actual pension application, this data set is a great starting point for research into your Confederate veteran ancestors.

The information included here was originally compiled by Samuel Sistler in a book called Index to Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications.

In 1891 the state of Tennessee enacted legislation which established a Board of Pension Examiners. The membership consisted of the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, and three ex-Confederate soldiers recommended by the Tennessee Division of Confederate Veterans and appointed by the Governor. These men had the authority to decide (a) if a Confederate veteran applying for pension was incapable of "making a support," and (b) if his service was honorable. The burden of proof rested with the veteran, who was obliged to prove disability and/or indigency and separation from the service under honorable conditions.

Both Federal and Confederate veterans who were residents of Tennessee for at least one year before making application were eligible for pension, provided they met the qualifications set forth by the Pension Act. However, the Federal Government's earlier and more liberal pensions to their veterans prompted men who had served both sides at one time or another (a surprising number did change sides in mid-stream) to apply to that government rather than to the Tennessee Board. There was a common agreement among states granting pensions to Confederate veterans that the applicant should apply to the pension board of the state in which he resided when making application, although this was often not the state in whose forces he served.

Most pension applications and their supporting papers contain information of much interest to soldier's descendants, to genealogists, and to other researchers. They are more informative than official service records because they give more detailed information about a soldier's military, personal, and family history. The application lists the veteran's place of enlistment, unit, period of service, battles participated in, and whether he was wounded or captured. Made out in questionnaire form, it also asked such information as place of birth, number of children, and value of personal and real property owned by veteran.

Pensions for soldiers' widows were first issued in 1905. Their applications show place of birth for both widow and husband, and in many instances the names and ages of children. As proof of marriage was required for admission to the pension rolls, a copy of the marriage certificate is often found in widow applications. Supporting papers consist of correspondence between the applicant and the Pension Board, letters or sworn affidavits from old comrades and neighbors attesting to the veteran's character and the nature of his military service, and abstracts of the soldier's service record furnished by the Federal War Department.

The Board kept three separate rolls, one for soldiers, one for widows, and one for so-called "colored" soldiers. Since it includes an index to the pension applications rather than the actual applications themselves, this data set is a great starting point for research into the lives of your Confederate veteran ancestors. A photocopy of a pension application may be obtained from the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Please requestonly one application at a time. With each written request, please send $5 and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Also, when requesting copies, it is important to note which of the three microfilm rolls included your ancestor: widows, African-Americans, or soldiers.

More About this Data Set

You'll learn the following information about an ancestor in this data set:

Name — You'll find an individual's given name and surname, as well as any titles that were included in the original index. This person is either the widow of a soldier or a soldier. If you are unable to locate a particular given name and surname, try switching the given name to an initial, abbreviation, or possible misspelling. If the surname is not common, you may want to search only on the surname.

Applicant — This is the name of the person who applied for the Confederate pension.

Applicant Residence — This is the county that the resident lived in when he or she applied for the application. Please note that this county will always be in Tennessee although a soldier may not have served in the Tennessee forces.

State Served — While all of the applications were filed by residents of Tennessee, not all of the soldiers served in Tennessee.
This column notes the state that the soldier served in the majority of the time.

How to Make the Most of this Data Set

The Board of Pension Examiners established three separate rolls of microfilm records. One for soldiers, another for widows, and yet another for African-American soldiers. With this additional information, you may learn which of these rolls of microfilm included your ancestor. You can then contact the Tennessee State Library and Archives for a copy of the original application. When you contact the Library it is important to note which microfilm roll included your ancestor.

Should you obtain a copy of the actual pension application, you have the opportunity to gain access to a great deal of valuable genealogical information. Presented in questionnaire form, a soldier's application lists the veteran's place of enlistment, unit, period of service, battles participated in, and whether he was wounded or captured. It also included information on place of birth, number of children, and value of personal and real property owned by veteran.

If the pension application was filed by a widow, you can learn even more information. Their applications list place of birth for both widow and husband as well as the names and ages of any children. Since proof of marriage was required for admission to the pension rolls, a copy of the marriage certificate is often found in widow applications. You may also find correspondence between the applicant and the Pension Board, letters or sworn affidavits attesting to a veteran's character and the nature of his military service, and abstracts of the soldier's service record furnished by the Federal War Department.