Pensions for Confederate Civil War veterans and their widows were handled through the state in which the soldier served. Unlike pensions for Union veterans, pensions for Confederate soldiers were not obtained through the federal government.

In order to obtain a pension file for your Confederate ancestor you will need to contact the state agency located in the state your ancestor served for. Remember, that not all soldiers or their widows requested a pension. Typically, veterans requested pensions when they were somehow disabled or were indigent. Indigent widows also may have requested a pension based on their husband's service. Whether the pension was granted or denied, the file can contain useful information including birth, death, and marriage dates as well as affidavits from family and friends.

The following is information for acquiring pension records from the following Southern states. This information and link to online records is also located on the National Archives website at http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/military/civil-war/confederate/pension.html

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Alabama

Pension records are available at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, http://www.archives.state.al.us/index.html. Pensions were granted to disabled Confederate veterans beginning in 1867. In 1886, the widows of Confederate veterans were given pensions. Starting in 1891, indigent veterans or their widows could apply for pensions.

Arkansas

Civil War pension records are available through the Arkansas History Commission, http://www.ark-ives.com/. In 1891, Arkansas began granting pensions to civil war veterans. It wasn’t until 1915 that the widows and mothers of veterans could receive a pension.

Florida

The Florida State Archives, http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/barm/fsa.html, is the repository of pension records of Flordinian Civil War veterans. In 1885, Civil War veterans could apply for pension benefits and then in 1889 their widows could also apply for benefits.

Georgia

Georgia Department of Archives and History, http://www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/, has pension records for Civil War veterans and widows from Georgia. In 1870, pensions were granted on a limited basis to veterans who had lost a limb. In 1879, other veterans with disabilities or their widows residing in Georgia were eligible for pensions. Beginning in 1894 eligibility for pension benefits included veterans who were elderly and or impoverished.

Louisiana

The Louisiana State Archives, http://www.sec.state.la.us/archives/archives/archives-index.htm holds the records for Confederate pensions for veterans and widows in Louisiana. Pensions for Civil War veterans and widows did not begin until 1898 and only required that the veteran or widow be impoverished.

Mississippi

Mississippi began providing pensions to indigent Civil War veterans and their widows in 1888. These pension records are available at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, http://www.mdah.state.ms.us/.

Texas

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission is the repository for Civil War pension files, http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/index.html. In 1889, Texas began granting pension to veterans and their widows. Prior to this in 1881, Texas set aside over 1,000 acres for disabled veterans.