Title:
Confederate pension applications
Description:
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. The Confederate pension applications files provide detailed documentation of these persons, as well as the process. This subseries consists of more than 54,600 Confederate pension applications files created by the Texas Comptroller's office, dating 1899-1979. Each file contains an application to the State of Texas for a Confederate pension, plus supporting documents. Accepted applications comprise roughly 89 percent of the total; rejected applications comprise roughly 11 percent of the total; and there are 62 Confederate Home applications.
Description:
The contents of each file vary but nearly always include a four-page application containing the basic information listed below, plus affidavits of witnesses to the military service, an affidavit of a physician as to disabilities if applicable (especially prior to 1909), certificates of the county judge and county commissioners who approved the application at its initial level, and (between 1909 and 1930) a certificate of the state and county assessor as to the value of any property. Also usually included in the file is a request from the Comptroller or Commissioner of Pensions to the U.S. War Department (Adjutant General's office) for proof and details of military service, accompanied by the official reply. Beginning in 1917, most files also contain a mortuary warrant application and a copy of the warrant for payment. Other materials may include: additional affidavits and interrogatories relating to any of the requirements for eligibility; correspondence between the Comptroller or Commissioner of Pensions and the applicant, relatives, or friends; original discharges; death certificates; printed material, including newspaper clippings; etc.
Description:
The information provided by the pension application varies over time, but at one time or another includes the following, for veteran's pension applications: name of veteran, age, where born, length of residence in Texas, county where residing and length of residence there, post office address, whether previously rejected for a pension (when and where), occupation, physical condition, disability, state in which enlisted, length of service, date and place of discharge, military unit designation (letter of company and number of regiment, battalion, or battery), name of command and length of service if transferred, branch in which enlisted (infantry, cavalry, artillery, or navy), whether recipient of another pension and/or veteran's land certificate, real and personal property and its value, property sold within the previous two years and its value, income, and estate of wife and its value.
Description:
The widow's pension applications provide the following: name of widow, widow's age, birthplace, length of residence in Texas, county of residence, length of time in the county, post office address, occupation, physical condition, name of her husband, date and place of marriage, date of husband's death, county and state where he died, whether divorced or remarried (and if so, whether widowed again), state in which the husband enlisted, length of his service (enlistment and discharge dates when known), name of unit in which the husband served, name of command and date if transferred, branch of service, whether previously rejected for a pension (when and where), whether recipient of another pension and/or veteran's land certificate, real and personal property and its value, property sold within the previous two years, income, property outside of the county, and number of husband's pension if any.
Description:
The Confederate mortuary warrant applications (beginning in 1917) provide the following information on the veteran or the widow: date of death, city or county of death, where death occurred (in home, hospital, etc.), relation of person (s) in whose home the pensioner died, relationship of the petitioner to the pensioner, petitioner's post office address, physician's certification (including ailments of pensioner), and undertaker's certification.
Description:
A number of application files are known to be missing (based on information from the Confederate pension indexes and registers); these are marked with an asterisk in the pension index in the State Archives search room.
Description:
An alphabetical union name index is available in the Texas State Archives search room, containing the following elements: pension number if accepted, Rej if rejected, or Home if a Confederate Home pension application; name of the pensioner; county of residence at the time of the application; name of husband if a widow, and husband's pension number if applicable. Researchers should request each pension application by number or (for rejected and Home pension applications) by name of applicant. Archives staff routinely check listings in the index for mail or phone requests, and will copy the records in the files. The Confederate pension application index is also available online at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/apps/arc/pensions/.
Collection:
Confederate pension application records
Creator:
Texas. Comptroller's Office
Date range of creation:
1899 to 1979
Citation information:
(Identify the item), Confederate pension applications, Confederate pension application records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Arrangement:
These records have been arranged numerically by pension number (which is also chronologically) for accepted pension applications, and alphabetically by name of applicant for rejected pension applications, as well as for Confederate Home pension applications. This arrangement was probably the same used by the creator of the records.
Copyright information:
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Access restrictions:
Because Republic of Texas claims are fragile, access to these records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. There are 130 reels of Audited Republic claims, 69 reels of Republic of Texas public debt claims files, 48 reels of Republic pension files, and 12 reels of Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims.
Size or duration:
646.74 cubic ft.
TARO URL:
http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/30109/tsl-30109.html
General note:
Descriptive information about applicants was transcribed from the records by Ancestry.com. Where variations in transcription exists for the same record, both versions have been provided. With limited exceptions, information has not been audited for accuracy and errors may exist. Refer to the contents of the records directly to confirm applicant details. If you identify a transcription error, please email ref@tsl.texas.gov to request a correction.