{"id":23189,"date":"2017-06-15T12:21:25","date_gmt":"2017-06-15T16:21:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=23189"},"modified":"2023-09-22T09:38:09","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T13:38:09","slug":"genealogy-101-22-researching-your-confederate-civil-war-ancestor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/genealogy-101-22-researching-your-confederate-civil-war-ancestor.html","title":{"rendered":"Genealogy 101: #22 Researching Your Confederate Civil War Ancestor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article \u2013 part of an ongoing \u201cIntroduction to Genealogy\u201d series \u2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega shows some of the many sources available to research your Confederate Civil War ancestor, including military service records and pension records. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Ready to research your Civil War ancestor from the South? You might assume that a Confederate Civil War soldier is researched in the same way as a Union soldier, but there are some differences. One of the main differences has to do with where pension records are kept and who was eligible to receive a military pension.<\/p>\n

Keeping history in mind as you conduct your family history research is beneficial as you reconstruct your Civil War ancestor\u2019s life. Below are a few tips for finding the military and pension files of a Confederate soldier.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: portrait of Pvt. Edwin Francis Jemison, 2nd Louisiana Infantry Regiment. He served in the Peninsula campaign under General J.B. Magruder and was killed in the battle of Malvern Hill, July, 1862. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Find His Name*<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the first places to confirm your Civil War ancestor\u2019s military service is the free National Park Service\u2019s Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database<\/a> website. To search for a specific soldier, click on the \u201cSoldiers\u201d tab and then enter his information such as name, state, and side (choose Confederacy in this case). Your results list will provide a name, battle unit, and any alternative names. You can click on your ancestor\u2019s name and you will find a few more details including rank and National Archives microfilm number.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Civil War record for Moses H. Chatham. Credit: National Park Service.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don\u2019t forget to click on the hyperlinked battle unit name to learn more about your ancestor\u2019s unit.<\/p>\n

Genealogy Tip:<\/em><\/strong> Note the names of other soldiers in your ancestor\u2019s unit. You may find the names of relatives or neighbors.<\/p>\n

Obtain His Military Records<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now that you have found some information about your Confederate soldier, you may want to obtain copies of his military service records. Digitized military service records for both Confederate and Union soldiers can be found on the subscription website Fold3. Access to Fold3 is available through an individual subscription or by using the website at a nearby Family History Center. Please note that Fold3 has other Civil War records as well. You can also order the military records from the National Archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What about a Pension?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pensions were granted differently for Confederate soldiers. Confederate soldiers did not receive a pension from the federal government. Their pension would have been paid, if available, from the state \u2013 but not necessarily the state that they served. They could have benefits from the state they were living in.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas), 27 February 1907, page 9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The following list can be found on the National Archives website** and it provides information about each former Confederate state (and associated states) and their pensions. Records may be found via the FamilySearch Catalog or the applicable state archive. See the National Archive webpage Confederate Pension Records<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n

Alabama<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1867 Alabama began granting pensions to Confederate veterans who had lost arms or legs. In 1886 the State began granting pensions to veterans\u2019 widows. In 1891 the law was amended to grant pensions to indigent veterans or their widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arkansas<\/strong>
\n\u201cArkansas began granting pensions to indigent Confederate veterans. In 1915 the State began granting pensions to their widows and mothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Florida<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1885 Florida began granting pensions to Confederate veterans. In 1889 the State began granting pensions to their widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Georgia<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1870 Georgia began granting pensions to soldiers with artificial limbs. In 1879 the State began granting pensions to other disabled Confederate veterans or their widows who then resided in Georgia. By 1894 eligible disabilities had been expanded to include old age and poverty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kentucky<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1912, Kentucky began granting pensions to Confederate veterans or their widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Louisiana<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1898 Louisiana began granting pensions to indigent Confederate veterans or their widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mississippi<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1888 Mississippi began granting pensions to indigent Confederate veterans or their widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Missouri<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1911 Missouri began granting pensions to indigent Confederate veterans only; none were granted to widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

North Carolina<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1867 North Carolina began granting pensions to Confederate veterans who were blinded or lost an arm or leg during their service. In 1885 the State began granting pensions to all other disabled indigent Confederate veterans or widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oklahoma<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1915 Oklahoma began granting pensions to Confederate veterans or their widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

South Carolina<\/strong>
\n\u201cA state law enacted December 24, 1887, permitted financially needy Confederate veterans and widows to apply for a pension; however, few applications survive from the 1888-1918 era. Beginning in 1889, the South Carolina Comptroller began publishing lists of such veterans receiving pensions in his Annual Report. From 1919 to 1925, South Carolina granted pensions to Confederate veterans and widows regardless of financial need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tennessee<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1891 Tennessee began granting pensions to indigent Confederate veterans. In 1905 the State began granting pensions to their widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1881 Texas set aside 1,280 acres for disabled Confederate veterans. In 1889 the State began granting pensions to indigent Confederate veterans and their widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virginia<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn 1888 Virginia began granting pensions to Confederate veterans or their widows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Continue Your Research<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s more to learn about your Confederate ancestor, including what you can find in an online collection of newspapers such as GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>. Learn more about researching Civil War ancestors by consulting the book Genealogical Resources of the Civil War Era<\/em> by William Dollarhide, and the FamilySearch Wiki<\/a>.<\/p>\n

———————–<\/p>\n

* I\u2019m referring to men as soldiers but there were some women who fought in the Civil War dressed as men.
\n** \u201cConfederate Pension Records,\u201d National Archives (https:\/\/www.archives.gov\/research\/military\/civil-war\/confederate\/pension.html<\/a>: accessed 23 May 2017).<\/p>\n

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