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Arkansas Confederate Pension Records Index Available on AHC Website
1/2/2008
The Arkansas History Commission has added a new Arkansas Confederate Pension Records index to its website. The collection is composed of approximately 22,000 records collected by the State Board of Pensions between 1891 and 1939. While printed indexes have been available for years, this online resource is the most complete index of these valuable records since it is the only one created from the original pension records, which are part of the holdings of the State Archives in Little Rock. Every document in the collection was examined, resulting in substantial additions to the number of pensioners recorded. There are also numerous corrections to the original index, created by the Work Projects Administration (WPA) in the 1930s.
On April 2, 1891, with the passage of Act 91, Arkansas became one of the first Southern states to grant annual pensions to its resident ex-Confederate servicemen and their widows. Initially, only needy, indigent or disabled veterans, who had been honorably discharged, or unmarried, needy, or indigent widows of veterans, were eligible for pensions. Beginning in 1915 needy widows who had not remarried, and who were born before 1878, and widowed mothers of veterans, were added to those who could file for benefits. However, few veterans' mothers remained alive to apply.
A typical pension file contains an application form signed by the veteran or his widow, a doctor's certificate of disability, and a statement of indigence. The file also usually contains two affidavits from "comrades at arms" attesting to the veteran's military service. A widow's application usually contains information on her husband's death. After 1927, widows were required to submit additional biographical information. Original discharges, paroles, letters, or other family documents may be found in these files.
The collection also contains applications from several dozen African Americans who saw various kinds of service during the Civil War, as well as a number of civilians who worked for the Confederate Army or government. Most inmates of the Arkansas Confederate Home were originally on the pension rolls. However, they were required to give up their pensions when they entered that institution.
This index is primarily the work of John Tarbell, a dedicated volunteer at the History Commission, who spent two years on this project. The United Daughters of the Confederacy, Arkansas Division, gave John an award at their 2007 annual meeting for his work in creating this extraordinary research aid.
To search the database of approximately 22,000 records, and to order a copy of a pension record, visit our website at www.ark-ives.com. Copies of individual Confederate Pension records may be ordered from the History Commission using the order form. An example of a Confederate Pension can be seen in the Documenting Arkansas section of our website. See CARAT for information on how to locate these materials.