Florida Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
These records cover the years from 1885 to 1955.

Record Description


This database contains images of Confederate pension applications. These records were created at the state level and therefore there are some variations in the qualifications for receiving aid and the amounts of aid between the states. Applications were sent to the state where the veteran or his dependents lived at the time of application, which was often not the state in which the veteran had enlisted or served.

Record Content
Key genealogical information found in applications submitted by the veteran may include some or all of the following:


 * Name
 * Date and place of birth
 * Unit dates and places of enlistment and discharge
 * Brief description of service
 * Wounds received
 * Sworn statements on proof of service by comrades
 * War Department service abstracts
 * Place and length of residency in the state

If the application was submitted by the widow of the veteran it may also include the following:


 * Her full name
 * Date and place of marriage to the veteran
 * Date and place of the veteran's death

How to Use the Record
Confederate Pension applications can be used to find information about soldiers who served in the Civil War and their families. In addition to providing information about the veteran and his family, pension applications can also lead to more military records. When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

The pieces of information in the record may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. This information will often lead you to other records.

For example:


 * Death dates may lead to death certificates, mortuary, or burial records.
 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth of the deceased to locate census, church, and land records.

You may also find these search tips helpful:


 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been seeking the pension.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * When searching for an application keep in mind that in some cases the applications were filed under the name of the widow or other dependent who submitted the application.
 * Applications were sent in to and processed by the state where the veteran or family member lived at the time, which was not always the state in which the soldier had served.

Record History
In 1885 Florida began granting pensions to Confederate veterans and in 1889 they expanded to include veteran’s widows as well. In most states the pension system began with providing pensions to injured veterans and then later expanded to include veteran’s widows or other dependents. In addition to Florida, Confederate pensions were also granted in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Why the Record Was Created
Pension applications were created to provide a way for veterans or their widows to obtain financial assistance after serving in the military.

Record Reliability
The information in these records is generally reliable.

Related Websites

 * Florida Pension Files (index and images)
 * Florida State Archives
 * More information about Civil War Pensions
 * Find out about pension records in other Confederate States

Related Wiki Articles
Confederate Pension Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.
 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Sources of Information for This Collection
“Florida, Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1955,” database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org); from Florida State Comptroller's Office. Confederate pension application files, 1885-1954. FHL digital images, citing “Pension claims of Confederate veterans and their widows beginning 1885-1955.” State Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida. FHL microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.