Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Alabama 

What is in the Collection?
Images of a census of Confederate veterans living in Alabama. Originals are located in the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery, Alabama. Resident veterans of the Confederate army in Alabama were eligible for a state pension under certain conditions (see 1907 Code of Alabama, 1996, 2018 and 2020). Upon approval of the pension applications, the state auditor prepared an alphabetical record by county of all pensioners. Each probate judge received a copy of his county's pension record. Information provided in the 1907 series includes the pensioner's full name, address, birth date and place, rank and date of entry into military service, name and letter of company and regiment, and date and place of discharge or separation. Re-enlistment information is also given, if any.

The 1921 series is a questionnaire returned by Confederate pensioners concerning military and personal histories. Personal information reported on includes pensioner's name, place and date of birth, length of Alabama residency, wife's age and place of birth, marriage date and place, lists of living children, place of residency, and occupation. The 1921 series is arranged numerically and alphabetically by military unit, and then alphabetically by pensioner's name. Military units are filed in the following sequence: infantry, cavalry, navy, coast guard, marines, artillery, out-of-state commands. Researchers can determine a pensioner's military unit by referring to the Confederate Pension Applications, which are arranged alphabetically by pensioner's name. The records are arranged numerically and alphabetically by military unit, and then alphabetically by pensioner's name. Military units are filed in the following sequence:
 * Infantry
 * Cavalry
 * Navy
 * Coast Guard
 * Marines
 * Artillery
 * Out of state commands

The 1927 series was created when the state legislature, in considering changing pensioner classifications, needed to establish the birth date and marriage date of each confederate widow pensioner. The survey was conducted by the probate judge of each county. The record provides the veteran's name, the widow's name, her age and birth date and the marriage date. The record is arranged alphabetically by county, and then alphabetically by the name of the widow. This series is not complete. Some of the returns are found in the Confederate Pension Applications.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
Alabama Veteran’s 1907 census may contain the following information:


 * Pensioner’s full name
 * Address
 * Birth date and place
 * Rank
 * Date of entry in military service
 * Name and letter of company and regiment
 * Date and place of discharge or separation
 * Re-enlistment information

Alabama Veteran’s 1921 census may contain the following information:


 * Pensioner’s name
 * Birth date and place
 * Length of Alabama residency
 * Spouse’s age and place of birth
 * Marriage date and place
 * Lists of living children
 * Place of residency
 * Occupation

Alabama Widow’s 1927 Questionnaire may contain the following information:


 * Veteran’s name
 * Widow’s name, age and birth date
 * Marriage date

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * Veteran's name
 * Other identifying information such as the birth date and place and names of other family members

Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page: Fill in the requested information on the search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "County or Military Unit Range and Year" which takes you to the images.

Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the birth date and place to obtain a copy of the original birth certificate from the county.
 * Use the soldier's age and location of the military unit to find his family in census, church, and land records.
 * Use the death date and place to obtain a copy of the original death certificate from the county.
 * Use the Widow’s age to estimate birth date range of Veteran.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for a different index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby localities.

Citing This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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