Tennessee began providing pensions to Confederate veterans in 1891, and to their widows in 1905. The pensions were granted to eligible residents of Tennessee, regardless of where they served. Eligibility included the inability to support themselves, having been honorably separated from service, and having been a resident of the state for at least one year prior to their application. In addition to service information, the application contained the applicant’s place of birth, number and gender of children, and information about their personal and real property. Many people provided more information than just what the application asked for, e.g. the year or date of their birth, not just the location and many application files contain correspondence and affidavits that provide additional detail about the individual’s life. Widows had to provide proof of marriage. Thus, the pension application files are a great source of genealogical information.
These records can be accessed in the “Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965” database at Family Search.
These records can be accessed in the “Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965” database at Family Search.
