1901 Confederate Pension Applications

This collection contains 1901 Confederate pension applications from the holdings of the State Archives of North Carolina.  The materials include application forms for Confederate pensions and occasionally correspondence or additional affidavits regarding a soldier's or widow's claim. The forms provide information on name; age (at time of application); place of residence; service information such as company, regiment, length of service, and wounds or disability; name of witness; and date of application. Also included are verification from the county pension board regarding applicant's claim and whether the application was approved or disallowed by the state-level board of inquiry. Widows' applications are typically filed under the names of the deceased soldier.

In 1901, the General Assembly passed a new pension law (P.L. 1901, c. 332) entitled "An Act to amend Chapter 198 of the Laws of 1889, for the relief of certain Confederate soldiers and widows." Under this new act "every Person who has been for twelve months immediately Preceding his or her application for a pension a 'bona fide' resident of the State, and who is incapacitated for manual labor and was a soldier or a sailor in the service of the State of North Carolina or of the Confederate States of America, during the war between the States, and to the widow remaining unmarried of any deceased officer, soldier or sailor who was in the service of the State of North Carolina or of the Confederate States of America during the war between the States (Provided said widow was married to said soldier or sailor before the first day April 1865)" was entitled to a pension.

This site is currently under development. We will be reviewing and making corrections and updates on an ongoing basis. If you find any errors, please send them to archives@dncr.nc.gov or digital.info@dncr.nc.gov