Confederate widows in a parade Widow's pensions were first issued in 1905. These applications show place of birth for widow and soldier, and information about their children. Proof of marriage was required, so marriage licenses often appear in the supporting papers. Other items included are correspondence between the applicant and the Pension Board, letters or sworn affidavits attesting to character and military service, and abstracts of the soldier's service record furnished by the War Department. The index following, to the soldiers', widows', and African-Americans' pensions, is arranged alphabetically, and includes the pension file number, county of residence at time of application, and soldier's unit.
All units are regiments unless otherwise designated.
If a unit was known by more than one name or number, the official designation is used in the index.