State of Tennessee Department of State Tennessee State Library and Archives 403 Seventh Avenue North Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0312 TENNESSEE BOARD OF PENSION EXAMINERS RECORDS RECORD GROUP 3 Processed by Gregory G. Poole Archival Technical Services Date Completed: March 17, 2004 MICROFILMED INTRODUCTION The records contained in Record Group 3, Tennessee Board of Pension Examiners span the period 1891 through 1967, although the bulk of the collection is concentrated in the years 1900-1935. The Board of Pension Examiners was created in 1891 to provide assistance to indigent former Confederate soldiers, their widows and servants. The record group consists of correspondence, subject files, volumes and office file cards. The collection came to the Tennessee State Library and Archives from the Board of Pension Examiners which was absorbed by the Tennessee Department of Public Welfare in 1939. Although the originals are retained permanently, the collection has been microfilmed. Record Group 3 consists of approximately 17 cubic feet, 32 volumes and a large amount of office file cards. Although the immediate responsibility for the Confederate Soldier’s Home fell under the control of the Board, the records of that institution were separated and formed into Record Group 2. The actual Confederate pension applications were removed from the collection and are arranged according to applicant number. Researchers seeking a Confederate soldier’s or widow’s pension application should consult Sistler’s Index to the Tennessee Confederate Applications. The applications have been microfilmed. There are no restrictions on use of any materials found in the record group. Record Group 3 may be used in conjunction with other record groups relating to Confederate veterans and widows. Researchers should consult Record Group 2, Records of the Confederate Soldier’s Home and the actual pension applications to augment the information on pensioners found in this collection. Tennessee Board of Pension Examiners The South’s losses during the Civil War were horrendous and devastating economically, politically and socially. After 1865, a generation of young men were dead of disease, killed in battle, or wounded into poverty and destitution. Those fortunate to return home generally came back with the loss of an eye or limb. In some communities at least a third of the veterans lacked an arm or leg. In one Southern state a fifth of state revenues were spent on artificial arms and legs. The plight of Southern veterans during the Reconstruction years was severe. Gilded age politicians prevented states from making pension payments, so care fell to families and towns until home rule was restored. By the early 1880s, indigent and disabled veterans became more visible, especially in the cities and towns, pricking the conscience of the New South leaders. By 1890, half of the veterans were dead. The 1890 census revealed only 428,747 living Confederate veterans. Those who survived the war had to be self-sufficient. Federal law prohibited former Confederates from receiving federal benefits, allowing pensions only for those who had served in the Union army. This, in fact, was not changed until the Congressional pardon of May 23, 1958. The returning disabled, not surprisingly, were the primary focus of concern. All the Confederate veteran received immediately, if he had lost an arm or leg, was an order from his state, or charitable group within the state, to provide an artificial one. Generosity of care depended on the economic well-being of the state. Tennessee granted two modest disability pensions in the 1880s. The first pension law was passed in Tennessee in 1883 (Public Act, Chapter 242). This act simply gave to each soldier, who had lost both eyes $10 per month. This act was amended by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1887. This act increased the monthly payments of the blind soldier to $25 per month and added soldiers who had lost both legs or arms. Under the first act there were 9 pensioners, under the second 37. As time went on, and Tennessee became more financially solvent, the benefits and programs for the Confederate veteran increased. The activities of the Pension Board eventually became the largest disbursement program for the state of Tennessee. The first general pension law of the state was passed by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1891 (Public Act, Chapter 64). The first pension law provided for only disabled soldiers. When given a pension, they were classified as to their disability and paid accordingly. The act subdivided the pensioners into three classes, First Class, Second Class and Third Class. First Class soldiers, who had lost both eyes, either both legs or arms, received $25 per month. Second Class pensioners, those who had lost one arm or one leg received $10 per month. The Third Class pensioners were those who had lost one arm or one leg, or a disability equivalent thereto from active service. The Third Class pensioner received $8.33 per month. In each class the pensioner was required to be indigent. When the act was amended to include other deserving Confederate soldiers, the requirements for eligibility were still extremely rigid, but in 1927, the act was again modified to define “deserving Soldiers” as being over 75 years of age, who had served six months or more as bona fide soldiers in the Confederate army and who did not own property assessed at $10,000 or over. The Confederate Pension Act of 1891 created the Tennessee Board of Pension Examiners. The board was invested with full power to hear and determine eligibility for all applicants for pensions under the provision of the act, and full authority to accept or refuse pension applications. State law required the board to be composed of the Comptroller of the State, the Attorney-General and three former Confederate soldiers. The first board was composed of Major George B. Guild, Lieutenant Frank A. Moses, Lieutenant George F. Hagar, Attorney-General G.W. Pickle and Comptroller James A. Harris. All the members were Confederate veterans except Harris. In later years, when the law had been amended, the Comptroller, State Librarian, Secretary of State, Commissioner of Finance, Attorney-General, three former Confederates selected by the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) and a representative from the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), constituted the Tennessee Board of Pension Examiners. The Reorganization Act of 1937 created the Division of Confederate Pensions, consisting of the Commissioner of Public Welfare, the Commissioner of Institutions, the Attorney-General and two persons, preferably former Confederates, appointed by the Governor. On July 1, 1939, the Division was placed under the Department of Public Welfare. After 1909, the day-to-day operations of the office were under the control of a director. The function of the director was to carry out the provisions of the pension law, as well as transacting all business of the board. Other duties of the director were to determine the worthiness of a pensioner, receive and file all applications, to call all board meetings and to keep minutes of the meetings, to assist applicants with data and correspondence, and all other routine office work. In 1909, a law was enacted creating a “Special Examiner,” whose duty it was to fully investigate the pensioners on the roll. The Special Examiner was to investigate the pensioner’s condition, both physical and financial, and make a written report to the board. In later years, the eligibility for the pension was expanded to include Confederate widows and “colored” servants. The first widow’s pension was passed by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1905 (Public Act, Chapter 202). The first widows to apply were paid at a rate of $15 per quarter, and were gradually increased to $30 per month by 1931. By 1951, the Tennessee General Assembly had increased the widow’s pension to $75 per month. The requirements of the applicants were identical to those of the veterans, as far as the property qualifications and service of the soldier was concerned. There was no age limit, but a marriage date was set and extended many times over the years. By 1961, a widow married before 1935 could receive a pension, if she had lived with her husband for two years. The Tennessee General Assembly in 1921 passed a pension law granting $10 a month to African-Americans who had served as servants during the war. “Colored” pensions, a name used by the Board, constitute rare archival documentation for African Americans during the war. The Confederate Soldier’s Home, located at the Hermitage, was organized in 1889. Responsibility for admission into the Confederate Soldier’s Home fell upon the board. After the passing of the pension law in 1891, the pensioner was given a choice to either receive a monetary stipend or take up residence in the Confederate Soldier’s Home. The operation and funding of the home was the responsibility of a board of trustees. In 1934, the original Confederate Soldier’s Home, which was built to take care of 200 Confederate veterans at a time, was closed. The remaining 7 inmates were moved to one of the state institutions. This proved to be very unpopular as the old soldiers were unhappy without a private house, so a private farm house was rented and this type of institutional care was provided until only one veteran still lived. In July 1941, this old veteran went to live with relatives and the Confederate Soldier’s Home was closed. By the late 1940s, the activities of the Pension Board had slowed greatly. Tennessee’s pension rolls had reached their maximum figure in 1928 when 13,000 were receiving compensation. Death made a sharp reduction in every year after 1928. By 1935, there were only 85 veterans on the rolls, and no new applicant had been added in two years.