Because Republic of Texas claims are fragile, access to these records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm for Republic claims
are at
Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110 (which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).
The Office of Comptroller of Public Accounts was initially created by the General Council of the Provisional Government of Texas on December 29, 1835, elected by the General Council and commissioned by the Governor, for the purpose of examining and approving or rejecting any claims presented to him by the Auditor (also created by this ordinance).
The Comptroller first appeared as a constitutional officer in the first state Constitution of Texas (1845), elected for a two-year term by a joint ballot of the House and Senate. A constitutional amendment in 1850 abandoned this method of selection in favor of election by the voters of the state. The term of office was increased to four years by the Constitution of 1866, returned to two years by the present Constitution of 1876, and finally increased once again to four years by a constitutional amendment adopted in 1972. (Article IV, section 1)
On April 11, 1846, the First Legislature of the State of Texas approved an act defining the duties of the Comptroller. These included the following:
In other words, in the mid-19th century as in the late 20th century, the Comptroller was and is the central accounting officer or chief fiscal officer of the state, and as such is responsible for maintaining effective methods for accounting for the state's funds. He or she is the state's principal tax administrator and collector of tax revenue. The Comptroller must also provide the research and statistics necessary for revenue estimating and certification.
Other duties were added from time to time through specific legislation. These duties will be explained as required in the appropriate series descriptions in this finding aid.
In addition, the Comptroller was made an ex officio member of various other state boards and commissions, as for example the following: the Insurance Department (superintendent, 1875), the Board of Education (1876), the Capitol Building Commission (1879), the East Texas Penitentiary Board (1879), the Board to sell useless State property (1879), the Board of Claims (1883), the Land Board and the Land Fraud Board (1883), the State Tax Board (1905), the Automatic Tax Board (1907), the Texas Bond Commission (1933), etc.
As the business of the office grew in volume and in complexity, the staff of the office increased as well. In 1852 the legislature created the office of Chief Clerk of the Office of Comptroller. Other specialized clerks were added as needed, and as the state budget permitted: tax clerk(s) (about 1859); corresponding clerk(s) (about 1874); an examining clerk (about 1881); delinquent tax clerks, auditing clerks, and warrant clerks (about 1882); a redemption clerk (about 1888); a deposit warrant clerk, a sheriff and witness accountant, a stenographic clerk, and a receiving clerk (all about 1891); a direct tax clerk (about 1893); a special warrant clerk, a bond clerk, mailing and filing clerks, and pension clerks (about 1901); etc. By the turn of the 19th/20th century, the total clerical staff of the office was approximately 44. This had increased to over 400 by 1950. In 1994, the total staff exceeded 2,800.
The Office of Comptroller of Public Accounts was initially created by the General Council of the Provisional Government of Texas on December 29, 1835, for the purpose of examining and approving or rejecting any monetary claims presented to him by the Auditor. These functions continued under the governments of the Republic of Texas (1836-1845) and the State of Texas (1845 onwards). These records document the claims (including pensions) that were audited and either accepted or rejected by the government of the Republic of Texas, and by the government of the State of Texas for civil and (especially) military service to the Republic of Texas, as well as for Confederate service, and for service in the Texas Rangers. Types of records include claim files, pension applications files, pension registers and indexes, public debt registers and indexes, drafts for payment, and associated records. They comprise more than 951 cubic ft. of loose records, plus 61 volumes, dating 1835-1990 and undated. This includes the following: audited Republic claims, public debt claims, Republic pension records, unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims, Confederate claims, Confederate pension records, and Texas Ranger pensions.
Claims files contain such documents as claim vouchers, official authorization of services or purchases, Auditor's affidavits, War Department pay certificates, discharges, assignments of benefits, powers of attorney, pay accounts, invoices, court dockets, public debt certificates, affidavits concerning service, petitions to the legislature, acts for the relief of an individual, partial or complete lists of soldiers for whom payment was being collected by a single individual, etc. Pension application files contain such documents as affidavits of service, transcripts of county court rulings on the validity of the claim, certifications of continuing indigence, certified copies of muster rolls, powers of attorney, pension certificates, oaths of identity, additional affidavits and interrogatories relating to any of the requirements for eligibility, correspondence, original discharges, death certificates, printed material (including newspaper clippings), mortuary warrants, etc.
Audited Republic claims (including both civil and military claims) are those that were submitted to the Comptroller or Treasurer of the Republic, and were audited and approved (or allowed) and paid by that government during the Republic period; thus both the services and the payments for these services date between 1835 and 1846. Public debt claims records document the public debt of Texas (which included both the ordinary or non-revenue debt--consisting of the claims of participants in the Texas Revolution or suppliers of the Texas army; and the revenue debt--principal and interest owed to holders of Republic of Texas and State of Texas securities), accounted for by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in claims files, registers, and indexes; the settlements of these public debt claims dated 1848-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873, and undated. Republic pension records document the pensions authorized by the Texas State Legislature for persons who rendered military service to the Republic of Texas (and their widows) and signers of the Declaration of Independence, to be administered by the Office of the Comptroller; they consist of 15 indexes plus the actual Republic pension files, dating 1870-1920. Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims include records relating to services and losses during the era of the Republic of Texas that were denied, or that simply have no documentation in the records of the Comptroller of Public Accounts of having been settled, or that do not fit easily into an existing series; these date 1836-about 1879.
Confederate audited military claims comprise the claim files for
payment for military and military-related services rendered for the defense of
Texas during the Civil War, submitted to the Texas Comptroller's office for
auditing and approval, some of which were eligible to be submitted for
reimbursement by the government of the Confederate States of America, dating
1861-1865. Like military claims, claims for payment for civil services rendered
for the State of Texas during the Civil War were submitted to the Texas
Comptroller's office for auditing and approval, although it is unclear whether
any of these could be submitted to the Confederate States government; these
Beginning in 1959, the Texas Legislature authorized the Comptroller's office to pay pensions to qualified former Texas Rangers and their widows. Texas Ranger pension files document both the persons applying for these pensions, and the process itself, consisting mostly of the pension files (applications and other documents) of deceased recipients of Texas Ranger pensions, 1959-1990, but also federal legislation and Texas Attorney General opinions.
This finding aid describes 10 series of records from the Texas
Comptroller's Office. If you are reading this electronically, click here for an
Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic
claims, plus links to that database, are online at
The index to Confederate audited military claims in a computer printout in the search room of the Texas State Archives matches the names of claimants with claim numbers.
The index to Confederate audited civil claims in a computer printout
in the search room of the Texas State Archives matches the names of claimants
with claim numbers. Because numbers were duplicated, the letter
An index of the names of the Confederate indigent soldiers is in a
computer printout in the Texas State Archives search room, and is also
available online (
An alphabetical union Confederate pension application name index is
available in the Texas State Archives search room, containing the following
elements: pension number if accepted,
These records have been organized by State Archives staff into 10 series, and 14 subseries:
(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Jean Young and Eddie Williams, August 1975
Laura K. Saegert, September 1983, July 1990
Tonia J. Wood, November 1995
Tony Black, November 1987, March 1994, October 1994, January 1995
Connie Hoxie, September 1996
Tony Black, August 2000
Accession numbers: 1933/003, 1933/007, 1939/004, 1960/003, 1961/006, 1961/046, 1962/218, 1963/030, 1963/145, 1964/029, 1965/042, 1968/072, 1969/002, 1970/044, 1977/080, 1980/302, 1990/069, 1992/154, and unknown
These records were transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas Comptroller's office on February 21 and 24, 1934; April 7, 1939; during the September 1, 1960-August 31, 1962 biennium; on October 31, 1961; September 6, 1962; July 19, 1963; October 18, 1963; April 6, 1964; October 21, 1964; November 29, 1965; December 7, 1967; September 5, 1968; November 13, 1969; February 9, 1977; August 18, 1980; January 17, 1990; and May 26, 1992. Dates of many accessions are uncertain.
Republic of Texas claims have been microfilmed. An online database
provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital
images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm
reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the
Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic claims, plus
links to that database, are at
The Office of Comptroller of Public Accounts was initially created by the General Council of the Provisional Government of Texas on December 29, 1835, elected by the General Council and commissioned by the Governor, for the purpose of examining and approving or rejecting any monetary claims presented to him by the Auditor. These functions continued under the governments of the Republic of Texas and the State of Texas. Claims that were submitted to the Comptroller or Treasurer of the Republic, that were audited and approved (or allowed) and paid by that government during the Republic period are considered audited claims. The series includes both civil and military claims. The services and the payments for these services date between 1835 and 1846. These records comprise Republic of Texas audited claims files. Types of documents in this series include the following: claim vouchers, official authorization of services or purchases, Auditor's affidavits, War Department pay certificates, discharges, assignments of benefits, powers of attorney, pay accounts, invoices, and court dockets, dating 1835-1846.
Republic-era claims that were not paid until after Annexation are
included in
Potentially, audited claim documents can provide such information as the name of the claimant; amount of claim; dates filed, approved, and issued; authorizing official; type of materials or services provided; rank, company and company commander; dates of service; date enlisted and date discharged. Some files have only the endorsement wrapper showing the number of the voucher, the type and amount of the claim, the date approved, the date paid, the authorizing government official, and the signature of the person receiving the warrant.
Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic
claims, plus links to that database, are at
Two acts of the Texas Consultation determined the manner in which
claims would be handled throughout the Republic period: An Ordinance
prescribing the manner and form of settling the accounts of the Volunteer Army
of Texas (November 24, 1835. Gammels I, 923) and Ordinance and Decree, creating
the offices of Auditor and Comptroller of Public Accounts for Texas (December
26, 1835, Gammels I, 1003-8) The first ordinance required that
The audited Republic claims are made up of records submitted to
the Texas Comptroller or Treasurer to document or to verify goods or services
provided to the government of the Republic of Texas in order to receive
payment. Records in the claims document the following:
Once a person's right to receive a payment for goods or services
provided the government during the Republic period (1835-1846) was established
by the Comptroller or the Treasurer, a voucher would be issued. The payment
could be made to:
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff alphabetically by name of claimant.
(Identify the item), Audited Republic claims, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: unknown
Accession records are too incomplete to determine when these records were transferred.
Because the actual Republic claims are fragile, access to the records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (There are 130 reels of Audited Republic claims.)
Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.
None.
Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm for Republic
claims are at
Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110 (which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).
Connie Hoxie, September 1996
Tony Black, August 2000
The public debt of Texas consisted of two types of debt: the ordinary or non-revenue debt (consisting of the claims of participants in the Texas Revolution or suppliers of the Texas army, usually no more than a few hundred dollars per claim); and the revenue debt (principal and interest owed to holders of Republic of Texas securities). After the annexation of Texas into the Union, the Office of Comptroller of Public Accounts of Texas continued the task of examining and approving (or rejecting) any monetary claims presented to him by the Auditor. Republic-era claims that were not paid until after annexation are included in public debt claims, as are post-annexation claims. These records comprise the Republic of Texas and State of Texas public debt claims records. Types of documents in this series include the following: public debt certificates (1st, 2nd, or 3rd class), affidavits concerning service, powers of attorney, petitions to the legislature, acts for the relief of an individual, partial or complete lists of soldiers for whom payment was being collected by a single individual (usually a company commander), invoices, and/or court dockets (all dating 1848-about 1860); two registers and two indexes of Republic of Texas public debt claims (1848-1861 and undated); and three registers of State of Texas public debt claims (1860-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873). Although the dates of the services for which the claims are filed include both the Republic era (1835-1846) and the post-Republic era, the dates for the settlement of the public debt claims are 1848-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873, and undated.
Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic
claims, plus links to that database, are at
Public debt claims fall into one of two categories: claims against the Republic of Texas, and claims against the State of Texas. Claims against the Republic were for services rendered or securities purchased between 1836 and 1845. Claims against the State include only those incurred after annexation (1846).
These records have been organized by State Archives staff into three subseries:
(Identify the item and cite the subseries), Public debt claims records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1933/007, 1939/004, and unknown others
One register of public debt (erroneously labeled 1838-1840, but
actually covering 1848-1861), along with
Because the actual Republic claims are fragile, access to the records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (There are 69 reels of Republic of Texas public debt claims files.)
Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.
None.
Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm for Republic
claims are at
Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110 (which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).
Tony Black, October 1994, January 1995, August 2000
Connie Hoxie, September 1996
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts was responsible for accounting for the public debt of Texas, which included both the ordinary or non-revenue debt (consisting of the claims of participants in the Texas Revolution or suppliers of the Texas army); and the revenue debt (principal and interest owed to holders of Republic of Texas securities). These records help document that public debt of the Republic. This subseries consists of four volumes, including the following: two registers of Republic of Texas public debt claims, 1848-1861; a partial index to public debt claims, 1848-1854; and an index to Republic of Texas audited claims, undated.
One register, covering 1848-1852, gives the following information for each class of the public debt: date of certificate, name, number of certificate/number of warrant, amount, and remarks. Arrangement is by class of debt (2nd Class, 3rd Class, 1st Class Audited Paper, 1st Class Funded Debt, 10% Funded Debt, Miscellaneous Liabilities, and Public Debt audited under Special Act of the Legislature). Order within each class of debt is unknown.
Another register, which covers 1848-1861, includes the following
information for most of the classes of debt: file number paid, to whom issued,
number of receipt, number of voucher, date of receipt, amounts (under each
category of debt), and remarks. Other information occasionally given in this
register (depending on the class of claim) includes: nature or description of
claim, ostensible value and par value, or under what act issued. The amounts
are given for each of the following categories of First Class claims
(1848-1856):
Also given for First Class claims are value, rate of interest, date to which interest is calculated, ostensible interest, par principal, par interest, ostensible principal and interest, par principal and interest. Arrangement within this register is by class of debt: First Class, Second Class, Third Class, Funded Debt of June 1837 (reported as “Document C--Hard cases” and audited February 6, 1856), certificates issued by Comptroller and countersigned by Treasurer under Special Acts of the Legislature (February 1848-September 1851), etc. Then within that class, arrangement is numerical (which is to say, chronological).
There is a partial index to the second register, covering
1848-1851 for 1st Class Claims and 1848-1854 for 2nd Class Claims. Next to each
name--arranged by letter of the alphabet and then roughly numerical by
claim--are listed each claim, consisting of two numbers: the class of claim (1,
2, or 3) over the number of the voucher. Thus, for example:
Finally, there is an Index to Republic of Texas audited claims, giving the name of the claimant (arranged alphabetically), followed by one or more file numbers. Included separately under each letter of the alphabet are lists of claims audited by Charles Mason and payments made by James W. Scott, Paymaster, usually with brief descriptions (e.g., Secretary Legation to U.S., pay as witness, military services 1836, Captain of Rangers, etc).
When Texas was annexed into the Union in 1845, the public debt
of the Republic of Texas amounted to nearly $10 million, consisting of two
major types of obligations:
According to the joint resolution of annexation, the public lands of Texas (retained by the state) were to be used to settle the public debt.
In March 1848, the 2nd Legislature of the State of Texas passed
In February 1850, the 3rd Texas Legislature proposed that holders of public debt liabilities surrender them to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, in exchange for land certificates at the scaled-down rate of 50 cents per acre. It also proposed that interest on all liabilities cease after July 1, 1850. This plan was rejected by the creditors who held the debt.
In September 1850, the U.S. Congress passed that part of the Compromise of 1850 which established the present northern and western boundary of Texas; in return for the 67 million acres of land which was ceded to the newly-created New Mexico Territory, the U.S. government would pay Texas $10 million in 5% U.S. bonds. Half of this sum was delivered and used to pay the ordinary (nonrevenue) debt, with $3.75 million in bonds left over. The remaining half of the settlement was retained by the U.S. government to assure the payment of the revenue debt; the U.S. refused to pay any of these claims until all claims were filed.
The U.S. Congress finally settled the controversy in an Act passed February 1855 (accepted by the Texas legislature in February 1856). The federal government appropriated $7,750,000 in cash to be prorated among the holders of the revenue debt (amounting to a payment to each creditor of about 77 cents on the dollar).
These volumes have been arranged by State Archives staff in two groups: registers, and indexes, and roughly chronologically within each group. The creator arranged each of the two registers by class of debt; the second register is then arranged numerically (which is also chronologically) within each class. The creator arranged each of the indexes alphabetically by name of claimant.
(Identify the item), Registers and indexes of Republic of Texas public debt claims, Public debt claims records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
(also account ledger of assessors/ collectors and sheriffs, 1837-1839)
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts was responsible for accounting for the public debt of Texas, which included both the ordinary or non-revenue debt (consisting of the claims of participants in the Texas Revolution or suppliers of the Texas army); and the revenue debt (principal and interest owed to holders of Republic of Texas securities). These records help document that public debt of the Republic, especially the first kind. Types of documents found in this subseries include the following: public debt certificates (1st, 2nd, or 3rd class), affidavits concerning service, powers of attorney, petitions to the legislature, acts for the relief of an individual, partial or complete lists of soldiers for whom payment was being collected by a single individual (usually a company commander), invoices, and/or court dockets. They comprise the Republic of Texas public debt claims files, 1848-about 1860.
Claims for services or goods provided between 1835 and 1846 that
could not be paid before Annexation in 1845 were eventually paid as public debt
claims, mainly from the 1850 Boundary Compromise money awarded Texas in
exchange for the territory it lost. The chief difference--apart from the
payment date--between the audited and public debt claims is that many of the
claims were settled by issuing one voucher to cover the separate claims of a
large number of persons who had performed the same service. For example, Public
Debt voucher 1634 covers payment for
These records, in turn, can give some or all of the following information: name, nature of service or type of debt, amount owed by Republic of Texas, amount allowed by State of Texas, endorsement (which could include supporting information concerning the claim or claimant), and amount of interest.
Where multiple claimants are paid with a single voucher, the typical file arrangement is: (1) a muster roll, company list, list of claimants, etc., that gives all the names associated with the claim. Often these lists include the signature of the claimant or his attorney or his heir, indicating receipt of the person's money. (2) the Public Debt Certificates and related matter, arranged in the order of the muster roll/list of claimants. All documents relating to an individual (affidavits of service, powers of attorney, probate information, etc.) are filed immediately in front of his public debt certificate.
Some Public Debt files, because of their size, are filmed on two
reels. File 1634, for example covers payment for
When Texas was annexed into the Union in 1845, the public debt
of the Republic of Texas amounted to nearly $10 million, consisting of two
major types of obligations:
According to the joint resolution of annexation, the public lands of Texas (retained by the state) were to be used to settle the public debt.
In March 1848, the 2nd Legislature of the State of Texas passed
In February 1850, the 3rd Texas Legislature proposed that holders of public debt liabilities surrender them to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, in exchange for land certificates at the scaled-down rate of 50 cents per acre. It also proposed that interest on all liabilities cease after July 1, 1850. This plan was rejected by the creditors who held the debt.
In September 1850, the U.S. Congress passed that part of the Compromise of 1850 which established the present northern and western boundary of Texas; in return for the 67 million acres of land which was ceded to the newly-created New Mexico Territory, the U.S. government would pay Texas $10 million in 5% U.S. bonds. Half of this sum was delivered and used to pay the ordinary (nonrevenue) debt, with $3.75 million in bonds left over. The remaining half of the settlement was retained by the U.S. government to assure the payment of the revenue debt; the U.S. refused to pay any of these claims until all claims were filed.
The U.S. Congress finally settled the controversy in an Act passed February 1855 (accepted by the Texas legislature in February 1856). The federal government appropriated $7,750,000 in cash to be prorated among the holders of the revenue debt (amounting to a payment to each creditor of about 77 cents on the dollar).
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff alphabetically by name of claimant.
(Identify the item), Public debt claims files, Public debt claims records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
None.
Because the actual Republic claims are extremely fragile, access to the records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (There are 69 reels of Republic of Texas public debt claims files.)
Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts was responsible for accounting for the public debt of the State of Texas, which included the revenue debt (principal and interest owed to holders of State of Texas securities). These records help document that public debt of the State. This subseries consists of three registers of claims against the State of Texas, 1860-1863, 1866-1867, and 1871-1873.
There is a Register of cancelled funds, reissued in 8% Bonds (One Million Loan) under Act of April 8, 1861 (February 1862-February 1863), which provides the following information: date of cancelling, numbers of warrants cancelled, class of warrants (amount military, amount civil), total amount, and description of bond (number, date, amount).
Another register contains two lists: a Register of 10% Treasury Warrants received (December 22, 1860-September 8, 1862); and a Register of 10% Warrants funded (under Act of November 9, 1866) (June 1860-December 1861). Information provided by each list varies, but usually includes the following: date of warrant, number of warrant, number of file, to whom payable, in whose favor, on what account, date of payment, period of interest, amount of principal, amount of interest, total, and remarks.
The final register contains the following ten lists or
documents:
Information provided in this volume varies from list to list, but normally includes the following: date of filing, date of certificate, number of file and certificate, by whom filed, owner's name/to whom issued, nature of claim, amount of unaudited claims, total amount of audited claims, total amount of rejected claims.
The 8th Texas Legislature (at the beginning of the Civil War) passed an act which was approved on April 8, 1861, authorizing the issuance of $1 million in 8% bonds (the One Million Loan), in order to retire the debt previously accumulated for the defense of the frontier, and to meet appropriations to pay the expenses of the Secession Convention.
The 11th Texas Legislature (the first one after the end of the
Civil War) passed
The 12th Texas Legislature, in an act approved November 13, 1871, confirmed the actions of the Auditorial Board in issuing bonds and certificates of indebtedness; it also extended the time within which claims could be presented to the Auditorial Board, to January 1, 1873, after which deadline claims not presented were declared forever invalid.
These volumes have been arranged by State Archives staff chronologically by date of legislation. Within each register, arrangement by the creator is first by type of record, then chronological.
(Identify the item), Registers of State of Texas public debt claims, Public debt claims records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
The Texas State Legislature authorized pensions for persons who rendered military service to the Republic of Texas (and their widows) and signers of the Declaration of Independence, to be administered by the Office of the Comptroller. These records document those pensions, consisting of claims files and indexes. The types of records in this series include the following: affidavits of service (usually handwritten, detailed accounts), transcripts of county court rulings on the validity of the claim, certifications of continuing indigence, certified copies of muster rolls (occasional), powers of attorney, pension certificates, oaths of identity, and/or widow's applications (1883 or later), plus 15 indexes and/or lists of pensioners. Although the service for which the pensions were granted included 1832-1837 and 1842, the pensions themselves date 1870-1920.
Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic
claims, plus links to that database, are at
On August 13, 1870, the 12th Texas Legislature, Called Session,
passed
On April 21, 1874, the 14th Texas Legislature, Regular Session,
passed a new pension law which made the following changes:
Further changes were made by the 15th Texas Legislature on July 28, 1876: extending eligibility to all surviving soldiers serving between October 1835 and January 1, 1837, to all signers of the Declaration of Independence, and to unmarried widows of these men; requiring proof of indigence; and shifting the duty of consideration of the pension applications from the Comptroller to the county courts. (Gammel's Laws, viii, 897-899).
The 18th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, on March 28, 1883, limited eligibility to residents of Texas, and specified the information to be included in the application presented to the county judge. (Gammel's Laws, ix, 342-344).
On March 5, 1885, the 19th Texas Legislature, Regular Session further refined the qualifications to include only those surviving indigent soldiers who were in actual military service at the time of the siege of Bexar (December 1835) or the battle of San Jacinto (April 1836), or who served at least six weeks between October 1835 and July 1836, plus surviving indigent signers of the Declaration of Independence, plus their surviving indigent unmarried widows. (Gammel's Laws, ix, 714-718). On April 4, 1889, the 21st Texas Legislature, Regular Session amended the law to include also anyone who actually participated in any battle in Texas in 1836. (Gammel's Laws, ix, 1071-1072).
These records have been organized by State Archives staff into two subseries:
(Identify the item and cite the subseries), Republic pension records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: unknown
Accession records are too incomplete to determine when these records were transferred.
Because the actual Republic claims are fragile, access to the records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (There are 48 reels of Republic pension files.)
Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.
None.
Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm for Republic
claims are at
Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110 (which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).
Tony Black, March 1994
Connie Hoxie, September 1996
Tony Black, August 2000
These records document the pensions authorized by the Texas State Legislature for persons who rendered military service to the Republic of Texas (and their widows) and signers of the Declaration of Independence, to be administered by the Office of the Comptroller. This series consists of 15 indexes concerning Republic of Texas pensions, dating 1870-1920. The first index is a list of pensioners under four Acts of the Texas Legislature, 1870-1883. The lists of pensioners under the Acts of August 13, 1870 and April 21, 1874 are combined, and include certificate number, name, county, and amount per annum. The lists of pensioners under the Acts of July 28, 1876 and March 28, 1883 are listed separately, and include number of warrant, year (1876-1879), name, and county.
The second index is to pension bonds issued between August 1, 1874 and September 17, 1878, and includes the following items: name of pensioner, (serial?) number and amount of fractional bond, (serial?) numbers of $100 bonds, date of issue, and to whom delivered.
The other 13 indexes cover 1888 through 1920, with each volume covering two or three years (i.e., seven to twelve quarters). The information given varies somewhat, including name of pensioner, husband's name if a widow (until 1905), county, town or city (1901-1920, listed as “address”), occasional notations as to date of death, dates of service (1888-1889 only), and warrant numbers for each quarterly payment (this is sometimes omitted for a given quarter, and is replaced by a simple check-mark for most quarters after 1908).
These volumes have been arranged by State Archives staff chronologically. Arrangement by the creator within each index is roughly alphabetical by last name of pensioner. The first index is further arranged by Act within the letter of the alphabet. The second index is further arranged chronologically within each letter of the alphabet.
(Identify the item), Republic pension indexes, Republic pension records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
None.
None.
These records document the pensions authorized by the Texas State Legislature for persons who rendered military service to the Republic of Texas (and their widows) and signers of the Declaration of Independence, to be administered by the Office of the Comptroller. They comprise the pension files, including the following types of documents: affidavits of service (usually handwritten, detailed accounts), transcripts of county court rulings on the validity of the claim, certifications of continuing indigence, certified copies of muster rolls (occasional), powers of attorney, pension certificates, oaths of identity, and/or widow's applications (1883 or later). They date 1870-about 1900.
Pensions for service to the Republic were not generally awarded
before the 1870s, although the congress or the legislature might, in an act
passed during a legislative session, authorize a special pension for an
individual. At first pensions were confined to
Statements of military service found in these files are among the most detailed in the Republic records. Affidavits testifying to the applicant's worthiness also provide considerable personal information. These records can provide name of claimant, date filed, by whom filed, disposition, amount of pension, company commander, service information, age, residence, heir's name, husband's name (for widow's pension), date of death, widow's age, widow's residence (county). The fact that a person has a Republic Pension file does not guarantee that he or she received a Republic pension.
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff alphabetically by name of claimant.
(Identify the item), Republic pension files, Republic pension records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Because the actual Republic claims are extremely fragile, access to the records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (There are 48 reels of Republic pension files.)
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Some of the claims relating to services and losses during the era of the Republic of Texas were denied. Many others, however, simply have no documentation in the records of the Comptroller of Public Accounts of having been settled. Other records do not fit easily into an existing series. These files include those kinds of records. The types of documentation in this series include the following: cover letters for inquiries addressed to the Court or Commissioner of Claims about the validity of land certificates issued to veterans, claims for compensation for Indian or Mexican depredations, applications for veteran's pensions, and/or claims for military service pay. Although the services for which these claims were filed date from the years of the Republic of Texas, 1836-1845, the documents themselves date 1836-about 1879.
Although claims submitted to the government that were not audited
or allowed may be found in the Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims, the
The letters to the Court or Commissioner of Claims do not contain
personal information: they note that certain numbered land scrip certificates
were being forwarded to the Claims Court. Neither the land script certificates
nor information about the outcome of these inquiries are in the holdings of the
Texas State Library. A few files have nothing in them but the
Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic
claims, plus links to that database, are at
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff alphabetically by name of claimant.
(Identify the item), Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: unknown
Accession records are too incomplete to determine when these records were transferred.
Because the actual Republic claims are fragile, access to the records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (There are 12 reels of Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims.)
Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.
None.
Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm for Republic
claims are at
Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110 (which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).
Connie Hoxie, September 1996
Tony Black, August 2000
During the Civil War, the Texas Legislature authorized and
required the Comptroller of Public Accounts to audit and settle claims for
military supplies and services, some of which were eligible to be submitted for
reimbursement by the government of the Confederate States of America. Therefore
the Comptroller maintained these audited military claims files, which have been
labeled (rightly or wrongly)
Only 2,787 claims were submitted, but this included over 11,000 persons (whose names appear in the index in the computer printout in the search room of the Texas State Archives). Frequently groups of individuals, in some case entire companies of soldiers, would file a joint claim through an agent; thus, many of the claims contain individual powers-of-attorney, authorizing an agent to receive any monies due the claimants. These powers-of-attorney usually indicate the company or regiment, rank held, and term of service, or the amount and types of supplies provided.
All claims for goods and supplies were required to be authenticated by vouchers and accounts approved by the Acting Quartermaster or Commissary of a particular regiment, battalion, or company. These vouchers usually indicate dates, types, and amounts of goods provided. Accounts and vouchers specifying amounts due for pay, clothing, forage, and subsistence for an individual, and in some instances for his servant, were often included to support claims for military or military-related services.
However, not all the claims files provide such specific
information. Approximately one-fifth of the claims consist of little more than
the claim jacket and one or more Ten Per-Cent Treasury Warrants. These
cancelled warrants provide basic but valuable information, such as name of
claimant, amount, number and title of appropriation from which payment was
drawn, service provided, and rank and company if military service. Claims
comprised of these cancelled warrants have been so indicated by the use of the
letter
The index in a computer printout in the search room of the Texas State Archives matches the names of claimants with claim numbers.
On January 4, 1862, the 9th Texas Legislature approved
Note that although the legislation was approved in January 1862, the claims covered would begin in 1861.
Another piece of legislation that applied to this type of claim was approved by the 8th Texas Legislature on February 14, 1860, whereby warrants unable to be redeemed immediately were allowed to draw 10 percent interest per annum until paid. Once the warrant had been re-submitted for payment, it was cancelled and a new warrant for the initial amount plus interest was then issued.
These records have been arranged--probably by the creator--numerically by claim number. The index in a computer printout in the search room of the Texas State Archives matches the names of claimants with claim numbers.
(Identify the item), Confederate audited military claims, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: unknown
Accession records are too incomplete to determine when these records were transferred.
None.
None.
Jean Young and Eddie Williams, August 1975
Like military claims, claims for payment for civil services rendered for the State of Texas during the Civil War were submitted to the Texas Comptroller's office for auditing and approval. This series includes vouchers, affidavits, powers-of-attorney, claim jackets, and associated correspondence, dating 1861-1865. Claimants included elected and appointed state and county officials, along with the numerous members of their staffs, and private citizens. Civil services varied from serving as a member of the legislature, to serving as a district judge, to serving as an assistant clerk in one of the various state departments. Payments for goods and supplies furnished state and county offices were included along with payments for actual civil service.
The index in a computer printout in the search room of the Texas
State Archives matches the names of claimants with claim numbers. Because
numbers were duplicated, the letter
(Researchers should please note that with these civil
claims--unlike the military claims--the term
The claims jackets and accompanying supportive affidavits, vouchers, and powers-of-attorney provide such information as name of claimant, position held or service performed, length of service, and amount of payment. There are more names in the index than there were claims, because of the practice of several individuals frequently submitting joint claims.
Further documentation of payments for civil services performed
during the Civil War can be found in other series, especially
These records have been arranged--probably by the creator--numerically by claim number.
(Identify the item), Confederate audited civil claims, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: unknown
Accession records are too incomplete to determine when these records were transferred.
None.
None.
Archives staff, date unknown
The Texas Legislature pledged and appropriated monetary relief for
the support of indigent families of Texas Civil War soldiers. This series
consists of lists submitted by the counties and maintained by the Texas
Comptroller's Office, of indigent soldiers eligible for relief from the State
of Texas during the Civil War, 1863-1865. The information given in these lists
varies somewhat from county to county. While the number of dependents is always
given, additional information
An index of the names of the soldiers is in a computer printout in
the Texas State Archives search room, and is also available online (
(Researchers should please note that the term
On November 24, 1863, the 10th Texas Legislature (Regular Session)
passed a Joint Resolution stating that the government pledged
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff alphabetically by county.
(Identify the item), Confederate indigent families lists, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: unknown
Accession records are too incomplete to determine when these records were transferred.
None.
In order to help preserve the original records, researchers are requested to use the transcriptions prepared by Linda Mearse. This publication may be requested through interlibrary loan; please contact your local library for further details.
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Archives staff, date unknown
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. The Confederate pension applications records provide detailed documentation of these persons, as well as the process. This series consists of the following records maintained by the Texas Comptroller's office: Confederate pension applications, 1899-1979; miscellaneous material relating to Confederate pensions, 1904-1934; plus 16 volumes that document applications for Confederate pensions. These volumes include 12 indexes, 3 registers, and a volume of affidavits of Confederate military service.
An alphabetical union name index is available in the Texas State
Archives search room, containing the following elements: pension number if
accepted,
On May 12, 1899, the 26th Texas Legislature, Regular Session,
passed the Confederate Pension Law, carrying into effect a Constitutional
amendment to grant aid to disabled and dependent Confederate soldiers, sailors
and their widows. To qualify for a pension, an applicant had to meet the
following requirements, which were modified over the years:
The procedure for applying for a Confederate pension in Texas involved appearing before the county judge, who (with the commissioners' court) made an initial ruling and forwarded applications deemed acceptable to the Comptroller's office, where the Pension Clerk or (after 1909) the Commissioner of Pensions made a final ruling. If accepted, the application would be assigned a unique (and consecutive) number. Rejected pension applications were retained in the Comptroller's (or the Pension Commissioner's) Office, and many who were rejected later reapplied and were accepted if their circumstances (or the law) had changed.
Pensioners were initially entitled to a maximum of $24 each quarter, with totally disabled pensioners being paid first, and the rest paid a portion of the appropriated total (not to exceed the allotted maximum, always less in reality). After 1917, every pensioner was given an equal portion of the appropriated money, with those on the Totally Disabled roll classed with other pensioners. Due to the large number of pensioners at first, the initial quarterly payment in 1899 was only $6.81; not until 1920 did the actual payment reach the maximum. During the 1920s, the quarterly payment steadily increased. In 1929, pensions began to be paid monthly, amounting to $25 per month for unmarried soldiers and widows, and $50 per month for married soldiers.
Effective April 1, 1917, mortuary warrants began to be issued, originally not to exceed $30, to help cover burial expenses of deceased pensioners. In 1923 this allotment was raised to $65, in 1929 to $100, and in 1947 to $200. Applications for mortuary warrants had to be received within 40 days of the pensioner's death, and the pension warrant for the quarter in which the death occurred had to be returned unpaid.
These records have been organized by State Archives staff into five subseries:
(Identify the item and cite the subseries), Confederate pension application records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1933/003, 1933/007, 1960/003, 1961/006, 1961/046, 1962/218, 1963/030, 1964/029, 1965/042, 1968/072, 1969/002, 1970/044, 1977/080, 1980/302, 1990/069, unknown
Confederate pension applications were transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas Comptroller's office in numerous accessions: on February 21 and 24, 1934; during the September 1, 1960-August 31, 1962 biennium (from the Confederate Pension Division); on October 31, 1961 (Confederate Pension Division); November 29, 1965; December 7, 1967; September 5, 1968; November 13, 1969 (via the Records Division of the Texas State Library); February 9, 1977; August 18, 1980; and January 17, 1990.
The Texas Comptroller's office transferred the following to the Texas State Archives: the index to pensioners who were inmates of Confederate Homes, and a list of living Confederate widows drawing pensions, on October 18, 1963; and the index of totally disabled pensioners on October 21, 1964.
25 boxes of Confederate pension affidavits (1919-1931) were apparently transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas Comptroller's office (via the Records Management Division of the Texas State Library) on September 6, 1962.
Dates of the other accessions are uncertain.
None.
None.
Laura K. Saegert, September 1983
Tony Black, March 1994, October 1994
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. The Confederate pension applications files provide detailed documentation of these persons, as well as the process. This subseries consists of more than 54,600 Confederate pension applications files created by the Texas Comptroller's office, dating 1899-1979. Each file contains an application to the State of Texas for a Confederate pension, plus supporting documents. Accepted applications comprise roughly 89 percent of the total; rejected applications comprise roughly 11 percent of the total; and there are 62 Confederate Home applications.
The contents of each file varies, but nearly always includes a four-page application containing the basic information listed below, plus affidavits of witnesses to the military service, an affidavit of a physician as to disabilities if applicable (especially prior to 1909), certificates of the county judge and county commissioners who approved the application at its initial level, and (between 1909 and 1930) a certificate of the state and county assessor as to the value of any property. Also usually included in the file is a request from the Comptroller or Commissioner of Pensions to the U.S. War Department (Adjutant General's office) for proof and details of military service, accompanied by the official reply. Beginning in 1917, most files also contain a mortuary warrant application and a copy of the warrant for payment. Other materials may include: additional affidavits and interrogatories relating to any of the requirements for eligibility; correspondence between the Comptroller or Commissioner of Pensions and the applicant, relatives, or friends; original discharges; death certificates; printed material, including newspaper clippings; etc.
The information provided by the pension application varies over time, but at one time or another includes the following, for veteran's pension applications: name of veteran, age, where born, length of residence in Texas, county where residing and length of residence there, post office address, whether previously rejected for a pension (when and where), occupation, physical condition, disability, state in which enlisted, length of service, date and place of discharge, military unit designation (letter of company and number of regiment, battalion, or battery), name of command and length of service if transferred, branch in which enlisted (infantry, cavalry, artillery, or navy), whether recipient of another pension and/or veteran's land certificate, real and personal property and its value, property sold within the previous two years and its value, income, and estate of wife and its value.
The widow's pension applications provide the following: name of widow, widow's age, birthplace, length of residence in Texas, county of residence, length of time in the county, post office address, occupation, physical condition, name of her husband, date and place of marriage, date of husband's death, county and state where he died, whether divorced or remarried (and if so, whether widowed again), state in which the husband enlisted, length of his service (enlistment and discharge dates when known), name of unit in which the husband served, name of command and date if transferred, branch of service, whether previously rejected for a pension (when and where), whether recipient of another pension and/or veteran's land certificate, real and personal property and its value, property sold within the previous two years, income, property outside of the county, and number of husband's pension if any.
The Confederate mortuary warrant applications (beginning in 1917) provide the following information on the veteran or the widow: date of death, city or county of death, where death occurred (in home, hospital, etc.), relation of person (s) in whose home the pensioner died, relationship of the petitioner to the pensioner, petitioner's post office address, physician's certification (including ailments of pensioner), and undertaker's certification.
A number of application files are known to be missing (based on information from the Confederate pension indexes and registers); these are marked with an asterisk in the pension index in the State Archives search room.
An alphabetical union name index is available in the Texas State
Archives search room, containing the following elements: pension number if
accepted,
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff numerically by pension number (which is also chronologically) for accepted pension applications, and alphabetically by name of applicant for rejected pension applications, as well as for Confederate Home pension applications. This arrangement was probably the same used by the creator of the records.
(Identify the item), Confederate pension applications, Confederate pension application records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1933/003, 1933/007, 1960/003, 1961/006, 1965/042, 1968/072, 1969/002, 1970/044, 1977/080, 1980/302
Confederate pension applications were transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas Comptroller's office in numerous accessions: on February 21 and 24, 1934; during the September 1, 1960-August 31, 1962 biennium (from the Confederate Pension Division); on October 31, 1961 (Confederate Pension Division); November 29, 1965; December 7, 1967; September 5, 1968; November 13, 1969 (via the Records Division of the Texas State Library); February 9, 1977; and August 18, 1980.
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. This subseries consists of records maintained by the Texas Comptroller's Office which pertain to Texas Confederate pension applications, but which for various reasons cannot be assigned to a particular Confederate pension application file. Types of records include military service records, physician's statements, witness affidavits, mortuary warrant applications, and related correspondence, dating 1903-1934.
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff alphabetically by name of applicant.
(Identify the item), Miscellaneous material relating to Confederate pension applications, Confederate pension application records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. This subseries consists of twelve indexes to Texas Confederate pension applications, covering the period 1899-1967.
Seven of the indexes are to Confederate pensioners, whose
applications were accepted between 1899 and 1959. Information given in each
index includes surname, Christian name, file number, county, and remarks (most
commonly,
Separate indexes cover totally disabled pensioners (through
1917), inmates of the Confederate Homes, and rejected applications (1899-1958).
This latter index includes surname, Christian name, date, county, and remarks
(usually giving reason for rejection: e.g.,
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff chronologically by groups of years during which applications were filed: 1899-1907, 1907-1913, 1913-1915, 1915-1928, and 1928-1948/1959. Within each volume, arrangement by the creator is alphabetical by surname, and within a given surname, numerical (i.e. chronological).
(Identify the item), Confederate pension indexes, Confederate pension application records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1963/030, 1964/029, unknown
The Texas Comptroller's office transferred the following to the Texas State Archives: the index to pensioners who were inmates of Confederate Homes, and a list of living Confederate widows drawing pensions, on October 18, 1963; and the index of totally disabled pensioners on October 21, 1964. Dates of the other accessions are uncertain.
(pp. 1-146)
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for
eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows.
This subseries consists of three registers of Texas Confederate pension
applications, covering October 1, 1899-March 31, 1909, and March 1,
1915-December 4, 1917. Information provided includes name of applicant, post
office (town or city), county, number of application, date filed (until #8203,
September 18, 1901), widow of, service or command (beginning with #8204),
disposition (and date, e.g.
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff chronologically. Two volumes are arranged by the creator numerically by application number, which is also chronologically. The third volume, covering May 1902-April 1903, is arranged by the creator alphabetically by county; but this volume is incomplete, not covering all the counties for the entire time span.
(Identify the item), Confederate pension registers, Confederate pension application records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. One of the key requirements was proof of service in a military unit of the Confederate States of America. This subseries consists of one volume created by the Texas Comptroller's office, containing longhand and typescript transcripts of affidavits of Confederate military service, sworn to between 1909 and 1917. An index is at the front of the volume.
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff chronologically.
(Identify the item), Affidavits of Confederate military service, Confederate pension application records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. This series consists of 23 volumes maintained by the Texas Comptroller's office, which document payments of Confederate pensions. Volumes include 5 quarterly Confederate pension records, 5 affidavit registers, 9 pension warrant registers or volumes of stubs, and 4 mortuary warrant registers, with overall dates of 1899-1905, 1909-1910, and 1915-1966.
On May 12, 1899, the 26th Texas Legislature, Regular Session,
passed the Confederate Pension Law, carrying into effect a Constitutional
amendment to grant aid to disabled and dependent Confederate soldiers, sailors
and their widows. To qualify for a pension, an applicant had to meet the
following requirements, which were modified over the years:
The procedure for applying for a Confederate pension in Texas involved appearing before the county judge, who (with the commissioners' court) made an initial ruling and forwarded applications deemed acceptable to the Comptroller's office, where the Pension Clerk or (after 1909) the Commissioner of Pensions made a final ruling. If accepted, the application would be assigned a unique (and consecutive) number. Rejected pension applications were retained in the Comptroller's (or the Pension Commissioner's) Office, and many who were rejected later reapplied and were accepted if their circumstances (or the law) had changed.
Pensioners were initially entitled to a maximum of $24 each quarter, with totally disabled pensioners being paid first, and the rest paid a portion of the appropriated total (not to exceed the allotted maximum, always less in reality). After 1917, every pensioner was given an equal portion of the appropriated money, with those on the Totally Disabled roll classed with other pensioners. Due to the large number of pensioners at first, the initial quarterly payment in 1899 was only $6.81; not until 1920 did the actual payment reach the maximum. During the 1920s, the quarterly payment steadily increased. In 1929, pensions began to be paid monthly, amounting to $25 per month for unmarried soldiers and widows, and $50 per month for married soldiers.
Effective April 1, 1917, mortuary warrants began to be issued, originally not to exceed $30, to help cover burial expenses of deceased pensioners. In 1923 this allotment was raised to $65, in 1929 to $100, and in 1947 to $200. Applications for mortuary warrants had to be received within 40 days of the pensioner's death, and the pension warrant for the quarter in which the death occurred had to be returned unpaid.
These records have been organized by State Archives staff into four subseries:
(Identify the item and cite the subseries), Confederate pension payments records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1963/030, 1969/002, unknown
These records were transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas Comptroller's office on July 19, 1963; September 5, 1968; and unknown other transfers.
Two
An unknown quantity of Confederate pension warrants was transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas Comptroller's office on July 19, 1963.
Dates of the other accessions are uncertain.
None.
None.
Laura K. Saegert, September 1983
Tony Black, March 1994, October 1994
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for
eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows.
This subseries consists of six registers created by the Texas Comptroller's
office: five labeled
For each county, the first five registers give name of
pensioner, number of application, amounts and numbers of warrants issued for
each quarter, and memoranda (e.g.,
The register which covers December 1, 1915-February 29, 1916 gives pensioner's name, original county, file number, warrant number, post office, and amount. This is the latest record of payment of Confederate pensions before the issuance of the first Mortuary warrants in 1917.
These volumes have been arranged by State Archives staff roughly chronologically. Therein, the records are arranged by the creator mostly alphabetically by county, then numerically (i.e. chronologically) within each county. The exception is the 1915-1916 register, which is arranged by the creator roughly alphabetically by name of pensioner (first by surname, then by given name), then alphabetically by county, then numerically by pension number.
(Identify the item), Quarterly Confederate pension records, Confederate pension payments records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for
eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows.
Each pensioner was required to file a quarterly affidavit that conditions
affecting his eligibility had not changed since the last payment. This
subseries consists of five volumes documenting the filing of Texas Confederate
pension affidavits, 1900-1901 and 1917-1920. The two volumes covering July 2,
1900-July 3, 1901 are registers. These give name of pensioner, number (of
affidavit, NOT the number of the Confederate Pension Application), when
received, when issued, and warrant number. The last two items of information
are omitted after March 29, 1901. Occasional notations include
Section 7 of the original Pension Law of 1899 required each
pensioner to file quarterly with the Comptroller an affidavit
These volumes have been arranged by State Archives staff chronologically. Then, the two earlier volumes are arranged by the creator numerically by affidavit number, which is also chronologically. The three later volumes are arranged by the creator alphabetically by county, and therein numerically by Confederate pension application number.
(Identify the item), Confederate pension affidavit registers, Confederate pension payments records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. This subseries consists of eight volumes which document the issuance of Confederate pension warrants by the State of Texas.
Three of the volumes contain the stubs of Confederate pension warrants for scattered quarters between July 1900 and April 1903. Each stub gives warrant number, amount, appropriation number, name of pensioner, quarter, application number, county, and date. The third volume includes blank stubs with blank warrants attached.
Five volumes are registers of Confederate pension warrants issued, December 1909-June 1910, December 1910, and September 1950-August 1955. Those for 1909-1910 give date of issue, warrant number, name to whom issued, and amount. Those for 1950-1955 also include pension number and address, and include mortuary warrants as well as pension warrants.
These volumes have been arranged by State Archives staff chronologically. Arrangement by the creator within each of the stubs volumes is numerical. Arrangement by the creator within each of the registers is chronological, i.e. numerical by warrant number.
(Identify the item), Confederate Pension warrant registers and stubs, Confederate pension payments records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for
eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows.
Beginning in 1917, mortuary warrants began to be authorized to help cover
burial expenses. This subseries consists of four volumes which document the
issuance of Confederate mortuary warrants by the State of Texas between 1917
and 1966, bulk 1917-1943. Two of them (1917-1966) give the following
information: date, mortuary warrant number, claimant, name of pensioner,
pension application number, and amount. The other two volumes (1917-1943) are
registers. The register covering May 1917-March 1931 gives number, payee,
amount, and date paid; the register covering June 1933-August 1943 gives date
of issue, unit amount ($100), month, to whom issued, and warrant number.
Mortuary warrants issued beginning September 1943 were included in the
registers of monthly pension warrants. (Those for 1950-1955 are listed
separately, in the subseries
Effective April 1, 1917, mortuary warrants began to be issued, originally not to exceed $30, to help cover burial expenses of deceased Confederate pensioners. In 1923 this allotment was raised to $65, in 1929 to $100, and in 1947 to $200. Applications for mortuary warrants had to be received within 40 days of the pensioner's death, and the pension warrant for the quarter in which the death occurred had to be returned unpaid.
These volumes have been arranged by State Archives staff roughly chronologically. Two of the volumes are arranged by the creator alphabetically by county, and therein numerically (i.e. chronologically) within each county. The two registers are arranged by the creator numerically (and therefore roughly chronologically).
(Identify the item), Confederate mortuary warrant registers, Confederate pension payments records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1969/002 and unknown
Two
Beginning in 1959, the Texas Legislature authorized the Comptroller's office to pay to qualified former Texas Rangers and their widows. These records document both the persons applying for these pensions, and the process itself. This series consists mostly of the pension files (applications and other documents) of deceased recipients of Texas Ranger pensions, 1959-1990. Also included are copies of U.S. Congressional legislation, 1917, and of Texas Attorney General opinions, 1928, 1931, 1936, and 1938. Information available from the pension application includes the name of the applicant and his/her spouse; death date of the ranger (if widow's pension); address; date and county of birth; county in which married; service record--Ranger companies served with, age at the time of service, and length of service; whether the applicant had worked for the state; and whether the applicant was eligible for the Employees Retirement System of Texas.
The pension applications may be accompanied by proof of service--oaths of service or copies of service records from the Archives Division or the Department of Public Safety; mortuary warrants, often accompanied by death certificates; affidavits certifying the identity of the pensioner; and routine correspondence--concerning the pension status, change of address, or notification of the death of the pensioner. Most files also contain a filing card used by the Comptroller's staff in their index, listing the pensioner's name, address, service record, and usually, date of death. In addition to the pension files are copies of legislation and Attorney General opinions concerning Confederate and Indian War pensions.
The 56th Texas Legislature passed legislation in 1959 (Senate Bill 53) which authorized pension payments for Texas Rangers or their widows. In order to be eligible for a pension, the ranger had to have served a minimum of two years as a regular Texas Ranger prior to September 1, 1947 (Special Ranger service was not counted); he could not be eligible for membership in the Employees Retirement System of Texas; he could not have been dismissed from the ranger service for incompetence, misconduct, or breach of duty; and he had to be at least sixty years old. Widow requirements were that she have been married to the ranger prior to January 1, 1957 and at the time of his death; and that her husband have fulfilled the above described requirements for a ranger pension.
The ranger pensions were issued through the Comptroller's office and paid out of the Confederate Pension Fund. The pensioner received $80 a month and a $200 mortuary warrant payment was available for burial expenses. In 1990 there were still a few pensioners receiving payments. Their files are maintained in the Claims Division of the Comptroller's office.
These records have been arranged by State Archives staff by type
of record, with opinions/legislative materials filed first, followed by the
pension files. Pension files have been arranged by State Archives staff
alphabetically by last name of pensioner. (Entries preceded by
(Identify the item), Texas Ranger pensions, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession numbers: 1963/145, 1965/042, 1990/069, 1992/154
These records were transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Comptroller's office (via the Records Division of the State Library) on April 6, 1964; November 29, 1965; January 17, 1990; and May 26, 1992.
None.
None.
Tony Black, November 1987
Laura K. Saegert, July 1990
Tonia J. Wood, November 1995