Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Westmoreland County (Va.) Military and Pension Records, 1863-1907. Local government records collection, Westmoreland County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a shipment of court papers from Westmoreland County.

Biographical Information

Westmoreland County was formed from Northumberland County in 1653. Part of King George County was added in 1777.

Throughout the Civil War, the principal responsibility for Virginia's indigent soldiers' families lay with the locality. The Virginia State Convention in 1861 gave the responsibility entirely to counties and incorporated towns and authorized whatever actions had already been taken. Acts of Assembly in 1862 and 1863 expanded the localities' powers to provide for their needy, and in 1863, some minimal state assistance was added in. At first relief was provided as money, but as the monetary system collapsed, relief was distributed in kind. Agents of the court maintained lists of eligible families, gathered goods for distribution and paid for them, and impressed supplies if necessary. Virginia was unique amongst the southern states in that it assigned the provisioning of needy families almost solely to the locality.

Virginia Act of Assembly passed January 25, 1898, required the commissioners of the revenue in the counties and cities to list on a form provided by the auditor of public accounts all ex-Confederate soldiers and sailors living in their jurisdictions. The completed listings were to be filed with the clerks of court of the localities for permanent retention.

The General Assembly of Virginia approved an act on March 7, 1900 to "give aid to soldiers, sailors, and marines disabled in the previous war between the states, and to every such soldier, sailor, and marine who by disease or other infirmities of age, is disabled from earning or is without the means of procuring a support, and to the widows of Virginia soldiers, sailors, and marines who lost their lives in said previous war in the military or naval services, or whose husbands have died since the previous war". (Acts of General Assembly of the State of Virginia during the Session 1899-1900, Chapter 1149 on pages 1257-1262)

The General Assembly of Virginia approved an act on April 2, 1902 to "aid the citizens of Virginia who were disabled by wounds received during the war between the States while serving as soldiers, sailors, and marines of Virginia and as such as served during the said war as soldiers, sailors, and marines of Virginia, who are now disabled by disease contracted during the war or by the infirmities of are, and the widows of soldiers, sailors, and marines of Virginia who lost their lives in said service, or whose death resulted from wounds received or disease contracted in said service. This act providing penalties for violation of this act". (Acts of General Assembly of the State of Virginia during the Session 1901-1902, Chapter 453 on pages 472-497)

Scope and Content

Westmoreland County (Va.) Military and Pension Records, 1863-1907, consist of Provisions Made for Soldier's Wives and Children, Precinct 1 through 4, 26 October 1863; Roster of Ex-Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Living in Westmoreland County, in 1898; and Civil War Pension Applications under the Acts of Assembly 1900 and 1902.

The Provisions made for Soldier's Wives and Children were barrels of corn, pork, bunch of cotton, leather for shoes and salt. Not every individual or family received allowances or all the allowances available. In one case, the sisters of the soldier received provisions.

Roster of Ex-Confederate Soldiers and Sailors asked for the soldiers or sailors name, age, rank, company, regiment to which they were attached or in which they served, and the length of time in service.

Westmoreland County had three widows pensions and fifteen solder's petitions under the under the Act of 1900. They had one soldier's application under the Act of 1902 that was filed in 1907.

Related Material

Additional Westmoreland County Court Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia. Consult A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Westmoreland County (Va.) Circuit Court

Subjects:

• Public records-- Virginia -- Westmoreland County

Geographical Names:

• Westmoreland County (Va.)--History

Genre and Form Terms:

• Local government records--Virginia--Westmoreland County

Adjunct Descriptive Data

This collection is arranged chronological.

Adjunct Descriptive Data