Thursday, January 10, 2008

Taking Care of the Veterans


This evening, I’ve been working on a little article for the Newsletter of the Avery County Historical Society and Museum. The article deals with Confederate and Federal Pension information. It amazes me how such a little article (one typed page) can be so time consuming.


There is no "go-to" source for this type of information, and I’ve had to piece together some facts from various places.


Here are some tidbits that I gleaned from my research on the Confederate side:


1866 - the General Assembly provided artificial legs at no cost to former Confederates in North Carolina, or, $70 to those veterans wishing to obtain their own prostheses. Arms are included later.


1885 - North Carolina began providing pensions for disabled veterans and certain widows. Disabled Confederate veterans received payments ranging between $15 and $60, per year. Each widow received $15 per year.


1890/1 - the North Carolina Confederate Veterans Home Association in Raleigh. Home closed in 1938


1908 - Home for Confederate widows and daughters established in Fayetteville. Closed in 1981.


1911 - number of pensioners in North Carolina peaked with 17,225 men and women receiving state pensions.

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