Military Records,Instructions for Pension Application, Ouachita, LA "Submitted for the USGenWeb Archives by DeAnne Norred-Forrest, 03/07/2004" ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** READ THIS ARTICLE AND ACT BEFORE FILLING OUT APPLICATION Act. 303. A pension not to exceed eight dolars per month shall be allowed to each Confederate soldier or sailor veteran, who possess all of the following qualifications: 1st: He shall have served honorably from the date of his enlistment until the close of the late Civil war, or until he was discharged or paroled, in some military organization regularly mustered into the army or navy of the Confederate States, and shall have remained true to the Confederate States until the surrender. 2d: He shall be in indigent circumstances, and unable to earn a livelihood by his own labor or skill. 3d: He shall not be salaried or otherwise provided for by the State of Louisiana, or by any other State or Government. In case he enlisted in any organizationa mustered into said service as a Louisiana organization, or in case at the date of his enlistment he resided in the State of Louisiana, he shall have resided in this State for at least five years prior to his application for a pension. In case he resided elsewhere than in this State, and enlisted in an organization not mustered in from Louisiana, or in the navy of the Confederate States, he shall have resided in this State for at least fifteen years prior to the application for such pension. A like pension shall be granted to the widow who shall not have married again, in indigent circumstances, of any soldier or sailor who, having entered the service of the Confederate States during the late Civil War, lost his life prior to June 1st, 1865, from wounds received, or disease contracted in such service; provided, that is her deceased husband served in an organization mustered in from Louisiana, or if he resided in Louisiana at the date of his enlistment, and has so resided for one year prior thereto, then in order that such widow shall be entitled to the pension as herein provided, she shall have resided in this State for not less than fifteen years prior to her application for such pension; provided, further, that pensions, whether to veterans or to widows, shall be allowed only from the date of application under this article, and the total appropriation for all pensions shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars in any one year. Act No. 125 AN ACT For the pensioning of indigent Confederate soldiers or sailors, veterans and indigent widows of Confederate soldiers and sailors, as per article 303 of the Constitution and to fix the fees of attorneys or agents for procuring pensions and fixing penalty for the violation of the same. Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, That the Auditor of Public Accounts of the State of Louisiana, the Adjutant General of the State, and three Confederate Veterans of established war record, selected by the Governor of the State to hold office for two years, without pay, shall constitute the Board of Pension Commissioners, who are invested with full power and authority to receive, hear, and pass upon all applications of pensions under the provisions of Article 303 of the Constitution and to prescribe such Rules and Regulations touching such application at such time as they may deem necessary for the proper conduct of their business as such Board and to hear evidence touching such application at such time and places and in such manner as they may desire, and to allow or refuse pensions according as law and justice may require. They are invested with full power over the entire pension roll at all times, and it is their duty to strike from the roll such names as may be improperly there, after proper notice and hearing. The decision shall be final. Sec. 2 Be it further enacted, etc., That a pension not to exceed Eight Dollars a month shall be allowed to each Confederate Soldier or Sailor Veteran who possesses all of the following qualifications. 1st. He shall have served honorably from the date of his enlistment or until the close of the late Civil War or until he was discharged or paroled in some military organization regularly mustered into the army or navy of the Confederate States until the surrender. 2nd. He shall be in indigent circumstances and unable to earn a livelihood by his own labor or skill. 3rd. He shall not be salaried or otherwise provided for by the State of Louisiana, or by any other State or Government. In case he enlisted in any organization mustered into said service in a Louisiana organization, or in case that a date of his enlistment he resided in the State of Louisiana, he shall have resided in this State for at least Five years prior to his application for pension. In case he resided elsewhere than in this State, and enlisted in an organi-zation not mustered in from Louisiana, or in the Navy of the Confederate States he shall have resided in this State for at least fifteen years prior to his application for such pension. A like pension shall be granted to the widow who shall not have married again in indigent circumstances, of any soldier or sailor who having entered the service of the Confederate States during the late Civil War lost his life prior to June 1st, 1865, from wounds received or disease contracted in such service provided that if her deceased husband served in any organization mustered in from Louisiana, or if he resided in Louisiana at the date of his enlistment and had so resided for one year prior thereto, then in order that such widow shall be entitled to the pension as herein provided she shall have resided in this State for at least five years prior to her application therefor and if her deceased husband enlisted elsewhere than in Louisiana, and served in an organization not mustered in from Louisiana such widow shall, in order to entitle her to the pension as herein provided, have resided in this State for not less than fifteen years prior to her application for such pension, provided further that pensions, whether to veterans or to widows, shall be allowed only from the date of application under this article, and the total appropriation for all pensions shall not exceed the sum of Fifty Thousand Dollars in one year. Sec. 3 Be it further enacted, etc., That the rates of pensions to be paid under this act shall be graduated by the Board of Commissioners according to the condition of dis-ability or indigents or family demands of the applicant. The Board of Commissioners shall pass on all applications and give their approval before a pension shall be granted. When granted the Auditor of the State shall issue his warrant quarterly to the pensioner for the amount of the pension on the Treasurer, who shall pay the same out of monies appropriated for pensions. Sec. 4 Be it further enacted, etc., if from inheritance, or otherwise, any pensioner shall acquire a competeney sufficient for his support, or dies, ti shall be the duty of the Board to strike such pensioner from the pension roll. Sec. 5 Be it further enacted, etc., That the Board of Pension Commissioners shall keep a book in which shall be recorded the names of each pensioner, his residence, his company and Regiment or Navel Service with date, place, nature of wound received or disability how occassioned, and where, date and place where paroled or discharged; if discharged where remaining until the surrender and the date of granting and amount of pension. In the case of widows, the causes and date and place of their husbands death shall appear in said book. Sec. 6 Be it further enacted, etc., That it shall be the duty of the Board of Commissioners to fix the fees of attorneys prosecuting applications for pensions, which shall in no case exceed five dollars. Sec. 7 Be it further enacted, etc., That it shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not less than $25.00 and imprisonment not less than ten days for any person to contract for or receive directly, or indirectly, more than the legal fees herein fixed for prosecuting pensions claims under this act. The Board of Pension Commissioners are required to investigate such matters and have them brought before the courts. S.P. HENRY, Speaker of the House of Representatives R.H. SNYDER, Lieutenant Governor and President of the State Approved July 13, 1898 MURPHY J. FOSTER, Governor of the State of Louisiana A true copy: JOHN T. MICHEL, Secretary of State