Civil War pensions

[Lincoln Wonk]

This is interesting:


http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2...594982001/

[Steve]

I'm a little confused as to why the government continued to pay pensions after those later in life children of the Civil War soldiers became adults.

[Darrell]

(09-20-2017 03:02 PM)Steve Wrote:  I'm a little confused as to why the government continued to pay pensions after those later in life children of the Civil War soldiers became adults.

If I'm not mistaken, Ms. Triplett is receiving a Survivor's Pension based on current law - not because she is the child of a Civil War soldier per se. This benefit is available to low-income, unmarried children of a deceased Veteran - as long as such Veteran has wartime service (i.e., from any war, including the Civil War, WW II, Vietnam, Gulf War, etc., etc.).

For the purposes of a Survivor's Pension, a "child" is a son or daughter who is:

a) under age 18, or
b) age 18-23 (inclusive) and a student, or
c) age 18 or older, and disabled before age 18

Ms. Triplett meets requirement "c" above because she was born mentally disabled - and she has been deemed permanently incapable of self-support due to that disability. Therefore, although 87 years old, she is legally considered a "child" for the purposes of receiving a Survivor's Pension.

https://www.benefits.va.gov/pension/spousepen.asp
http://blog.theveteranssite.com/cs-irene...ension-nc/

[Steve]

That makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up.

[richard petersen]

There was an article in the WSJ 9/8/17 on Entitlements by John Coogan of Stanford University.
Mr. Coogan states that in 1873 8000 were receiving Civil War pensions. Eligibility was limited to soldiers who had been injured in battle or widows of those killed.
By 1890 30 years after the war 1 million were getting pensions and the pensions from the war accounted for 40% of all Federal government spending. The original rules were relaxed and the civil war vets were covered if you were disabled or not.
Mr. Coogan states that once granted benefits multiply.

[Darrell]

(09-21-2017 10:26 AM)richard petersen Wrote:  There was an article in the WSJ 9/8/17 on Entitlements by John Coogan of Stanford University.
Mr. Coogan states that in 1873 8000 were receiving Civil War pensions. Eligibility was limited to soldiers who had been injured in battle or widows of those killed.
By 1890 30 years after the war 1 million were getting pensions and the pensions from the war accounted for 40% of all Federal government spending. The original rules were relaxed and the civil war vets were covered if you were disabled or not.
Mr. Coogan states that once granted benefits multiply.

Interesting info. As a comparison, veterans benefits accounted for just 4 percent of the total federal budget in 2014. I assume that, in 1890, there were few (if any) other entitlement programs. However, since the Great Depression, we have seen an explosion in such programs. IIRC, three programs now account for over half of the federal budget (Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid).

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/blog/...-veterans/

[Darrell]

For those who may be interested, I found a short article on the history of Civil War Pensions (link below). IMO, it provides additional context on why the numbers had increased so dramatically by the 1890's (as Richard outlined above).

On a personal note, my Confederate great-grandfather applied for a pension from Virginia late in his life. However, he was denied because his annual income exceeded $1,000 - dad-gummed mean-testing! (And, yes, I said great, not great-great, etc., so now y'all know I'm no spring chicken. LOL!)

http://essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/c...sions.html

[DannyW]

(09-22-2017 06:45 PM)Darrell Wrote:  For those who may be interested, I found a short article on the history of Civil War Pensions (link below). IMO, it provides additional context on why the numbers had increased so dramatically by the 1890's (as Richard outlined above).

On a personal note, my Confederate great-grandfather applied for a pension from Virginia late in his life. However, he was denied because his annual income exceeded $1,000 - dad-gummed mean-testing! (And, yes, I said great, not great-great, etc., so now y'all know I'm no spring chicken. LOL!)

http://essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/c...sions.html

Thanks so much for the article as it answered the question I had on Confederate pensions. So the individual states developed their systems of paying the pensions. I know Hilt Collier who led TRs bear hunt received a pension. So , thanks again for the information.

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(09-22-2017 06:45 PM)Darrell Wrote:  For those who may be interested, I found a short article on the history of Civil War Pensions (link below). IMO, it provides additional context on why the numbers had increased so dramatically by the 1890's (as Richard outlined above).

On a personal note, my Confederate great-grandfather applied for a pension from Virginia late in his life. However, he was denied because his annual income exceeded $1,000 - dad-gummed mean-testing! (And, yes, I said great, not great-great, etc., so now y'all know I'm no spring chicken. LOL!)

http://essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/c...sions.html

Thanks so much for the article as it answered the question I had on Confederate pensions. So the individual states developed their systems of paying the pensions. I know Hilt Collier who led TRs bear hunt received a pension. So , thanks again for the information.

---

(10-10-2017 11:13 PM)DannyW Wrote:  

(09-22-2017 06:45 PM)Darrell Wrote:  For those who may be interested, I found a short article on the history of Civil War Pensions (link below). IMO, it provides additional context on why the numbers had increased so dramatically by the 1890's (as Richard outlined above).

On a personal note, my Confederate great-grandfather applied for a pension from Virginia late in his life. However, he was denied because his annual income exceeded $1,000 - dad-gummed mean-testing! (And, yes, I said great, not great-great, etc., so now y'all know I'm no spring chicken. LOL!)

http://essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/c...sions.html

Thanks so much for the article as it answered the question I had on Confederate pensions. So the individual states developed their systems of paying the pensions. I know Hilt Collier who led TRs bear hunt received a pension. So , thanks again for the information.

---

(09-22-2017 06:45 PM)Darrell Wrote:  For those who may be interested, I found a short article on the history of Civil War Pensions (link below). IMO, it provides additional context on why the numbers had increased so dramatically by the 1890's (as Richard outlined above).

On a personal note, my Confederate great-grandfather applied for a pension from Virginia late in his life. However, he was denied because his annual income exceeded $1,000 - dad-gummed mean-testing! (And, yes, I said great, not great-great, etc., so now y'all know I'm no spring chicken. LOL!)

http://essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/c...sions.html

Thanks so much for the article as it answered the question I had on Confederate pensions. So the individual states developed their systems of paying the pensions. I know Hilt Collier who led TRs bear hunt received a pension. So , thanks again for the information.

http://www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/arti...-civil-war
This is an article from the Mississippi Department of Archives & History used in our schools. This is on black pensions !

[Darrell]

(10-10-2017 11:13 PM)DannyW Wrote:  http://www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/arti...-civil-war
This is an article from the Mississippi Department of Archives & History used in our schools. This is on black pensions !

Thanks, Danny - very interesting. In fact, it got me googling around and I happened upon the uncondensed version from The Journal of Mississippi History (Vol. LXVIX, No. 4. Winter, 2007). I haven't read it all yet, but it starts out with an amusing anecdote.

https://deadconfederates.files.wordpress...ioners.pdf