CivilWarRecords

Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Cold Harbor, VA, in June 1862.
Photograph by Matthew Brady. Library of Congress.

Some of the most interesting and helpful information I have found during my research has been gleaned from my ancestor's Civil War service and pension records.

The U.S. government has documents concerning the more than 3 million soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The National Archives in Washington holds all of the original service records of the Civil War soldiers. U.S. Civil War Record Types include Service Records, Company Muster Records and Special Orders.

Records for each soldier are included together, and the average collection includes more than several dozen documents. Records indicate where and when the soldier served, at what rank, as well as medical examinations during service and years later when the soldier may have applied for a disability pension.

A Veteran Pension Records can be very informative and consist of the pension applications which contains information regarding the veteran's life since he left the service, up to the time of his application. Witness Affidavits, which are also part of the files, are written by either relatives or close associates of the veterans and can include many facts that one would not normally be able to obtain regarding the health history and condition of the veteran.

Similarly, widow's pension applications provide some of the most exciting material documenting important events though the lives of the soldier and his wife. These records also contain Witness Affidavits. The date of the marriage, as well as listing the names and birth dates of their children are included.

One thing to be aware of is that some soldiers used aliases. Many lied about their names and ages. This accounts for some of the difficulty in verifying these records.

The following links will help you in obtaining United States Civil War Service and Pension Records.