Civil War Service RecordsUnion SoldiersEach Union volunteer soldier should have a Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR) for each regiment in which he served. Most of these records are held by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The CMSR contains basic information about the soldier's military career. The soldier's place of birth may be given -- if foreign born, only the country of birth is given. Information about age, residence, occupation and physical description is sometimes included. Some may also show facts about a soldier's imprisonment. Confederate Soldiers The National Archives also has some compiled military service records of Confederate officers, noncommissioned officers, and enlisted men. These are similar to the records of volunteer Union soldiers. Finding Aids To find your ancestor's Compiled Military Civil War Service Record you will need this basic information about him:
Ordering Civil War Service Records from the National Archives
Civil War Pension RecordsRelated ResourcesDisclaimerThe tips given here are merely suggestions to help you research your Civil War ancestors. You may not be able to find the records you are seeking for a variety of reasons. See additional disclaimers at the link below. |