Finding a Civil War Ancestor

Index
BulletPurpose of This PageBullet
 
BulletBrief OverviewBullet
 
BulletResourcesBullet
 
BulletNATF 80 FormBullet
 
BulletAdditional InformationBullet
 
BulletBrief Biographical SketchesBullet

BulletPurpose of This PageBullet

The intent of this page is not to relate the history or other events pertaining to the Civil War, as that has already been done numerous times. Web sites of particular note are The American Civil War Homepage by George Hoemann and Mary Myers in Texas (For fans of the movie "Gettysburg", there is even a link to information about Joshua L. Chamberlain [played by Jeff Daniels]), Dakota State University's Civil War Page, managed by Jim Janke, and the mega-site operated by The U.S. Civil War Center. Rather, the intent of this page is to give helpful hints for finding those ancestors who may have fought in the Civil War. Also, there are brief biographical sketches of my husband's and my ancestors who served during the Civil War.
 
 

BulletBrief OverviewBullet

Briefly, the Civil War was fought between the Northern and Southern (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia) states, beginning on April 12, 1861 when troops in South Carolina fired upon the garrison at Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, and ending officially on April 9, 1865 when General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army to General Ulysses S. Grant. The war affected nearly every family in those regions of the country.
 
 

BulletResourcesBullet

There are numerous sources to help a person's search, and many can be found in the LDS Family History Centers. If you are not close to a state archives or appropriate library, Family History Centers can be very helpful. Their Research Outlines will save you much time and fruitless searching.

One helpful source from the Family History Library is Bibliography of State Participation in the Civil War, 3rd ed, Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1913 (FHL film 1,465,569) which lists veteran organizations, regimental histories and state, county, and town histories (Northern and Southern) that have rosters of soldiers. For more helpful sources, be sure to check out the LDS Research Outline on U.S. Military Records.

Numerous organizations are working together (The National Park Service, the National Archives and Records Administration, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the Genealogical Society of Utah, and numerous volunteers) to make a computerized index to all Union and Confederate soldiers. This index will be available at National Park Civil War sites when completed.

If you are wondering if your ancestor served during the war, one of the first things to ask is if he were an appropriate age. In the Union, the Conscription Act of 1863 declared that men between the ages of 20 and 45 were eligible for duty. (Aliens who had filed their declaration of intention to become citizens were also eligible.) These records are at The National Archives and have not yet been microfilmed. If you can get to The National Archives, these records contain valuable genealogical data.

The next step in your search might be to check the 1890 Federal Population Special Census of Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Widows of the Civil War. (Since the 1890 US Federal Census was largely destroyed, this is a good alternative.) Schedules for states alphabetically from Kentucky through Wyoming are available. On this particular census, you will first see the name of the surviving soldier,etc. If it is his widow, you will see for example, "Widow of Wm. H.G. Miller". The census then lists the following: rank, company, name of Regiment or Vessel, Date of Enlistment, Date of Discharge, Length of Service, Post Office Address, Disability Incurred (if any), Remarks. Once again, a very good place to view this census is the LDS Family History Center. When using the Family History Library Card Catalog, check under United States, under the topic "Censuses". Then order the appropriate film.

Once equipped with this information, your next step might be to check with The National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC. You may write to them at the following address:

General Reference Branch (NNRG-P)
National Archives & Records Administration
7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20408
Or you may call: (202) 501-5652. Whether you write or call, make sure you ask for the NATF 80 form.
 
 

BulletNATF 80 FormBullet

This is the form used by The National Archives for obtaining military and pensions records for men who have served before World War I. The latter has a different address to which you write.

When you receive your NATF 80 Form, you must fill in the first 7 items in order for your file to be searched. These are the items:

  1. File to be searched
      BulletPension (This gives the most genealogical data)
      BulletBounty-Land Warrant Application (Service before 1856 only)
      BulletMilitary
  1. Payment Method - credit card number, signature, exp. date & daytime phone or Bill Me
  2. Veteran - Last, first & middle name
      BulletNote: Aliases are cross referenced but not always!
  1. Branch of service in which he served
      BulletArmy
      BulletNavy
      BulletMarine Corps
  1. State from which he served
  2. War in which, or dates between which, he served
  3. If service was Civil War
      BulletUnion
      BulletConfederate
The next items are optional, but helpful to the search, if you know them.
  1. Unit in which he served
      BulletHelpful hint: Often if you know where your ancestor is buried, his regiment will be right on his gravestone.
  1. If service was army, arm in which he served, such as infantry.
  2. Kind of service, such as volunteer
  3. Pension/Bounty - land file No.
  4. If Veteran lived in a home for soldiers, give location
  5. Place(s) Veteran lived after service
  6. Date of birth
  7. Place of birth
  8. Date of death
  9. Place of death
  10. Name of widow or other claimant
Lastly, don't forget to fill in your name and address at the bottom (your mailing label) and keep the pink page as your copy. (may come in handy to reference later.)

The great thing about this form is that you are only charged the $10 fee if the Archives finds information. Length of mailing time, once you've sent the form, depends upon how the Archives is staffed. A few years ago, it took 4-6 weeks to receive a response. Sometimes it can now take 3 months. To clarify, the cost is $10 for pension records and $10 for military records. Only if you ask, will the Archives send you the veteran's complete file, at an extra charge. Copies of discharge papers are not included in the file. These were given to the soldier himself when he was discharged or mustered-out. The fact that I have a copy of my great great grandfather's discharge paper tells me that someone in the family still has that paper today. (hopefully!)
 
 

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For those who know the regiment, etc. in which their ancestor served during the Civil War, this additional information might be of interest. By writing to the following address, you can find out if a photograph exists of the regiment in question. This organization has been gathering photographs of various units. If they have a photograph of the regiment, they will send it to you for a fee.
US Army Military History Institute
Carlisle Barracks, Bldg. 22
Carlisle, PA 17013-5008
BulletBrief Biographical SketchesBullet

If you have any civil war bios to add please contact Annette Bame Peebles at apeebles@sat-co.net

For additional information: