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Military Records for Genealogy Research: Civil War

A guide for navigating the military records useful for genealogy research.

Overview

Pauline Cushman, Union spyOver 2.8 million men (and a few hundred women) served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War, primarily in "Volunteer" Army units. About half of the volunteers on both sides had been farmers before joining the Army, with the remainder coming from a wide variety of occupations and backgrounds. Soldiers ranged in age from 18 to 45, with most being under 30; young boys enlisted as buglers and some older men joined as privates.

In both armies, the vast majority of Civil War soldiers were white. According to the National Park Service, the 2,672,341 enlistments for the Union Army consisted of:

  • 2,489,836 white soldiers
  • 178,975 African American soldiers
  • 3,530 Native American troops

Estimates of enlistment strength for the Confederate Army range from 750,000 to 1,227,890. Soldier demographics for the Confederate Army are not available due to incomplete and destroyed enlistment records.

Before May 22, 1863,  when the U.S. War Department established the Bureau of Colored Troops, black men were not eligible to serve as soldiers in the Union Army. But throughout the conflict, blacks contributed in other capacities, such as constructing entrenchments or performing camp duty or other labor for both the Union and Confederate forces. By the end of the war, 178,975 enlisted men served in the U.S. Army as members of the U.S. Colored Troops. In addition, three regiments of Native Americans, the Indian Home Guard, fought for the Union in the western theater of the war.

Non-native born soldiers made up as much as a quarter of the Union Army, and a lesser number served on the Confederate side as well. In the Union Army, Germans were the largest group of foreign-born soldiers, followed the Irish, Canadians, and English. Other nationalities represented included Scandinavians, Swiss, French, Italians, Mexicans, and Poles. Regiments were often formed entirely of men from one of these countries. 

Over 400 women also dressed as men and served in the army. Many of them, like Jennie Hodgers who served in the 95th Illinois as Albert Cashier, were not revealed to be women until after the war was over. 

The sprawling nature of the conflict is reflected in the reams of records it generated, which can be both a blessing and a curse to genealogy researchers. Take advantage of the many guides available for Civil War research (listed below) to make the most effective use of the voluminous records described below.

Federal Military Records (NARA)

ONLINE GUIDES

PRINT GUIDES AT NYPL:

The Soldiers and Sailors database is a searchable name index of those who served in both the Confederate and Union armies, and is freely available online through the National Park Service.

This free online database combines data from multiple microfilmed indexes to compiled service records for various groups of soldiers (Regular, Volunteer, Union, Confederate and "Colored") to provide a single, unified index for all soldiers and sailors serving in the Civil War.

  • Many entries do not include the soldier's first name, so you may want to try searching by surname only and browsing the results
  • Most entries include the Regiment, Company, and rank.
  • The information provided is fairly minimal, but is a good starting point for further research to confirm the identity of a suspected ancestor

The names of all soldiers in the database are linked to a regiment, which provides an overview of the unit, including the battles in which it participated. Researchers can also link to a list of all the other soldiers serving in that regiment, which may help you identify other ancestors who participated in the war.

This index is also available through Family Search as the United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865

COMPILED MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS (CMSR'S) --VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS

(Note: Because these records were compiled individually by state, there are multiple Microfilm Publication numbers, not all of which are listed here. The Guides to National Archives Microfilm Publications: Civil War Compiled Service Records can be useful as a cross-check when trying to figure out which records have been digitized.)

1. Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Volunteer Organizations During the American Civil War (Record Group 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Multiple Microfilm Publications)

2.  Indexes to the Carded Records of Soldiers Who Served in Volunteer Organizations During the Civil War (Record Group 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Multiple Microfilm Publications)

3. Carded Records Relating to Civil War Staff Officers (Record Group 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, not microfilmed)

  • Description of Records
    • CMSR's for volunteer officers serving in the Union army
    • description from NARA catalog: ". . . documents the military service of volunteer officers during the Civil War. . . . [on] cards which list the name of the staff officer, his rank and any other information relating to the individual that was found on the original document carded. These records were copied from original records such as muster rolls, returns, descriptive books, and morning reports."
  • Digitized Records available online

OTHER SERVICE RECORDS -- VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS

1. Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in Volunteer Union Organizations (Record Group 94,  Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Microfilm Publication M594)

2.General Orders Announcing Brevet Rank Appointments of Volunteer Officers, 1861 - 1868 (Record Group 94,  Records of the Adjutant General's Office, not microfilmed)

  • Description of Records
    • From the NARA catalog record: "This series contains carded records of general orders issued between 1861 through 1868. Each booklet lists promotions and appointments in different army departments concerning brevets."
      • a "brevet" is a former type of military commission conferred especially for outstanding service, by which an officer was promoted to a higher rank without the corresponding pay.
  • Records have not been digitized

3. Carded Medical Records of Volunteer Soldiers in the Mexican and Civil Wars, 1846 - 1865 (Record Group 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1762 - 1984, not microfilmed)

  • Description of Records
    • From NARA's website: "In the 1890s, the War Department created various types of carded records relating to U.S. military service.

      In addition to compiled service records for Volunteers, the Record and Pension Office produced carded medical records for both Volunteer and Regular Army personnel using records transferred from the Office of the Surgeon General. Carded medical records were originally intended to help with the verification and approval process for pension applications. The records provide information about soldiers' service-related Wounds, Injuries, Sicknesses, Hospitalizations, and Deaths" (see also NARA catalog record) 

  • Digitized Records available online

REGULAR ARMY SERVICE RECORDS

1. Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914 (Record Group 94, Microfilm Publication M233)

2. Enlistment Papers, 1798 -1912 (Record Group 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Microfilm Publication M2031)

  • Description of Records
    • records are arranged in two series, the first covering 1798 - July 14, 1894, and the second covering July 15, 1894 - October 1912. Information varies by series, but generally includes the soldier's name, place of enlistment, date of enlistment, by whom enlisted, age, occupation, a personal description, regimental assignment, and certifications of the examining surgeon and recruiting officer. 
    • For more information, see the NARA catalog record and the article U.S. Regular Army Registers of Enlistment and enlistment papers, 1798–1914
  • NOT DIGITIZED

3. Generals' Reports of Service, 1864 - 1872 (Record Group 94,  Records of the Adjutant General's Office, not microfilmed)

  • Description of Records:
    • From the NARA catalog record: "These reports were made in response to requests of the Adjutant General in 1864 and 1872. Each officer was requested to furnish the War Department with a brief summary of each battle in which he had participated, together with the name, rank, and period of service of each of his staff officers."
  • Digitized Records available online

4. Carded Medical Records of the Regular Army, 1821 - 1884 (Record Group 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1762 - 1984, not microfilmed)

  • Description of Records
    • From NARA's website: "In the 1890s, the War Department created various types of carded records relating to U.S. military service.

      In addition to compiled service records for Volunteers, the Record and Pension Office produced carded medical records for both Volunteer and Regular Army personnel using records transferred from the Office of the Surgeon General. Carded medical records were originally intended to help with the verification and approval process for pension applications. The records provide information about soldiers' service-related Wounds, Injuries, Sicknesses, Hospitalizations, and Deaths" (see also NARA catalog record)

  • Digitized Records available online -- NOT DIGITIZED

NAVY SERVICE RECORDS

1. Index to Rendezvous Reports, Civil War, 1861-1865, Microfilm Publication T1099

  • Description of Records
    • Rendezvous reports are the Navy's equivalent of Army enlistment registers (see Sailors in the United State Navy, 1798-1885). This is an alphabetical card index with the name of the sailor, his rendezvous station or vessel, the date of return, the page on which his name is recorded within the report, and his record of naval service with dates and locations.
  • Digitized Records available online

2. Records Relating to Enlisted Men Who Served in the Navy Between 1842 and 1885 (Record Group 24: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, not microfilmed)

  • Description of Records
    • From NARA catalog record: "This series contains collected records of the Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting as well as correspondence of the Bureau of Navigation, particularly of the Muster Roll and Record Section of the Enlisted Personnel Division. Correspondence was collected on each enlisted man who had served in the Navy between 1842 and 1885 . . . The files contain letters received, copies of letters sent, endorsements, applications for certificates of honorable discharge or for copies of other documents, certificates of medical officers or of special boards convened to examine applicants for pensions or other benefits, legal papers such as affidavits and powers of attorney, and similar items.
  • Not digitized or microfilmed -- currently available only on-site at NARA

3. Abstracts of Service Records of Naval Officers, 1798 - 1924, (Record Group 24, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Microfilm Publications M330, M1328)

4. Records of the United States Marine Corps, Entry 76 (Record Group 127)

  • Description of Records
    • Service records or “case files” of enlisted marines at the National Archives
    • Records are arranged by date of service, but there is an index, "Alphabetical Card List of Enlisted Men of the Marine Corps,
      1798–1941," in Entry 75
  • NOT DIGITIZED OR MICROFILMED

Several post-Civil War censuses collected information about military veterans, and these can serve to both alert researchers to ancestors who served in the Civil War, and help to corroborate whether the military records of a commonly-named individual are in fact the records of an ancestor. 

1. 1890 Federal Census, Special Schedules (Record Group 15, Records of the Veterans Administration, Microfilm Publication M123)

2. Other Census records

  • Description of records
    • Several post-Civil War Federal censuses included questions meant to identify Civil War veterans
      • 1910 Census -- field 30 asks "Whether a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy" 
      • 1930 Federal Census -- fields 30 and 31 ask "Whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition" and if yes, in "What war or expedition" 
    • The following states conducted their own post-war censuses which included questions about Civil War service: Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin
  • Census records are available online through Ancestry and FamilySearch

COMPILED MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS (CMSR'S)

1. Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Confederate Organizations , 1903 - 1927 (Record Group 109, War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Microfilm Publications listed below)

2. Consolidated General Index to Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers (Record Group 109: War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Microfilm Publication M253)

OTHER SERVICE RECORDS

1. Carded Records Showing Service of Military Units in Confederate Organizations (Record Group 109, War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Microfilm Publication M861)

  • Description of Records
    • From NARA website: "Sometimes, additional information about a soldier's war activities can be deduced from the compilations of the activities of each company known colloquially as the "record of events." These records, which were compiled from information on the original muster rolls and returns, are uneven in content; some give day-by-day narratives of a company's activities, while others simply note that the company was stationed at a certain place during the reporting period (usually 2-months). Although they rarely name individual soldiers, the descriptions of the activities and movements of the company can be used, in conjunction with the soldier's CMSR and pension file, to determine where the soldier was and what he was doing" (see also NARA catalog record and Microfilm Publication M861)
  • Digitized Records available online -- NOT DIGITIZED
    • Can be viewed on-site at National Archives in Washington, D.C. (Archives I), at Denver, and at Atlanta
    • Inquiries can be emailed to archives1reference@nara.gov
  • Print Records available at NYPL

NAVAL SERVICE RECORDS

1. Records Relating to Confederate Naval and Marine Personnel (Record Group 109, War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Microfilm Publication M260)

 

NOTE: Confederate pension files are not held by the federal government and are described in the State Records box, below.

The first pension law for Union widows, orphans and disabled soldiers was enacted in 1862. Until 1907, death and disability were the only grounds for a pension. Later acts were more generous: the Act of May 11, 1912, granted service-based pensions to most veterans of the Civil War and Mexican War. Widows’ compensation became more generous in 1916 and 1920.

The pension files for Union veterans were not microfilmed and most have not yet been digitized, but there are multiple online and print indexes that can help you determine whether a veteran or widow applied for a pension:

  • T288 is a comprehensive index arranged by the veteran's name
  • T289 is a comprehensive index arranged by the unit/organization in which the veteran served
  • A1158 is a numerical index which can be used for cross-reference
  • M1784 is a special index to the names of re-married widows who applied for the renewal of their pensions after their second marriage had been dissolved.

To better understand the differences, and determine which one(s) you should use, consult the useful NARA blog Pension Indexes Examined. When searching these indexes, it’s helpful to know the soldier’s unit, state and widow’s name to ensure you’ve identified the right man. 

PENSION INDEXES

1. General Index to Civil War and Later Pension Files, ca. 1949 - ca. 1949 (Record Group 15, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Microfilm Publication T288)

2. Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900, 1949 - 1949 (Record Group 15, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Microfilm Publication T289)

  • Description of Records
    • Basically identical to the index described above (T288), but while the former is arranged alphabetically, T289 groups applicants according to the units in which they served (see NARA catalog record)
  • Digitized Records Available online

3. Numerical Index to Pensions (Record Group 15, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Microfilm Publication A1158)

  • Description of Records
    • Numerical index used as cross-reference for other two indexes
    • From NARA catalog record: "This index serves as a finding aid to pension files, primarily of Civil War veterans and their dependents, but also to veterans and their dependents of the War of 1812, Old War, Mexican War, and Indian Wars. For the purposes of this index, Civil War and later service was designated either as “Army” or “Navy.” Navy pension file numbers also relates to service that predates and postdates the Civil War."
  • Digitized Records available online

4. Remarried Widows Index for Pensions Based on Service in the Civil War and Later Wars and in the Regular Army after the Civil War, 1861 - 1942 (Record Group 15, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Microfilm Publication M1785)

PENSION APPLICATION FILES

1. Case Files of Pension Applications (Record Group 15, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, not microfilmed)

2. Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Widows and Other Dependents of Navy Veterans, ca. 1861 - ca. 1910 (Record Group 15: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Microfilm Publication M1279)

  • Description of Records
    • From NARA catalog record: "This series consists of approximately 20,000 approved pension application files of widows and other dependents of U.S. Navy veterans who served between 1861 and 1910. The applications are commonly referred to as "Navy Widows' Certificates (NWCs)."
  • Digitized Records available online

3. Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Civil War and Later Navy Veterans (Record Group 15: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Microfilm Publication M1469)

  • Description of Records
    • From the NARA catalog record: "This series consists of approximately 26,000 approved pension application files of Navy veterans submitted between 1861 and 1910"
    • also referred to as Navy Survivors' Certificates," "Civil War and Later Sailors' Certificates," and the "NSCs."
    • indexed with other Civil War pensions in T288
  • Digitized Records available online

PENSION PAYMENT RECORDS

1. Pension Payment Cards, 1907 - 1933 (Record Group 15, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Microfilm Publication M850)

Additional payment records for Civil War veterans may be included in the following undigitized collections, currently available only on-site at NARA:

  • Pension Agency Payment Books, 1805–1909 (Record Group 15, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, not microfilmed, NARA catalog record ARC 2600765)
  • Records of Pension Payments, 1859 - 1901 [NAVY] (Record Group 217, Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, not microfilmed, NARA catalog record ARC 2774843)

PENSION LISTS

On December 8, 1882, the U.S. Senate required the Secretary of Interior to submit a list of pensioners on the roll January 1, 1883. The completed list was published in 1883 in five volumes as "List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883...". The majority of pensioners listed were from the Civil War.

These volumes are available online and at NYPL:

PENSION CORRESPONDENCE

 1. Index to General Correspondence of the Record and Pension Office, 1889–1904 (Record Group 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Microfilm Publication M686)

Both the Confederate and Union armies enacted conscription laws when the number of volunteer soldiers became insufficient.

UNION DRAFT RECORDS

The first Union registration took place July 1, 1863. Three smaller enrollments followed. For eligibility purposes, men were divided into classes. Those age 20 to 35 years, plus unmarried men age 36 to 45, were designated Class I. Nearly everyone else was Class II.

Not everyone who registered ended up serving in the war. Those in Class II were rarely made to serve. Each community and state was responsible for filling a quota of men. If they could raise that number with volunteers, no one needed to be drafted, so volunteers were heavily encouraged. Some states, like Massachusetts and Ohio, never had to call up draftees.

Even if they were drafted, men could be exempted from service if they were:

  • physically or mentally impaired
  • only sons of dependent widows or infirm parents
  • widowers or orphans supporting young children
  • non-citizens who hadn’t declared intent to naturalize
  • convicted of a felony

Draftees could also avoid service by furnishing a substitute or paying a $300 fee. Information on how to investigate this possibility can be found in Researching Civil War Draft Records in NARA’s Regional Archives.

1. Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863 - 1865 (Record Group 110, Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau, not microfilmed)

  • Description of Records
    • From NARA catalog record: "This series consists of registers of men eligible for the draft which were divided into three parts, or classes: Class I - men between the ages of 20 and 35 subject to military duty and unmarried men above 35 and under 45 subject to military duty; Class II - married men above 35 and under 45; and Class III - volunteers. Each entry lists the individual's name; place of residence; age on 1 July 1863; occupation; marital status; state, territory, or country of birth; and, if a volunteer, in what military organization he served.
  • Digitized Records available online

CONFEDERATE DRAFT RECORDS

There are no consolidated lists of Confederate registrations. Each Southern state conducted its own drafts. Many times, troops raised by conscript were merged with existing units. Relatively few Confederate conscription registers survive today, and those that do can be difficult to find. We identified the following:

Additional records may be found in the state Adjutant General's records, but many did not survive.

CASUALTY LISTS

1. Roll of honor : names of soldiers who died in defense of the American Union, interred in the national cemeteries (originally published by the Government Printing Office, 1865-1871)

COURT MARTIAL RECORDS

1. Court Martial Case Files, 1800 - 1894 (Record Group 153, Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), not microfilmed)

  • Description of Records
    • from NARA catalog record: "This series consists of the records of general courts-martial, courts of inquiry, and military commissions. Included are documents describing the organization and personnel of the courts; charges and specifications; pleas and arraignments of the defendants; papers and exhibits submitted for the consideration of the courts; proceedings, findings, and sentences of the courts; reports of the reviewing authorities; statements of action by the Secretary of War and the President of the United States; and related correspondence and evidence."
    • for tips on how genealogists might use these records, see the Prologue magazine article Civil War Union Court-Martial Case Files
  • Digitized Records available online -- NOT DIGITIZED
  • Indexes

2. Transcripts of Proceedings of General Courts Martial [Navy], 1799 - 1867 (Record Group 125: Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Navy), Microfilm Publication M273)

NAVY RECORDS

1. Area File of the Naval Records Collection, 1775-1910 (Record Group 45, Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval Records and Library, Microfilm Publication M625)

CONFEDERATE RECORDS

1. Confederate Amnesty Papers, 1865-1867 (Record Group 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Microfilm Publication M1003)

  • Description of Records
    • From NARA catalog record: "This series contains individual letters of application of Confederates for pardon and amnesty in response to President Andrew Johnson's proclamation of May 29, 1865, together with a few applications submitted to President Abraham Lincoln by persons excepted under his earlier proclamations. The majority of applications are unsworn statements by petitioners, but there are also a large number of statements sworn before a magistrate. Included with each application is an oath of allegiance signed by the petitioner and, in many cases, recommendations from prominent citizens for clemency or letters from relatives or friends containing pleas for compassion."
  • Digitized Records available online

2. Southern Claims Commission File Cases -- NARA's excellent description and information on how to access these records (most of which are available through Ancestry) is available at the link

ORIGINAL RECORDS

  • United States Sanitary Commission records, 1861-1879
    • The United States Sanitary Commission (USSC), 1861-1879, was a civilian organization authorized by the United States government to provide medical and sanitary assistance to the Union volunteer forces during the United States Civil War, including assistance to soldiers and their families with pension applications and other claims. Genealogical information includes documents relating to pension and other claims, hospital records, patient registers, etc.
  • U.S. Colored Troops, Infantry, 100th Regiment, Company I collection,1864-1865
    • The I" Company of the 100th Regiment, U.S. Colored Infantry, was stationed in Tennessee during the Civil War and was under the command of Captain David E. Straight, who was white. This collection contains 46 original documents of the regiment. Included in the collection are muster and pay rolls; inventories for clothing and equipment; furlough requests and responses; returns which indicate changes in the status of the regiment over a specific period; documents noting discharges; and inventories of the effects of deceased soldiers. The documents contain the name and rank of individual soldiers in the regiment and, in some cases, note date and place of enrollment, length of service, birthplace, age, occupation, height, complexion, and other personal data.

INDEXES, REGISTERS AND REFERENCE WORKS

Comprehensive, official indexes to federal military records are listed under the corresponding record set on the adjoining tabs. The following specialized indexes may also be useful:

UNION ARMY (INCLUDING REGULAR ARMY, NAVY AND MARINES PERSONNEL)

CONFEDERATE ARMY

SPECIAL GROUP INDEXES

Titles listed are representative; to locate additional works relating to special groups participating in the Civil War, browse the subject headings under United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Participation and/or use the subject headings in the catalog records for any relevant titles listed below.

GENERAL AND SUPPLEMENTARY WORKS

SUBJECT HEADINGS -- a few of many that can be used to locate additional relevant material:

State Military Records

Confederate veterans were not eligible for federal pensions. But many of the previous Confederate states authorized pensions for Confederate soldiers at the state level. Confederate veterans were eligible to request a pension from the state where they lived at the time of application, even if they enlisted and served under another state.

Like the federal government, most Southern states initially offered pensions only for death and disability. General service pensions came later, and many required applicants to prove financial need. Some Southern states have suffered record losses; for example, most South Carolina pensions issued before 1919 were lost in a fire.

The following state awarded confederate pensions:

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia

For more information on these records and where to find them, see NARA's overview of Confederate pensions and the FamilySearch Research Wiki article Confederate Pension Records.

The state of New York contributed the greatest number of men to the Union Army during the Civil War and sustained the heaviest losses of any state in the Union.

NEW YORK STATE ARCHIVES

Note that New York residents are eligible for free access to NYS Archives records digitized on Ancestry

NEW YORK STATE MILITARY MUSEUM AND VETERANS RESEARCH CENTER

  • Primarily secondary source materials, digitized and usefully arranged, including unit histories and muster rolls
  • Also include photographs and some object collections such as New York Battle Flags
  • Use their online catalog to search for relevant material

NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY

RESOURCES AT NYPL

Types of State Civil War Resources

State records relating to the Civil War are generally held by the State Archives and/or State Library. Additional records are often available at state and local historical societies.

The most common types of records you'll find at these repositories include:

    Statewide militia lists and muster rolls
  • State Adjutant General reports
  • State census records
    • In addition to the 1890 federal census, a number of states took their own post-war censuses that collected information about Civil War veterans

Some of these records are now available online. For example, the New Jersey Department of State has created free, online searchable databases for the following records:

A list of additional Civil War collections available at the New Jersey State Archives is also posted onlne.

To find similar records for your ancestors' states, try a Google search for [Name of State] Civil War Records, or search for the state archives or historical society and use their online catalogs to locate records.

Links to some additional digitized state records are available at Online Civil War Indexes and Records. Be aware that many of the state military "records" digitized on Ancestry are actually reproductions of the printed indexes, rather than collections of original documents.

RESOURCES AT NYPL

The Library holds hundreds of indexes, abstracts, rosters and other record summaries arranged geographically, by state, county and sometimes even by towns. The collection is national in scope and includes states across the country. The following small list of representative titles is just meant to illustrate the kind of materials we have. To find additional titles for your own research, try searching our online catalog with the keywords [NAME OF STATE] Civil War, or browsing the subject headings listed at the bottom of the page, or use the subject headings in any relevant works listed below (note that you can always click on a subject heading and then substitute the name of your state in the search box).

NYPL subject headings: