Florida Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of Union service records of soldiers who served in organizations from Florida. The records cover the years 1861 to 1865. The records include abstracts of entries relating to the soldier as found in the following original records:


 * Jacket name
 * Soldier's full name
 * Year(s) served
 * Age (often estimated)
 * Military unit in which served
 * Type of records in file
 * NARA Publication number, title and roll number

Service records were kept for each soldier. Those records, or their abstracts, were compiled into individual files. Each envelope/jacket contains information and cross references to original records relating to the soldier. For each military unit the service records are arranged alphabetically by the soldier's surname. The Military Unit field may also display the surname range (A-G) as found on the microfilm. This collection is a part of RG 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, and is National Archive Microfilm Publication M400. Index courtesy of www.fold3.com (previously Footnote.com).

Collection Content
The records are in individual files which usually include the following:


 * A jacket-envelope for each soldier, labeled with his name, his rank, and the unit in which he served
 * A card (or cards) with abstracts of entries from original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers, parole rolls, and inspection reports
 * The originals of any papers relating only to the particular soldier

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
The index to these records contains the following:


 * Jacket name
 * Soldier’s full name
 * Year(s) served
 * Age (often estimated)
 * Military unit served in
 * Type of records in file
 * NARA publication number, title, and roll number

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * The name of the soldier.
 * The birth date of the soldier.
 * The name of the soldier's widow.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the wiki article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s Civil War service record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. The pieces of information in the record may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. This information will often lead you to other records. In addition to providing information about the veteran and his family, pension applications can also lead to more military records.

I Found the Person I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the locator information found in the index (such as roll number and the unit served in) to locate your ancestors in the service records.
 * Use the age and location of the military unit to find the soldier’s family in census, church and land records.
 * Death dates may lead to death certificates, mortuary, or burial records.
 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth of the deceased to locate census, church, and land records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been seeking the pension.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * When searching for an application keep in mind that in some cases the applications were filed under the name of the widow or other dependent who submitted the application.
 * Applications were sent in to and processed by the state where the veteran or family member lived at the time, which was not always the state in which the soldier had served.

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

Citing this Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:

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