United States, Records of Headstones of Deceased Union Veterans - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection consists of 3x4 inch cards, which are headstone (gravestone) contracts provided for deceased Union veterans of the Civil War. The cards are on 22 rolls of microfilm covering over 166,000 records and are arranged alphabetically by surname. There are nine cards per image. Some of the names on the cards may be difficult to read.

Most burials occurred in private cemeteries, though some may have occurred in National Soldier Home cemeteries.

Gravestones were provided to Union soldiers who died between 1861 and 1903. Some cards may include War of 1812 veterans. The gravestones were provided between 1879-1903 by the United States government.

The gravestones were provided between the years 1879 and 1903, although the soldiers generally died between 1861 and 1903.

Record Content
The cards contain the following information:


 * Name of soldier
 * Company, regiment, branch of service
 * Name of cemetery
 * Location of cemetery (city, county, state)
 * Grave and section number
 * Death date
 * Supplier of gravestone
 * Contract date

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know the soldier's name. It is also helpful to know:


 * The approximate burial or death date
 * The place of burial

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection by image. ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select "Surname Range" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

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

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example use the date along with the name to find the family in census records, church, and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * The name of the gravestone provider or place of burial could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * The branch of service and regiment can lead you to other military records.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have been buried in the same cemetery or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries.
 * 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.

Related Websites

 * NARA article: Honoring Our War Dead: The Evolution of the Government Policy on Headstones for Fallen Soldiers and Sailors
 * National Archives
 * Access Genealogy: Civil War Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Union Cemetery Records
 * United States Military Records

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: