United States, Civil War Confederate Papers of Citizens or Businesses - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of approximately 650,000 vouchers and other documents pertaining to goods and services rendered to the Confederate Government by individuals and businesses. The collection is arranged alphabetically in over 350,000 jackets. The collection is located in RG 109, War Department Collection of Confederate Records and is National Archive Microfilm Publication M346. The index is courtesy of Fold3 (formerly Footnote).

Most of these documents were created or received by the Confederate War and Treasury Departments. After the Civil War they were in the custody of the US War Department. These were later assembled by the Confederate Archives Division of the Adjutant General’s Office and used to establish the disloyalty of claimants seeking restitution after the war.

The records cover the years 1861 to 1865.

The records were created to document services and goods which aided the Confederate cause.

The records are generally reliable.

Citation for This Collection
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Record Content
The index includes the following information:


 * Name of Individual
 * Business Name
 * State
 * Document Number
 * Document Type (Citizen or Business)
 * Fold3 (Footnote) ID
 * NARA Roll Number

How to Use the Record
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The name of the person, including nicknames or alias names
 * The approximate date
 * The residence

Check the surname index
Name indexes make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned. Search the index for your ancestor. If you find you ancestor’s name in the index, make note of the page or image number listed.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the name, date, and place or residence, to find the ancestor or family in census records.
 * Use the place or residence to locate church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Remember to search for all known names including nicknames and aliases
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor as they may be relatives.
 * Occupations or businesses may be leads to additional records such as bank or other military records.

Related Websites
Civil War Links

Related Wiki Articles

 * Confederate Citizens File
 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865
 * United States, Civil War Confederate Applications for Pardons (FamilySearch Historical Records)

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Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
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