Oregon, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States  Oregon

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


 * Muster rolls
 * Returns
 * Rosters
 * Payrolls
 * Appointment books
 * Hospital registers
 * Union prison registers and rolls
 * Parole rolls
 * Inspection reports

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 M1816. Index courtesy of www.fold3.com (Previously known as Footnote.com).

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.


 * First Oregon Cavalry, Rolls 1-18
 * Olney's Company Oregon cavalry, Roll 19
 * First Oregon Infantry, Rolls 19-34

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The records are in individual files which usually include the following:


 * A jacket-envelope for each soldier, labeled with his name, 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

The index to these records contains the following:


 * Jacket name
 * Soldier’s full name
 * Soldier's rank, company and regiment
 * Place of birth
 * Physical description
 * Date and place of enlistment
 * Year(s) of service
 * Age (often estimated)
 * Type of records in file
 * NARA publication number, title, and roll number

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the soldier
 * The age or date and place the soldier was born

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.

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

What Do I Do Next?
If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record at the National Archives in Washington D.C..

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation below in the Citing This Collection section. You can keep track of your research on this sample Research Log.
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find county or Oregon Vital Records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the United States Census, 1860 (FamilySearch Historical Records) or the United States Census, 1850 (FamilySearch Historical Records). Search the state censuses as well.
 * Use the information found in the record to find United States, Internal Revenue Assessment Lists (FamilySearch Historical Records).
 * Use the information found in the record to find Oregon Land or Probate Records.
 * Search for death or burial information in BillionGraves Index or at Find A Grave.
 * If applicable, search for immigration and naturalization records as well.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the infobox above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing this Collection
A citation is a note that shows where you found information. Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Using citations allows others to find the same records. Below are the proper citations to use for this whole collection as well as for individual records:

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry): Top of Page