New Hampshire, Civil War Service and Pension Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
If you have ancestors who lived in New Hampshire who may have served in the volunteer forces during the Civil War. This article could be used in conjunction with the United States Civil War Soldiers Index.

What is in This Collection?
The collection contains Civil War enlistment papers, muster in and out rolls of New Hampshire Regiments and pension records from 1861 to 1866. The records were acquired from the New Hampshire State Archives. The pension records are arranged by town with indexes arranged by name and town. The enlistment papers are arranged by military unit, volume and year range. The muster rolls are arranged by unit name and folder number. This collection includes records from 1861 to 1866.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Civil War Service and Pension
 * Name
 * Birthplace
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Event type, date and place
 * Name of officiator
 * Physical description

Digital Folder Number List
This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at New Hampshire, Civil War Pension and Service Records, 1861-1866 Digital Folder Number List.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person
 * The birthplace of your ancestor
 * The residence of your ancestor

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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the residence to search for census records
 * Use the spouse's name to search for marriage records
 * Use the name and service information to obtain all military records, especially the General Pension Index Union pension files are located at the National Archives in Washington D.C.

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also search for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of New Hampshire.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning United States Civil War Research
 * Locating a Union Civil War Soldier (1861-1865)
 * New Hampshire Guided Research
 * New Hampshire Record Finder
 * New Hampshire Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step New Hampshire Research, 1880-Present

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Civil War oaths, 1861-1865
 * Civil War enlistment papers, muster in and out rolls 1861-1865 and indexes 1861-1866
 * Civil War service record, card file index, 1860-1865
 * Pension records indexes and pension records by town, 1861-1866 New Hampshire

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * General Pension Index, 1861-19934
 * United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933
 * United States National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938
 * United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Major Otis F.R. Waite. New Hampshire in the great rebellion : containing histories of the several New Hampshire regiments, and biographical notices of many of the prominent actors in the civil war of 1861-65.Claremont, New Hampshire : Tracy, Chase & Co., 1870
 * Revised register of the soldiers and sailors of New Hampshire in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866Concord, New Hampshire : Ira C. Evans, 1895
 * U.S. War Department Library, Bibliography of state participation in the Civil War 1861-1866 3d ed. Washington, D.C. : Government Printing Office (United States), 1913

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.