United States, Records of Confederate Prisoners of War - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States



Record Description
This collection consists of an explanation of the records (which is listed as an index) and 429 volumes of Confederate Prisoners of War records. Most of the records are from the War Department's Office of the Commissary General of Prisoners. Others are from the Surgeon General's Office, a few Army commands, and individual prison camps. These records are for the years 1861 to 1865. National Archives microfilm publication M598, Selected Records of the War Department Relating to Confederate Prisoners of War,1861-1865.

This collection consists of the following lists and registers:


 * Prisoners
 * Prisoners deaths and burials
 * Applications for release and released prisoners
 * Prisoners paroled, transferred, escaped, sentenced, and exchanged
 * Confederate deserters
 * Political prisoners
 * Passes issued to visitors
 * Prisoners released for employment on public works
 * Prisoners enlisting in United States service
 * Clothing issued
 * Prisoners' possessions, accounts, ledgers, articles and money received
 * Account of checks and packages received for prisoners
 * Letters sent and received
 * Receipts for letters containing money
 * Morning reports of patients and attendants in the prison hospital
 * Oaths of allegience
 * Roll call books
 * Statistical reports
 * Miscellaneous reports
 * Correspondence of the Office of the Commissary General of Prisoners

The collection is divided into the following levels of search:

1. AIDE: Index to Volumes - This search is not a name index. It lists the full description given by the National Archives and Records Administration of the individual lists.

2. The lists arranged by locality. Many of these localities are further divided by individual lists. These lists may be have any of the following:


 * Alphabetical arrangement
 * Chronological arrangement
 * Name index at the beginning of the list
 * Name index at the end of the list

This collection includes prisoner lists from the following locations:

"The War Department appointed Lt. Col. William Hoffman to be Commissary General of Prisoners in October 1861. Col. Hoffman was responsible for overseeing the handling and treatment of Confederate prisoners of war. In July 1862, the War Department established the Office of the Commissary General of Prisoners, an independent agency within the Department, which was responsible for the supervision of Confederate prisoners of war and political prisoners confined in Union prisons. The Office of the Commissary General of Prisoners was abolished and the Confederate records eventually became part of the Collection of Confederate Records in the War Department. That collection now comprises National Archives Record Group 109, War Department Collection of Confederate Records."

Opposing armies kept an account of war prisoners so as to effectively trade them for their own soldiers. Prisoners were exchanged on the following basis:


 * 1 general = 46 privates
 * 1 major general = 40 privates
 * 1 brigadier general = 20 privates
 * 1 colonel = 15 privates
 * 1 lieutenant colonel = 10 privates
 * 1 major = 8 privates
 * 1 captain = 6 privates
 * 1 lieutenant = 4 privates
 * 1 noncommissioned officer = 2 privates

Union and Confederate Prisoner of War Camps

Record accuracy depends largely on the accuracy of the document authors and may be subject to inaccuracies.

Record Content
Information in these records generally include the following:


 * Name of prisoner
 * Name of prison
 * Date of entry in the report, list, or ledger
 * Reason for entry in the repost, list, or ledger

Depending on the list, the following information may also be included:


 * Birth date and place
 * Death date and place
 * Burial date and place
 * Cause of death
 * Age
 * Physical description
 * Names of relatives or friends
 * Enlistment date and place
 * Last residence prior to enlistment
 * Monies exchanged
 * Release or transfer date

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know the following:


 * Full name
 * Location of the prison or states where their regiment served

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page. ⇒Select the "Prisoner or Prison/Station Records". ⇒Select the "Document Type" 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. 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.

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 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. For example:


 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the prior residence, enlistment place, or place of birth to locate census, church, and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Death dates may lead to death certificates, mortuary, or burial records.
 * Place of enlistment or previous residence may lead to other military or pension records. Be aware that Confederate pensions were awarded by the individual states.
 * Prisoners who enlisted in the United States military may have service records or pensions from the United States.
 * Compile a list of other prisoners with the same surname. If the surname is uncommon, they may be relatives.
 * 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.
 * Look for an index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.

Related Websites

 * NARA Reference Report Confederate Prisoners of War
 * National Archives Confederate POW Collection Description, Camp Lee, Va
 * Confederate Prisoner Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Confederate Prisoner of War Records
 * United States Civil War
 * United States Civil War, 1861-1865
 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865, Part 2

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation: Image citation: