United States Civil War Soldiers Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This index was culled from 6.3 million soldier records in the General Index Cards to the Compiled Military Service Records in the National Archives. This index was a joint project of the U.S. National Park Service, the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), and the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU). This is an index of soldiers who served in the Civil War, 1861 to 1865.

This in an index to the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) which is a computerized database containing very basic facts about servicemen who served on both sides during the Civil War. The initial focus of the CWSS is the Names Index Project, a project to enter names and other basic information from 6.3 million soldier records in the National Archives. The facts about the soldiers were entered from records that are indexed to many millions of other documents about Union and Confederate Civil War soldiers maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration. The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) is a cooperative effort by the National Park Service (NPS) and several other public and private partners, to computerize information about the Civil War.

The goal of the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) is to increase public understanding of this era in American history. The index was created to enable the public to make a personal link between themselves and their ancestors. The information in the index is accurate regarding the locator information. However, any index may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

Collection Content
Sample of indexed information:

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search you need to know :
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age of your ancestor
 * The military unit in which your ancestor served
 * The state and county where your ancestor lived

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?

 * If your ancestor was a union soldier, he may have service or pension records at the National Archives
 * If your ancestor was a confederate soldier, he may have service or pension records in the state archives
 * Compile the entries for other individuals who have the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been also belonged to the National Guard
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * 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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * United States Research Tips and Strategies
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records
 * Beginning United States Civil War Research
 * Locating a Union Civil War Soldier (1861-1865)
 * Locating a Confederate Civil War Soldier (1861–1865)

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Brian A. Brown, In the footsteps of the Blue and Gray : a Civil War research handbook Shawnee Mission, Kansas : Two Trails Genealogy Shop, c1996 FS Library 973 D27bab
 * James C. Neagles, Confederate research sources : a guide to archive collections Ancestry Publishing, c1997 FS Library 973 A3ne 1997
 * AGO Carded Records of Military Organizations... Ainsworth List T817, Civil War, Rolls 44-81
 * Compiled records showing service of military units in volunteer Union organizations
 * Compiled records showing service of military units in Confederate organizations
 * Confederate States army casualties: lists and narrative reports, NARA pub M836

 State Sources 
 * Colorado, Civil War index cards, 1861-1865
 * Connecticut. Record of returns from towns and payments to soldiers and families during the Civil War, v. 1-2, 1861-1866
 * Delaware, Civil War card file index, 1861-1865
 * Delaware Volunteer units, regimental books, 1862-1865
 * United States, Provost Marshall General's Bureau, Enrollment lists for Delaware, 1863-1865
 * Maine, Civil War enlistment papers, 1862-1865
 * Muster rolls of Massachusetts volunteers, 1861-1865
 * Michigan. AGO. Michigan volunteers descriptive rolls, 1861-1866; index to Michigan volunteers, 1861-1865 State Archives
 * New Hampshire, Civil War enlistment papers, muster in and out rolls 1861-1865 and indexes 1861-1866
 * New York, Town clerks' registers of men who served in the Civil War, ca. 1865-1867
 * Rhode Island, Civil War enlistment papers for various military units, 1862 and 1864
 * Lists of enrolled militia for the city of Providence Rhode Island 1784, 1860-1865, 1869-1875, 1880, 1898
 * Muster rolls for West Virginia, 1861-1864
 * Wisconsin. Military records, 1861-1865

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * National Archives Preliminary Inventory of the records of the Adjutant General's Office'' NARA RG 94
 * National Archives Preliminary Inventory Confederate Records NARA RG 109
 * Kenneth W. Munden and Henry Putney Beers, Guide to Federal archives relating to the Civil War Washington, D.C.: The National Archives and Records Service, 1962
 * Newton Allen strait, Alphabetical List of Battles 1754-1900 (Washington, 1902)
 * U.S. War Department Library. Bibliography of State Participation in the Civil War Charlottesville, Va. : Allen Pub. Co., 1961; Reprint of the 1913 ed. published by Government Printing Office, Washington.
 * C.E. Dornbusch, comp., Military Bibliography of the Civil War: Regimental publications & personal narratives of the Civil War : a checklist original published: New York : New York Public Library, 1961
 * Frederick H. Dyer, A compendium of the War of the Rebellion 3 vols. Des Moines, Iowa : Dyer, 1908, reprint New York, New York : Thomas Yoseloff, c1959
 * ''Army regulations, adopted for the use of the Army of the Confederate States ..Richmond, Virginia : West & Johnson, 1861

State Publications
 * Connecticut Roster
 * History and roster of Maryland volunteers, War of 1861-5
 * Massachusetts Roster 8 volumes
 * Minnesota Roster
 * New Hampshire Roster
 * Ohio Roster 12 Volumes
 * Pennsylvania Roster
 * Vermont Roster

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.

Estados Unidos, Índice de Soldados da Guerra Civil (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)