Nebraska Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of Union service records of soldiers who served in the First Nebraska Cavalry, First Battalion Nebraska Cavalry, Second Nebraska Cavalry- Nine Months, Omaha and Pawnee Scouts. 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 M1787. 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.

This index was created to provide quick access to compiled service records. The information in this index is quite reliable. However, keep in mind that even though this index is very accurate it still may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings or misinterpretations.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Information found in these records contain the following:


 * Soldier’s full name
 * Year of service
 * Age (often estimated)
 * Rank, company and battalion in which served
 * Type of records in file
 * NARA publication number, title, and roll number

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the soldier.
 * The approximate age of the soldier.
 * The years of military service for the soldier.

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.

Remember to:
 * Whenever possible, look at the original record. If often has more information than the indexed record.
 * Print or download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed.
 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation found on each record or image. Familysearch wiki has a Example Research Log that you can download and use for this purpose.

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

 * Use the age to calculate a birth date and to find other records such as birth, christening, marriage, census, land and death records.
 * Use the information to find additional family members. Witnesses or bondsmen were usually relatives.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

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

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of Nebraska, United States Genealogy.
 * Search in the Nebraska Archives and Libraries.

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.


 * Collection Citation:

"Nebraska Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. From "Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the Territory of Nebraska." Database. Fold3.com. http://www.fold3.com : n.d. Citing NARA microfilm publication M1787. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995.

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