United States, Civil War Confederate Papers of Citizens or Businesses - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records from 1861-1865.

The collection consists of approximately 650,000 vouchers and other documents pertaining to goods and services rendered to the Confederate Government by individuals and businesses. The collection is arranged alphabetically in over 350,000 jackets. The collection is located in RG 109, War Department Collection of Confederate Records and is National Archive Microfilm Publication M346. The index is courtesy of Fold3 (formerly Footnote).

Most of these documents were created or received by the Confederate War and Treasury Departments. After the Civil War they were in the custody of the US War Department. These were later assembled by the Confederate Archives Division of the Adjutant General’s Office and used to establish the disloyalty of claimants seeking restitution after the war.

The records were created to document services and goods which aided the Confederate cause. The records are generally reliable.

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

Pappers
 * Name of Individual
 * Business Name
 * State
 * Document Number
 * Document Type (Citizen or Business)
 * Fold3 (Footnote) ID
 * NARA Roll Number

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person, including nicknames or alias names
 * The approximate date of service
 * The residence of 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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

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

 * Use the name, date, and place or residence, to find the ancestor or family in census records
 * Use the place or residence to locate church and land records
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify other relatives
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur

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
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities
 * 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 in your research for your family in the United States.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning United States Civil War Research
 * Locating a Confederate Civil War Soldier (1861–1865)
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.