Pennsylvania, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Pennsylvania



Record Description
Index and images of membership records of the Pennsylvania Department Grand Army of the Republic that cover from the years 1866-1936. An organization of Union army and navy veterans of the Civil War. The collection consists of registers, lists, minute, account and descriptive books of local post (chapters) The descriptive books include town of residence, military unit, date of enlistment,date of discharge, age and birthplace. The collection was acquired from the Pennsylvania State Archives.

Record Content
These records generally contain the following information:


 * Member's name
 * Residence
 * Birthplace
 * Enlistment date
 * Discharge date
 * Rank
 * Organization served in
 * Remarks

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Name of the soldier
 * Other identifying information such as birthplace, residence and military service

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 'Box number' category 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 service under a different name or variations of their name during the Civil War.
 * Your ancestor may have lived after the war in a different locality.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the name, enlistment date and organization to find the soldier’s military service or pension records.
 * Use the name and residence to find the soldier’s family in census, church, and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Continue to search the records to identify other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Search the records of nearby military units.
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
 * If you are unable to find your ancestor look for variant spellings of the surnames. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.

Related Digital Books

 * Rosters Department of Pennsylvania Grand Army of the Republic 1885,1908-1909,1912, 1921
 * Annual Encampment Department of Pennsylvania Grand Army of the Republic 1907

Related Websites

 * Pennsylvania State Archives GAR Collection Description
 * Pennsylvania State Archives Civil War Veterans' Card File, 1861-1866 Indexes
 * Pennsylvania State Archives Registers of Pennsylvania Volunteers
 * Pennsylvania State Archives Guide to Civil War Holdings
 * Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Grand Army of the Republic Records Project
 * Library of Congress Finding Aid Grand Army of the Republic Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Union Veterans' and Lineage Society Records
 * Pennsylvania in the Civil War
 * Pennsylvania

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: