United States Civil War Service and Pension Records

The U.S. government holds a wealth of documents concerning the more than 3 million soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The National Archives in Washington holds all of the original service records of the Civil War soldiers. Records for each soldier are included together, and the average collection includes more than several dozen documents. Records indicate where and when the soldier served, at what rank, as well as medical examinations during service and years later when the soldier may have applied for a disability pension.

Similarly, widow's pension applications provide some of the most exciting material documenting important events though the lives of the soldier and his wife.

Some soldiers used aliases. Many lied about their names and ages. This accounts for some of the difficulty in verifying these records. Be prepared: You may find information that contradicts your family's proud claims to Civil War glory. Hey, is their really that much difference between a Captain and a Private?

U.S. Civil War Record Types:

Service Records

Veteran and Widow's Pension Records

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Members of the public who want to obtain this information must either go directly to the National Archives in Washington, DC or write to the following address and request form NATF-80: Reference Services Branch (NNIR), National Archives and Record Service, 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20408

Created by James St. John. Last Updated April 1, 1996
Comments to: JSSN@DBV.ROCHESTER.EDU