Civil War Records
By Gerald Whitcombe, military records archivist · Updated 4 June 2026
Tracing a soldier who served in the American Civil War starts with civil war records held by the National Archives and state archives across the country. Two record types matter most: compiled service records, which document a soldier's unit and movements, and pension files, which often reveal family and personal detail found nowhere else. Understanding how Union and Confederate record sets differ is the key to a productive search. See also our guide to military records.
What Are Compiled Service Records?
Compiled Military Service Records (CMSRs) were created by the War Department in the late 1800s by extracting information from original muster rolls, hospital registers, and other unit documents. Each card in a soldier's file typically lists rank, company, muster dates, and any notes on illness, injury, or desertion.
These civil war soldier records are organized by state, regiment, and company, not by name alone, so knowing a soldier's unit narrows the search considerably. The National Archives holds CMSRs for both Union and Confederate soldiers, and many have been microfilmed and digitized through partner websites.
Union vs Confederate Record Sets
Union confederate records were created and preserved through very different processes, which affects how complete they are today. Union records benefit from a centralized federal bureaucracy that carefully tracked pay, supplies, and personnel throughout the war.
- Union records: generally more complete, filed by state and regiment, held primarily at NARA in Washington, D.C.
- Confederate records: often incomplete because Confederate government records were scattered or destroyed at the war's end; many were later reconstructed from captured documents and state archives
- Confederate pension records: unlike Union pensions, these were administered by individual former Confederate states, not the federal government, so they must be requested from the relevant state archive
Civil War Pension Records
Civil war pension records are often the richest genealogical source available, since applications required proof of service and, frequently, supporting affidavits from family members, fellow soldiers, or physicians. A widow's pension application can include a marriage record, children's birth dates, and details of a veteran's death.
Union pension files are held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and were administered under federal pension laws passed in 1862 and expanded in subsequent decades. Confederate pensions, by contrast, were granted only by former Confederate states beginning in the 1880s and 1890s, so researchers should contact the specific state archive where the veteran resided after the war.
Where Civil War Records Are Held
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, D.C. is the primary repository for federal civil war records, including CMSRs and Union pension files. The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, by contrast, holds military personnel files for more recent conflicts and is best known for the devastating 1973 fire that destroyed a large portion of Army records from 1912 to 1960 — a fire that did not affect Civil War-era holdings.
State archives and historical societies also hold valuable materials, particularly for Confederate service and pension records, as well as state militia rosters and adjutant general reports. Many of these collections have been microfilmed and are increasingly available through digitized online indexes.
How to Find a Civil War Ancestor
To find a civil war ancestor, start with what is already known: full name, approximate age, state of residence, and any family stories about the branch of service or unit. Census records from 1860 and 1870, along with family Bibles, obituaries, and local county histories, can point toward a likely regiment.
Once a unit is identified, request the compiled service record and check whether a pension file exists, since pension applications frequently contain far more personal detail than military records alone. Cross-referencing regimental histories and unit rosters can also confirm identity when common names create ambiguity.
See our main guide to military records, or read about researching military ancestors and wwii military records.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out if my ancestor served in the Civil War?
Check 1860 and 1870 census records, family documents, and local county histories for clues about military service. If a likely name and state emerge, search compiled service record indexes at the National Archives or state archives to confirm a specific regiment and company.
Are Confederate service records held in the same place as Union records?
Not entirely. NARA holds compiled service records for both sides, but Confederate pension records were administered by individual former Confederate states, not the federal government, so those files are typically held at state archives rather than in Washington, D.C.
What is the difference between a compiled service record and a pension file?
A compiled service record documents military details like rank, unit, and muster dates. A pension file, filed later by the veteran or surviving family, often includes richer genealogical evidence such as marriage records, birthdates, and sworn statements from witnesses.