Additional Civil War Records from FamilySearch



So many family researchers have ancestors who were part of the American Civil War (1861-1865) that we are always looking for new and additional resources to help confirm or provide new information about those soldiers who served.  The FamilySearch web site had just added recently many new records, free to the public. There are now millions of new records covering Union and Confederate soldiers.

Some of these additions include the records of the applications for headstones for military veterans (mostly Civil War) covering the years 1866 to the 1930s. There are records of Confederate soldiers from 1861 to 1865, showing their military units and rank which were originally held by the individual Confederate states. Another interesting collection of records are those Confederates held as prisoners of war.


A very interesting collection is the Union Provost Marshal Files for civilians from 1861-1866. It does not cover the soldiers, but rather those not in uniforms a researcher will want to investigate.
During the war a Provost Marshal served as the military police for the Union Army. The records scanned deal with deserters, Confederate spies, civilians suspected of disloyalty, civilian passage through military zones and purchase of necessary supplies from civilians. This section is divided in alphabetical order using surnames. All types of surprising information might surface in this collection.

The FamilySearch site will also be adding in the near future marriage records during the 1860s and enlistments in the U. S. Army between 1789 and 1914.

To assist in understanding more about the events during the Civil War and the people in leadership positions, FamilySearch provides additional information along with records.  There is the affidavit of death on President Lincoln, the 1860 census page on Mary Surratt, or information on the U. S. Colored Troops during the war.

In recognizing the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War this free site done by FamilySearch is offering some additional information to the researcher.

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Greg Seal 31/10/11




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