Union soldiers in camp. Library of Congress photo LC-B811-2604B.
What kind of facts should you record when you research your Civil War ancestor? Here are a few thing to look for:
- Name
- Place of birth and date
- Enlisted, place and date
- Union or Confederate
- Function: infantry, cavalry, sharpshooters, artillery engineers
- Company name or designation
- Regiment name
- Battles and dates
- Any illnesses
- Any wounds, battle and date received
- Description of wounds
- Hospital stay, place and date
- Killed in action, place and date
- Died of disease, place and date
- Promotion, rank and date
- Captured, place and date
- Prisoner of war camp, where held and how long
- Transfer, to what unit and date
- Discharge, place, date and reason
- Physical description
- Pension record data
- Occupation
- Death date and place of burial
In a short time you will have compiled a great deal of information about the soldier in your family history. The story of your Civil War ancestor will begin almost to write itself.
I just reading my husbands great grandfather Civil War Pension records, so I thank you for the list. The most ironic thing is he developed a hernia (size of an orange states the record) on 2 July while marching to Gettysburg and missed the battle. He was carrying a box of shells without a strap.
I told my husband he may owe his existence to a hernia.
Claudia, you made me laugh, but you are probably correct. The little twists of fate are always interesting. What unit was your husband’s great grandfather in? What was the great grandfather’s name? There may be others who can help.
This is a great list for research and I’ve included it on my Favorites list for this week at:
http://www.leavesfortrees.blogspot.com/2012/11/follow-friday-favorites_30.html
Thanks for sharing this!
You are too kind. Thank you! Your comment made me realize I needed to fix a typo in the headline. Thank you twice!!
I have just started blogging and found your blog. I am also researching some civil war veterans. I have several in my family. I have sent to the National Archives and gotten copies of records for my husbands great-great grandfather. He was William Henry Phillips. He served in the 19th Indiana. In reading some blogs I have found that he is also the great-great grandfather of Dear Myrtle the blogger.
Betty
Betty, what a neat connection! Union veteran records are much more available than Confederate ones. Be sure to get his complete pension records. For Union veterans these can contain all kinds of materials, including letters, that are not strictly about his pension.
Also check back on some of the older posts here for sources to help in your search. Let me know if I can be of any help.