How can I find a picture of my civil war ancestors

Dear Ms. Bleavins

You may have luck by requesting a Veteran's Claim File, you may send a letter of request by email stl.archives@nara.gov or by mail it to:

National Personnel Records Center

1 Archives Dr.

St. Louis, MO 63138

We will need:

• Full name • Date of birth and/or death • Claim file number, if known • Place of residence or enlistment

More information on how to request military personnel files may be found at: https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records

Another possible place could be our still photo archive in College Park. You can write to them at stillpix@nara.gov

Thank you,

Cara Moore

Archives Technician

National Archives at St. Louis

Dear Lori,

There are several reasons it might be difficult for you to find a photograph of a specific individual from the Civil War era. Many records of all sorts have been lost or damaged over time, and photography was just in its infancy in the 1860s. That being said, we've outlined a few suggestions here.

If you're just getting started with Civil War research, we recommend that you explore the National Archives website that details the kinds of records we hold: Civil War | National Archives.

Also, if you have questions about the photographic holdings of the National Archives, you can contact the Still Pictures Reference Branch at stillpix@nara.gov, and you can find a guide to their records here: Guide to the Still Picture Branch Holdings | National Archives

In order to find information about your ancestor, you might consider using the National Park Service's Soldiers and Sailors Database - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service). Ancestry also has many U.S. Civil War Records | Ancestry. You can access both Ancestry and Fold3 (which is owned by Ancestry) for free at any National Archives facility. To find a National Archives location near you, see our webpage: Visit Us | National Archives. For more information about these services, see this webpage: Online Databases | National Archives.

Additionally, the Library of Congress also has a collection of Portraits of Named Civil War Enlisted Men. You can find out more on their website: https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/233_cwsoldiers.html.

Good luck with your search, and let us know what you find!