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Re: Seeking Civil War military records
Rebecca CollierAug 14, 2019 2:41 PM (in response to James Smith)
2 people found this helpfulDear Mr. Smith,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
Please begin by searching for his name in the Indexes to the Carded Records of Soldiers Who Served in Volunteer Organizations During the Civil War. If located, then check the Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR) in the series Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Volunteer Organizations During the American Civil War Most of the service records in this series have been made available via microfilm and through digitization of the microfilm. His unit information may be in the series titled Regimental and Company Books of Civil War Volunteer Union Organizations, 1861 - 1867. All three of these series are in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1762 - 1917 (Record Group 94).
Pension files are another source of information. Begin by checking the General Index to Civil War and Later Pension Files and then one of 7 Pension series. All 8 series are in the Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Record Group 15). Also his burial would depend on the unit and the location of his death. In the Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General (Record Group 92), there are 10 series that may include this information.
For access to these records, please contact the National Archives at Washington, DC - Textual Reference (RDT1) via email at archives1reference@nara.gov. Some of these records may have been digitized by Ancestry or Fold3. There may be a fee for using these services. However, you may view these records online at one NARA's facilities for free via a NARA PC. For the nearest NARA location, please consult our web page at https://www.archives.gov/locations/. Also, some of the images from Ancestry are available for free on Family Search at https://www.familysearch.org/en/.
We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!