Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors

Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors is a collection of articles written by Civil War expert David A. Norris. These articles bring together Norris expertise on the War with his passion for genealogy. These articles examine all different types of records, both military and civilian, to hep the researcher identify potential resources and to find those critical records.

As I read some of the articles in this publication, I realized there are aspects of the war I had previously not considered. In the very first article the author points out how, “most former civil war officers had to accept much lower ranks in the shrunken postwar army.” A concept which sense but is rarely given due consideration. There are many such tidbit of knowledge and insight to be had in these articles.

As the country, over a four year period, recognizes the 150th anniversary of America’s most troubled period, genealogists can take advantage of the spotlight on the war as means to find even more historical data and records than ever before. To see how this collection can help the researcher discover ancestral information from this time period, see the following list of articles presented in this 82 page journal:

• The First Steps to Finding a Civil War Ancestor – Some thoughts and tips on getting started in Civil War research.
• Companies and Regiments: Civil War Army Units – Knowing how the armies were structured will help you understand records and references.
• Non-Regimental and “Untypical” Soldiers – Some tips for finding soldier ancestors in unusual categories.
• Emergency Troops, Militia and Home Guard – Records of temporary units might reveal a hard-to-find ancestor’s service.
• Ensigns and Engineers: Ancestors in the Navies – Though tracking a relative in the navy can be challenging, there are many valuable resources available.
• US Colored Troops and African-American Sailors – Here are some resources for African-Americans who served in the Civil War.
• Southern Loyalists and “Galvanized Yankees” – Here are some resources to check for Southern ancestor’s who served with the Union.
• To Helmira and Back: Prisoners of War – POW resources can fill in holes in your ancestor’s record, or reveal the fate of a missing ancestor.
• Medical Records and Hospital Personnel – Records from Civil War hospitals contain a wealth of information on soldiers and staff.
• Military Pay Resources – Civil War payroll records pay off again for genealogists.
• The Civil War and the Census – Pre- and postwar censuses offering important information on the lives and families of veterans.
• The 1865 Parole Lists: To the Very End – These documents list the Confederate soldiers who endured to the end of the war.
• Finding You Ancestors’ Flags – Regimental flags had important practical and symbolic purposes for Civil War Soldiers.
• Buried in History: Civil War Cemeteries – Finding a soldier’s grave can seem impossible, but it doesn’t have to be a lost cause.
• Civil War Pension Records and Wartime Relief – Pension records are a genealogical treasure trove for soldiers and their families.
• Confederate State Pension Resources – A state-by-state guide to locating Confederate pension records.
• Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Widows’ Resources – The records of these institutions may contain a wealth of detail that can’t be found elsewhere.
• Civil War Veterans’ Groups – Records of veterans’ organizations might let you follow your ancestor into the 20th-century.
• Wartime Civilian Records– Relatives who were not in the military may still have left a wealth of information about their lives.
• Amnesty Papers and Southern Claims – Some potentially helpful sources for Southern relatives.
• Spies, Smugglers and “Disloyal Citizens” – Records of civilian prisoners include ordinary citizens, political prisoners, and even politicians.
• Finding Civil War Income Tax Records – You might find that your ancestors’ 1860s tax records are a source of family history.
• A Gift From the Past: Civil War Newspapers – Here are some tips on finding your newsmaker ancestors.
• A Picture in time: Civil War Era Photographs – You can find photos of people and places connected to your family, or even your ancestors.
• Best of the Best: Classic Civil War Resources – These records contain the most essential information for Civil War Research.
• National Archives Records – A soldier’s Compiled Military Service Record contains some of the most essential details of his service.
• Finding Your Way Through the Civil War With Maps – Maps can help you follow your ancestor during the war or find a family farm near a battlefield.

Don’t miss this opportunity for a great deal on expert advice to finding Civil War era records and document. The booklet is heavily illustrated, highly informative, and a great value at only $9.95! Order your copy of Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: MM004.