Four Valuable Genealogical Records Created During the Civil War Era

The United States Civil War (1861-1865) produced more records of genealogical interest than probably any other event in American history. The Civil War was between people, and those people kept records of the war, wrote about it, and suffer the consequences of it for decades.

Here are the four record sets that were either created or increased in number because of the war:

First, the number of newspapers grew across the country as everyone was anxious for more information on the war. Recall that Pennsylvania often had dozens of newspapers in each county and what we can search online is just a small fraction.

Second, the War Department (the previous name for the Department of Defense), had thousands of employees creating paperwork on troop activity. Most of this is in the form of letters and telegrams, but if you have a deep interest in knowing exactly what an ancestor's unit did, you can research it.

Third, the federal government passed several pension laws in attempts to take care of soldiers post-war. In these pension files are affidavits from friends, family, doctors, and former war associates, along with personal letters and proof of marriage and children.

Fourth, the federal government also worked to correct the injustice of slavery through two main initiatives: the U.S. Colored Troops and the Freedman's Bureau,

PA Ancestors Members: read on for details on online resources to research for each of these four types of sources.