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Genealogy

Genealogical databases, websites, and bibliographies to aid users in the pursuit of their family history and origins. Last Updated: Sep 16, 2024 3:55 PM

Civil War Ancestors

The works listed below were chosen selectively to include only those with lengthy rosters or otherwise most likely to include names of interest to researchers. The library collection includes many additional volumes that name members of individual units or otherwise identify Civil War participants.

General

War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies and Supplements – 230 volumes VREF 973.74 U
These volumes include an extensive array of official Civil War reports, letters, and other documentation collected from both sides. Comprehensive indexes are provided to enable the researcher to determine if a family member’s name appears anywhere and where the entry can be found.

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion – 31 volumes by United States Navy Department VREF 973.75 U
This parallel series to the series cited above also includes an index from which it can be readily determined if and where an individual was named in the records.

Civil War High Commands by Eicher, J. H. And D. J., Stanford University Press, 2001 VREF 973.713 E
This volume provides detailed information on 3,396 generals and admirals and other leaders of the Union and Confederacy.

Virginia Military Personnel and Units

Virginia Regimental Histories Series Various H. E. Howard, Inc. VREF 973.745 [various sub letters]
These volumes, part of a projected 100 volume series, each dealing with a single Virginia regiment, cavalry troop, or other military organization. The volumes include rosters based on personnel records in the national archives including, in cases, considerable details about the men’s service.

Muster Roll of Ex-Confederate Soldiers and Sailors of Fairfax County, VA by Sansone, C. G., United Daughters of the Confederacy, 1976 VREF 973.742 M
This is a typed extract from an 1898 ledger record in the Fairfax county courthouse, listing veterans, their ages, ranks, units, enlistment dates, and duration of service.

Guide to Virginia Military Organizations 1861-1865 by Wallace, JR., l. A., Virginia Civil War Commission, 1964 VREF 973.745 W
This volume identifies Virginia regiments, battalions, and companies that existed during the Civil War. It includes dates of unit commander appointment, election, transfer, resignation, and death.

Confederate Sailors, Marines and Signalmen From Virginia and Maryland by Driver, JR.,R. J., Heritage Books, 2007 VREF 973.757 D
In addition to the names of members of these services, this book in many cases includes rank and division, date and place of birth, date, and place of death, place of burial, occupation, residence, etc.

Virginia Military Institute Alumni in The Civil War by Mcmurry, R. M., H. E. Howard, Inc., 1999 VREF 973.74 M
This volume in the Virginia Civil War battles and leaders series provides names and biographical data of all VMI cadets and alumni who served in the Civil War.

Other Confederate Soldiers and Veterans

Confederate Service Records by Rocco and Cordelia Sansone Collection Micr 929.37xx comp
These microfilm reels contain the records of all soldiers who served in the confederate armies. The primary arrangement is by state, including states that did not secede, and then by regiment or independent battalion or company. (if necessary, use the series below to determine an individual’s unit). The information was compiled by reference to muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital and prison registers, parole rolls, and inspection reports. The records of general and staff officers and non-regimental enlisted men, and soldier’s in units raised directly by the confederate government, are in separate microfilm series m331 and 258.

The Roster of Confederate Soldiers 1861-1865 by Hewett, J. B., Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1995 VREF 973.742 R
The arrangement and content are the same as the companion set listed below under Union military units.

Index to Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications by Sistler, S., Byron Sistler & Assoc, 1994 VREF 929.3768 INDE
Based on the adjutant General's Roster, the book includes entries for veterans, or widows of soldiers, who were residents in Tennessee at the time of application, regardless of the state of residence at the time of the Civil War or the confederate unit in which the soldier fought.

North Carolina Confederate Militia Officers Roster by Bradley, S. E., Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1992 VREF 929.3756 BRAD
Derived from the adjutant General's Roster, this book provides for each officer: name, rank, date of commission, town, and comments.

South Carolina’s Confederate Pensioners in 1901 by Holcomb, B. H., 2001 VREF 929.3757 HOLC
Arranged by county with an alphabetic index, this reprint of the 1901 pensioner listing names the units in which the men served and include their ages in 1901.

North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865 : a roster — in 17 volumes by Manarin, l. H., State Division of Archives and History, 1988 VREF 929.3756 NORT
Arranged according to the class of service (infantry, artillery, etc.), these volumes provide considerable information for all who served in North Carolina units during the War.

Virginia Civil War Casualties and Cemeteries

A Roster of Virginia’s Civil War Casualties by Spratt, T. M., New Papyrus Publishing VREF 973.76 S
In the first of the three series, the author accounts for all casualties incurred by men in Virginia regiments and, also, Virginia-born men who served in other regiments and commands. The work includes many who died after the surrender of general lee who were in prisoner of war camps at the time of death. The information includes death or wounding location, date of death and cause, and place of burial.

Virginia's Men in Gray Interments by Spratt, T. M., New Papyrus Publishing VREF 973.76 S
The second series of volumes is organized by Virginia cemetery, detailing in alphabetic order the confederate dead interred there with their date of death and military organization. In total, the work includes 45,096 who are known and 51, 128 unknown. The cemeteries covered either have sections reserved for confederates or that have significant confederate interments. All who served as confederates are included regardless of the state units in which they were enrolled. Many of those listed were not Civil War casualties but died in later years.

Virginia's men in gray interments (outside the state of Virginia) by Spratt, T. M., New Papyrus Publishing VREF 973.76 S
The last series provides burial information for those who served in Virginia regiments but are interred outside the current boundaries of Virginia. The content and arrangement parallel the second series above.

Confederate Casualties at First and Second Manassas by Smith, R. E., Willow Bend Books, 2001 VREF 973.76 S
Arranged by state and regiment, this volume lists casualties of the two battles with additional details as to the place of burial, etc.

Confederate Cemeteries by Hughes, M., Heritage Books, 2006 VREF 973.76 H
These volumes identify over 9,500 soldiers from various confederate units that are buried in 30 cemeteries in Virginia. In most cases, the alphabetically arranged entries include name, company, regiment, state, and date of death or burial.

Civil War Burials, Fredericksburg, Virginia VREF 973.76 S
This booklet, arranged primarily by grave number, identifies interments of Union troops killed in the War and, also, Union and Confederate veterans who died as late as the 1940s.
Information includes name, rank, military unit, date of death, and grave number. An index listing the men’s names in alphabetic order is included.

List of Confederate soldiers who died in the Danville, Virginia general hospitals, 1862-1865 by Watkins, Raymond W. VREF 973.76 W
This is a typed booklet compiled from hospital lists in the national archives, Washington. Names of the deceased are given in alphabetic order with their company and regiment, name of the commander, and date of death.

Roster of the Confederate dead in the Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery by Krick, R. K., 1974 VREF 973.76 K
During the post-Civil War years, the land was acquired as a burial ground for ex-confederates who were brought here from scattered burial sites in the Fredericksburg area and reinterred here. This booklet names the men together with any additional information on their grave markers.

Death roster of the Confederate General Hospital at Culpeper, Virginia by Hodge, R. A., 1977 VREF 973.76 H
This book provides names and information about soldiers buried beneath the confederate monument in Culpeper's Fairview Cemetery.

The Memorial Wall to Name the Fallen at the Warrenton, Virginia, Cemetery by Warman, J. B., 1998 VREF 973.76 M
This volume identifies 520 confederates who died during or in the aftermath of First and Second Manassas, who are buried as unknowns beneath a marker in Warrenton, VA.

Record of the Federal dead buried from Libby, Belle Isle, Danville & Camp Lawton prisons: and at City Point, and in the field before Petersburg and Richmond Heritage books, inc., 1990 VREF 973.76 R
This volume is a facsimile of a book published immediately after the War to assist those seeking the graves of Union men who died and were buried in the vicinity of Richmond.

Civil War Cemeteries and Other Deaths Outside Virginia

Note: see entry in preceding section for a volume including interments of Virginians outside the state.

Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers Who Died in Defense of the American Union, Interred in the National Cemeteries Genealogical publishing co., 1994 VREF 973.76 R
This is a reprint of a series issued by the quartermaster general’s office after the Civil War showing the places of the internment of members of Union forces buried in national cemeteries. Volume 11 provides an alphabetic index to the series that shows, by cemetery: name, rank, organization, date of death, and grave number.

Confederate P.O.W.'s: Soldiers & Sailors Who Died in Federal Prisons & Military Hospitals in the North by Ingmire, Frances Terry. National archives, 1984 VREF 973.76 I
Compiled in 1912 by the office of the War department’s commissioner for marking graves of confederate dead, this volume lists by the cemetery the soldier’s name, rank, company, and regiment, date of death, and location of the grave. A general name index is included showing where the detailed entry for each man can be found.

Burials of Some Civil War Soldiers at st. Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, D.C. Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 2005 VREF 973.76 B
During the Civil War, the army and navy established general hospitals at st. Elizabeths.
This booklet provides details of the burials including for each man: name, org, rank, interment area, and grave number, dates of admission and death, case number, etc.

These Honored Dead: A Roster of Over 2500 Maryland Union Soldiers Buried in National Cemeteries by Earp, C. A. And Johnston, P. L., Willow Bend Books, 2001 VREF 973.76 T
This volume provides information on more than half of the more than 4,500 Union Marylanders who died in the War. Arranged alphabetically by name of the soldier, the information includes rank, organization, date of death and place of burial and, where available, such details as the cause of death, place where wounding occurred, etc.

Register of Confederate Dead, Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio Office of the Army Quartermaster, Second Army, 1949 VREF 973.76 R
This is a photostatic copy of the record of 2,168 interments of confederate prisoners who died at camp chase.

The Confederate Dead in Brooklyn: Biographical Sketches of 513 Confederate POWs by Walter, J. F., heritage books, 2003 VREF 973.76 W
The author developed information on 513 confederate soldiers who died while prisoners in the new york city area and are buried in the cypress hills national cemetery in Brooklyn.

Confederate Burialsby Watkins, R. W., LCDA & H, Inc. 1996 VREF 973.76 W
This booklet lists confederate interments at 11 cemeteries in various states. No Virginia units are included.

Point Lookout Prison Camp for Confederates by Beitzell, E. W., 1972 VREF 973.772 B
This volume includes the names of about 3.200 prisoners who died at point lookout and were subsequently removed to the nearby confederate cemetery or to their respective homes.

The Sultana Saga: The Titanic of the Mississippi by Jackson, R. T., Heritage Books, Inc., 2003 VREF 973.771 J
This volume tells the story of the April 1865 disaster when as many as 1,800 released Union prisoners of War may have died in the explosion on the Mississippi. The book includes the names, ranks, and units of the men known to have been aboard.

Gettysburg’s Confederate Dead by Coco, G. A., Thomas Publications, 2003 VREF 973.7349
This booklet includes a roster of 1,400 identified confederates killed at Gettysburg who were later interred elsewhere.

Union Soldiers and Veterans

The Roster of Union Soldiers 1861-1865 by Hewett, J. B., Editor, Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1997 VREF 973.741 R
Based on an abstract of official War records and arranged by state, these volumes list alphabetically those who served in the Union army with identification of their regiment and company. Separate listings are included for those who served with us colored troops and in the regular army.

Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force Olde Soldier Books Inc and Ron R. Van Sickle Military Books, 1987 VREF 973.741 U
This reprint of an official publication prepared immediately after the Civil War is arranged by state and regiment. The register names only the unit officers plus any enlisted men who won the medal of honor. The date of each officer’s rank appears after his name. In addition, the rosters show those who left the unit for reasons of resignation, discharge, expiration of the period of service, promotion to another unit, dismissal, and death. In the latter case, the battle in which the fatal wounding occurred is often identified. Volume 9 is a general index arranged alphabetically by name, citing the page in the other volumes where the individual appears.

History and Roster of Maryland Volunteers, War of 1861-5 by Wilmer, L. A. Et al, Family Line Publications, 1987 and 1990 VREF 973.745 W
This reprint of a work authorized by the Maryland general assembly in the 1890s lists 62,959 men who fought with Union forces. The information includes rank, dates of enlistment and discharge, and in many cases remarks as to death, capture, desertion, etc. The third volume is a modern alphabetized index showing wherein the two main volumes each name appears.

Prisoners Who Died at Andersonville Prison by Atwater, D., National Society of Andersonville, 1981 VREF 973.76 A
This record, first published in 1865, lists the 13,000 prisoners who died in Andersonville prison. Arranged alphabetically by state, the listing gives the grave number, prisoner name, military unit, date of death (in 1864 or 1865), and cause of death.

These Honored Dead: The Union Casualties at Gettysburg by Busey, J. W., Longstreet House, 1996 VREF 973.7349 B
Arranged by state and then by regiment, this volume lists the names and circumstances of the death of 5,101 Union troops who either were killed during the battle or later died of their wounds.

Grand Army of the Republic, Dept of Illinois, Transcription of the Death Rolls, 1879-1947 Northcott, D. And Brooks T., 2003 929.3773 NORT
The listings, arranged alphabetically, include 32,000 soldiers who enlisted in Illinois and those from other states who settled in Illinois after the War. Information includes name, rank, unit, gar post, date of death, and the date of the annual report in which each veteran was named. This volume is particularly useful as it covers a time period before most states required death certificates.

Indiana Civil War veterans, Transcription of the Death Rolls of the Department of Indiana, Grand Army of the Republic, 1882-1948 by Northcott, D., 2005 929.3772 NORT
See companion volume for Illinois above.

Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska Civil War Veterans, Compilation of the Death Rolls of the Depts. Of Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, 1883–1948 by Northcott, D., 929.3777 NORT
See companion volume for Illinois above.

Combined Union and Confederate Record

Tennesseans in the Civil War Civil War Centennial Commission, 1965 VREF 929.3768 TENN
The first volume details the history of the various Tennessee regiments and other units, while the second provides complete rosters of those who fought on both sides in the War.

Index to Questionnaires of Civil War Veterans Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1962 VREF 929.3768 INDE
Between 1914 and 1920, questionnaires were sent to all known Civil War veterans living in Tennessee, requesting personal information and detailed information about their War service. This booklet identifies 1466 confederate and 115 Union veterans who completed the forms that are housed in the state archives.

Civil War Soldiers & Sailors of the Eastern Shore of Virginia: Union & confederate by Miles, B. W. And M. K., Hickory House, 2006 VREF 929.3755 MILE
Covering servicemen from Accomack and Northampton counties, the entries, many highly detailed, are arranged chronologically from the men’s enlistment to death or discharge and beyond.

Periodicals

America's Civil War (1989-present) - VREF 973.7 A 

Blue & Gray Magazine (1983-2016) - VREF 973.7 B

Civil War Times (1962-2023) - VREF 973.7 C

The Confederate Veteran (1893-1932, 1995-2011) - VREF 973.713 C

Hallowed Ground (2000-present) - VREF 973.7 H

The Journal of the Civil War Era (2012-present) - VREF 973.7 J

North & South : the magazine of Civil War conflict (1997-2011) - VREF 973.7 NORT

The United Daughters of the Confederacy Magazine (1942-present)  VREF 973.713 U

Virginia Country's Civil War (1983-1986)  - VREF 973.7 V

Other

Medical and Surgical History of the Civil War by Barnes, J.K. Braodfoot Pub. Co., 1991-1992 VREF 973.775 M
These volumes provide information on thousands of casualties, including name, rank, service unit, when and where wounded, nature of wounds, final results, and post-War information. The index includes every soldier’s name, subject, and significant mention.

Fairfax County in 1860: A Collective Biography by Sprouse, Edith M., 1996 VREF 929.3755 RAIR
As the 1860 U.S. Census was performed just months before the outbreak of the Civil War, it provides an invaluable resource for tracing those who went through the War as soldiers or Civilians. These volumes, arranged alphabetically by the head of the household’s surname, include the information provided in the census reports. In addition, the editor has culled from a great variety of sources (including newspaper articles, marriage, and death records, southern claims commission reports, etc.) Much additional information.

List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883, United States Pension Bureau, Genealogical Publishing Company, 1970 VREF 929.373 UNIT
This reprint of an 1883 report lists by state and county, and in cases by country, the names and then-current locations of pensioners together with the reasons for the pension (including specific wounds), the monthly pension amount, and the initial date of the allowances. While largely devoted to Union Civil War veterans and their survivors, the listings include others including the widows of War of 1812 soldiers.

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