Military pension files, service records, and other documents were created as a result of the Civil War. Records also include indexes to pension files, compiled military service records and related indexes, unit and regimental histories, Civil War draft records, militia rolls, soldiers' home records, discharge records, and more.

Pension Files and Other Printed Sources
The General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 is available on National Archives microfilm and is one of the best places to start looking for Union soldiers. Called the Civil War Pension Index at Ancestry.com, this database is one of the new Images Online databases (in which pictures of original records can be printed from the Internet) and can be searched online. It indexes some 2.5 million pension application cards.

Although the pension files themselves have not been filmed, copies may be requested from the National Archives and Records Administration (Washington, DC, 20408 or online) by completing a search request form. You may also wish to e-mail the National Archives at inquire@nara.gov for reference queries, although the staff will not perform extensive research for you. A special 1890 census of Union Army and Navy veterans and their widows is on microfilm. And a valuable general introduction to using Civil War records is included on the National Archives Web site.

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, BYU's Harold B. Lee Library in Provo, Utah, and other large libraries have extensive Civil War records on microfilm, on compact disc, and in printed form. The largest collections are available at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Major collections for Confederate soldiers are housed at state archives and state historical societies in the Southern states, and many are on film at the Family History Library.

The Family and Church History Department in Salt Lake City, the National Park Service, and the Federation of Genealogical Societies are also compiling a computerized index of all Union and Confederate soldiers.

Photographs
Photographs of your Civil War ancestors may also be available, either in the possession of a family member or in a photo archive collection. Many of these photos have been posted on the Internet.

The Mathew Brady Civil War Photograph Collection, available at the National Archives and on microfilm, is one of the best-known Civil War photo collections (visit NAIL to search for it). Many Civil War photographs are also available at the Library of Congress, the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio, and at other libraries and historical societies throughout the country. Finally, a large collection of Civil War family photographs for both Union and Confederate armies is available on the Internet.

Alive Again
Finding your ancestors in pension files, service records, unit histories, and photographs will make them come alive for you and will provide historical details. For example, one of my own ancestors, Enoch Morse from Geauga County, Ohio, fought as a Union soldier in the Ohio Cavalry and died in 1864 in Salisbury Prison, Rowan County, North Carolina. I have researched his service records at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Enoch is recorded in compiled military service records and Civil War draft records. His service file gives his physical description, occupation, enlistment details, and the date and place of his birth. He is also listed in a printed official roster of Ohio soldiers. My aunt even gave me a photo of him. All of this information helps me fill out my picture of him and better understand his life experiences.

Tips for Civil War Research

• Many printed sources and guidebooks are available on the Civil War. To find them, see the Family History Library Catalog (FHLC) and other library catalogs under the heading "United States—Military Records—Civil War," or under the state and county where your ancestors resided, such as "Ohio—Military Records" or "Ohio—Military History."

• Ancestry.com has for several years placed indexes and other military records on its Web site. See especially Ancestry's Civil War Research Database, where you can search for soldiers by name, regiment, or officers' names. More data is expected to be added to this Civil War database.

• The Civil War (along with other topics) is identified in research outlines of the LDS Church's Family and Church History Department. Look for them in the Research Guidance area of the FamilySearch Web site or on the Family History SourceGuide compact disc.

• AmericanCivilWar.com includes general information of interest to Civil War buffs, such as a Civil War timeline and information about battles.

• The National Archives Civil War Records Internet page is one of the first places for you to check on the Internet.

• Be sure to check Cyndi's List for the U.S. Civil War page. Other military record categories are available there as well.

• Civil War Rosters Arranged by State identifies many online links to Civil War databases.

• The American Civil War Home Page has links to Civil War resources.

• The Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System is a searchable database of value.

• The United States Civil War Center also has a lot of material about the Civil War.

Kip Sperry is an associate professor of family history at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.