Civil War Archive

11 Apr 2016

Soldiers’ Home Records: A Valuable Military Resource

Genealogists with military ancestors are faced with the tasks of researching and understanding a variety of complicated records—pension files, regimental histories, service records, payment ledgers, war diaries, and other sources. Soldiers’ home records are another valuable military
13 Jul 2015

Civil War Pension Files: Understanding Pension Laws

From the beginning of the Civil War through the twentieth century, Congress passed many laws that impacted pensions for Civil War Union veterans and their dependents. (For more information about pension files and how to access them,
11 Jun 2015

Civil War Union Pension Files: Contents and Access

Many veterans who served for the Union during the Civil War received federal pensions.[1] These pensions provided support to those who qualified based on disability, service, and old age. In many cases, upon the death of a