February 20, 2026

If your ancestors were in the United States by 1860, chances are that some of them served in the Civil War. Approximately three million soldiers participated in the war with about two million serving in the Union army and approximately another million serving in the Confederate army.

To find out more about ancestors who may have served requires a two-step process. First, you will need to consult indexes and other records to determine whether any of your ancestors fought. A good place to begin is the National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors system database  (https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm ). This database is free, but you will need to know the potential soldier’s full name and where he enlisted. You will also need to know whether he fought for the Union or the Confederacy.

Once you find ancestral soldiers, the next step is to learn more about their service. There are several ways to do this. You may want to research the history of the specific regiment and unit that your ancestor served in. Another option is to obtain Compiled Service Records. However, pension records are usually the most informative source of information since they contain personal, medical and family information.

Not everyone who served in the Civil War received a pension; however, many did. Originally, pensions were granted for combat injuries or illness. Later, widows, dependents, and sometimes parents received pensions for deceased soldiers. It is estimated that by 1910, about 90% of living Civil War veterans were receiving pensions.

Pension records for Union soldiers are primarily found at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Indexes to these pension files can be found on FamilySearch, Ancestry and Fold3. Most Civil War pension records have not been digitized. Copies can be ordered from the National Archives using NATF Form 85. Copies will cost $80 for the first 100 pages (many files are much longer than 100 pages). At present, delivery often takes up to a year. You may also visit NARA in person to access the files and make copies for free. If a visit is not possible, you can hire a researcher to visit NARA on your behalf. This is usually cheaper and quicker than ordering from NARA.

Some Union pension files have been digitized. These are available on Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/ ). Fold3 is a subscription site that focuses on military records. If the records you need have been digitized, this is usually the most inexpensive way to access them.

Confederate soldiers did not receive pensions from the federal government. Disabled soldiers and indigent widows and children often received state pensions. Confederate pension records can be found at the various state archives.

Pension files are worth the cost. I have found original marriage certificates (used to prove a widow’s eligibility for her husband’s pension). In other files I’ve found original letters from the soldier himself which gave me a picture of why he enlisted and what army life was like. Although these kinds of records are not in every pension file, most pension records will list names and ages of spouses and children.

Many ex-soldiers drew pensions for decades. The records can help track their movements during this period. They often include detailed medical records which give insight into long term effects of the war on soldiers.

Much of the information found in pension files cannot be found elsewhere. Don’t overlook them.

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society