Posted on Mar 23, 2017
Sgt William Biggs
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If you have read some of my other posts, it should be obvious that I love genealogy. I have had experiences with the Sons of American Revolution and Sons of Confederate veterans.

What I wanted extra help with (from you gurus) is where to go find Civil War documents and pensions. My ancestor was in the National Guard and only served 100 days. It's making it much harder.

http://www.suvcw.org/
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Responses: 8
SSG Carlos Madden
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I had a Civil War cap stone project in college and found that most of the Civil War records were maintained by the local municipality - either in the clerks offices or the historical society. If the town also had a GAR (likely now a donated building) see who runs that and then ask them. It could be a private non-prof organization or even the library. But your ancestor was likely part of the GAR and thus someone in the town would know what happened to those records.
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Sgt William Biggs
Sgt William Biggs
>1 y
Great advice. I'll definitely look into that route.
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CW4 Senior Warrant Officer / Bde Senior Warrant Officer Advisor
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Edited >1 y ago
It can be a bit more difficult to obtain Civil War records for a National Guard Soldier, especially one who served such a short time. Unless he was wounded, he probably doesn't have a Pension File or Military Service Record on file with the National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/research/military/civil-war/resources.html).

Identify the unit in which he served, then see what records are held by the State Archives and whether the state has a military museum. Also look for the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) lodge in the area where your ancestor lived. Their records may be available - either at a local town historian's office or at the State Archives or state military museum. Search Fold3, Ancestry, and FamilySearch to start, but also search the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm) and FindAGrave.com. Also, search for your ancestor in his local newspaper(s) to see if his service or GAR membership was ever mentioned.
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SGT David T.
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I found the documents I needed on Fold3 through ancestry. I haven't applied yet because my mother wont pony up her birth certificate so I have no documents showing that she belongs to my grandfather lol.
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SP5 Retired
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SGT David T. Can you check the vital records in her county of birth to get a copy of the birth cert? As long as you know her birthdate you should be good to go. Good luck? Some of my ancestors are from a no-name location in Alabama - a great-great something-or-other who was in the Ala infantry during the 1861-65 unpleasantness, and survived.
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