(Or select Search tab > then choose Military > choose U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865.)

If you don't want to search the entire Civil War Soldiers collection, you can instead individually search these Civil War resources on Ancestry:

U.S. Censuses
1890 U.S. Veterans Schedule
U.S. Veteran homes
U.S. Draft registration records
U.S. Civil War cemeteries

Censuses

Start with a recent census and trace the information back to the U.S. Civil War. The 1930 U.S. census and 1910 U.S. census asked about prior military service. This information can help direct your search.

In the 1860 U.S. census, pay attention to males between the ages of 13 and 40. People in this category were the most likely to have served in the war.

1890 U.S. Veterans Schedule

In 1890, the U.S. government used a special census schedule to record veterans of the U.S. Civil War (or their spouse, if the veteran had died). Use the information from other censuses to see if your relative, their siblings, or a widowed spouse was included in the 1890 U.S. Veterans Schedule.

Veterans in this resource might be listed with both a birth name and an alias. A soldier who deserted his wife might be listed as deceased.

Veteran homes

National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers were started after the U.S. Civil War. The homes provided places for disabled American soldiers and sailors to live.

Veterans entered the homes voluntarily and could request the home they wanted to live in. Because admission was voluntary, soldiers chose when to leave.

The U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers database contains records from 12 national homes. Some records are indexes to the historical registers, applications, admissions, deaths, burials, and hospital records.

Draft registration records

Check for your relative in U.S, Civil War Draft Registration Records, 1861-1865. Search by using the soldier’s name, birth date, and birthplace. If your relative’s record mentions a substitute, that means he found, and likely paid, someone else to serve in his place.

Civil war cemeteries

In the U.S. Burial Registers, Military Posts, and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960, collection, you’ll find service records, pension indexes and applications, muster rolls, and more. Use these records to discover more about the life and service of your family’s Civil War veterans.