Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Civil War Look for your ancestors in this PA genealogy database of American Civil War soldiers - infantry, cavalry & artillery rosters, histories, biographies, draft, journals, letters, medal of honor recipients, prisoners of war (POWs), & pensions of our Pennsylvania military ancestors. Use this free Pennsylvania database to help with your genealogy search.


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PA Civil War Volunteer Soldiers


How to Locate your Civil War Ancestor

And Send Away for his Military Records

Did your ancestor serve in the Civil War?

Discover if your ancestor served in the Civil War by following the advice below. While searching for your military ancestor, keep in mind that sometimes a person entered under a false name, that there could be spelling variations, or that your ancestor may have crossed county or even state lines to enlist




Send away to the National Archives (NARA) for Military and Pension records:

National Archives

You are only charged a fee if the Archives finds information. You can send a form even if you are not sure if your ancestor served in the Civil War. Supply information about your ancestor and NARA will search their rosters. The more information you supply, the better chance NARA has of finding your ancestor. But take care, sending information of which you are not sure may keep NARA from finding the right file.

  • Three Ways to Order Civil War Records

    • Phone Number: (202) 501-5652
    • Order Form .
    • Give your name and mailing address, the form number and the number of forms you need (limit five per order).
    • Order online
  • Which Civil War Records to Order

    • Service records.

      Most of the information about a soldier are in his Service records. According to the National Archives and Records Administration, such records document enlistment/appointment, duty stations and assignments, training, qualifications, performance, awards and medals, disciplinary actions, insurance, emergency data, administrative remarks, separation, discharge, retirement, and other personnel actions.

      The useful genealogical data you might learn from service records could include the individual's full name, rank, age, physical description, marital status, occupation, city of birth, and place of residence at enlistment. Ask NARA for use NATF Form 86


    • Pension records.

      Pension records represent the greatest reward for genealogy research, especially if your military ancestor served prior to the twentieth century. To get a pension, the veteran had to go through a lengthy application process. The federal government kept a pension file on every applicant.

      Pension files contain all the paperwork associated with the application, including any supporting documentation. From these files you might learn some or all of the following: the applicant's name, spouse's name, rank, military unit, length of enlistment, and residence at time of application. There may also be children's names, names of deceased wives, physical description, medical records and marriage license.

      When a widow applied for a pension in the name of her husband, she was required to submit evidence to prove her marriage; this often included the names of any children living with her at the time.

      Pension records were carefully compiled when a veteran applied for benefits on grounds of injury, illness, or disability (later, veterans could also receive benefits based on age) or when the mothers, fathers, widows, and minor children of veterans similarly applied for benefits. Pension records typically include the application forms, proof of marriage, proof of children's births, a summary of military service, and usually death certificates. Ask NARA for NATF Form 85






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  • Civil War Research

    Civil War Research
    Want to find out if your ancestor was a Civil War soldier? Follow these research ideas.







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