Overview
The Pennsylvania State Archives holds many records relating to the American Civil War, 1861-1865. These materials document the commonwealth's activities during the war.
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Guides and books
- A Guide for Classroom Teachers Researching the Civil War at the Pennsylvania State Archives
- Guide to Civil War Records by Douglas L. Royer. This guide presents its information according to topic: regiments, pensions, border damage claims, hospitals, maps, photographs, prisons, monuments, etc.
- Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Guide to Civil War Holdings by Dr. James P. Weekes and Linda A. Ries. This guide presents its information collection by collection rather than by topic. It covers a wider variety of collections, though, including those of the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the Bureau for Historic Preservation, and various historic sites in addition to the State Archives holdings.
- History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861–1865 is a five-volume series by Samuel P. Bates. These books contain a wealth of information about Pennsylvania Civil War soldiers and units, including short regimental histories and lists of soldiers' names. The volumes are arranged by military unit.
Civil War service records
The State Archives holds Civil War regimental records only for Pennsylvania units, including those regiments of U.S. Colored Troops formed in the Commonwealth. Muster rolls, descriptive rolls, deserter lists, orders and correspondence are available for most units. The State Archives does not compile individual service files or unit histories.
Civil War Pension files and Compiled Military Service Records for soldiers from all states, including Pennsylvania, are located at the National Archives.
| Record | Notes | Finding aid | Digital images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil War Veterans Card File, 1861–1866 | 3" x 5” cards created as index to the History of PA Volunteers, 1861-1865. Cards contain additional information abstracted from original rolls from the PA State Archives collection. Arranged alphabetically by surname of soldier. | Records of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (RG-19) | Ancestry Pennsylvania or Ancestry.com |
| Civil War Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1861-1866, 1906 | Muster rolls, descriptive rolls, casualty lists, lists of deserters, and correspondence. Arranged by regiment and thereunder by company. | Records of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (RG-19) | Ancestry Pennsylvania or Ancestry.com (Muster Out Rolls only) PA Digital Archives (not inclusive) |
| Registers of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861–1865 | A record of Pennsylvania Volunteers who served during the Civil War. Arranged by unit, then rank, then alphabetically by surname. | Records of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (RG-19) | PA State Archives |
| Register of Sick and Wounded Soldiers, circa 1861–1865 | Arranged alphabetically by surname of soldier. | Records of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (RG-19) | PA Digital Archives |
| Lists of Sick and Wounded Soldiers, Pennsylvania Volunteers 1861–1864 | Grouped by hospitalization locations and thereunder arranged chronologically by admittance date. | Records of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (RG-19) | PA Digital Archives |
Civil War draft records
The Pennsylvania State Archives has Civil War draft records only for 1862. Beginning in May 1863, the Provost Marshal's General Bureau administered the draft from Washington, DC, and pertinent records will be found in Record Group 110 at the National Archives. The following records are available at the State Archives.
| Record | Notes | Finding aid | Digital images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Records of Drafted Men & Substitutes, circa 1862, 1864-1865 | Arranged by county and thereunder sequentially by date of entry. | Records of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (RG-19) | PA Digital Archives (1862 material only) |
| Conscientious Objector Depositions, 1862 | Grouped by county. | Records of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (RG-19) | PA Digital Archives |
| Substitutes' Depositions, 1862 | Grouped by county. | Records of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (RG-19) | PA Digital Archives |
