the civil war records in the national archives

The War, the Government and the Records

Jake Ersland, Archivist

National Archives at Kansas City

(816) 268-8014

Jake.Ersland@nara.gov

The Civil War Records in the National Archives

A Wealth of InformationThe National Archives at Kansas City has a large

variety of records that cover a multitude of topics outside of today’s topic.

Over 50,000 cubic feet of records100 Record Groups, and hundreds of different federal

agenciesRecords from the early 1800s up until the 1980sFrom federal agencies based in

IowaKansasMinnesotaMissouriNebraskaNorth and South Dakota

The Civil War and BeforeMany of our earliest records directly

connect to sectional conflict and the Civil War. In particular, records from two record groups provide different aspects and angles on this important period in U.S. history.

Record Group 21, Records of the United States District Courts

Record Group 110, Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau

RG 21, Records of the United States District CourtThese records document the actions of

Federal district and circuit courts in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and part of Oklahoma Territory.

RG 21, Records of the United States District CourtThis Record Group contains records

involving federal court cases in Criminal CasesLaw and Equity CasesBankruptcy CasesAdmiralty and Chancery CasesConfiscation CasesSlave Compensation Cases

RG 21, Records of the United States District CourtCriminal records from

this time period include treason cases against individuals supporting the Confederacy, or involved in the conflict in Kansas Territory.

RG 21, Records of the United States District CourtEquity and Law

records for this period include large monetary disputes resulting from the carnage left by fighting.

RG 21, Records of the United States District CourtConfiscation records

cover property seized from individuals that supported the Confederate cause.

RG 21, Records of the United States District CourtSlave Compensation

Cases are a unique set of records that document the efforts of loyal slave owners whose slaves enlisted or were drafted into the U.S. military to file a claim against the Federal government for loss of the slave’s services.

RG 110, Records of the Provost Marshal General’s BureauThese records document the effort to fill

the ranks of the Union army through the draft.

Oversaw army enlistments for state-based regiments, the enrollment of men for the draft, and the arrest of deserters.

Although it worked on a national level to meet enlistment goals, the new bureau was predominantly operated on a state level.

RG 110, Records of the Provost Marshal General’s BureauThe Provost Marshal’s office deployed an army of

enrolling officers, clerks, and special agents to identify all men eligible for service.

States were divided into districts and districts were divided into sub-districts, with quotas for enrolled men assigned to each.

Enrolling officers then had the unenviable task of traveling the countryside, creating lists of all service aged men. From these lists, the soldiers that would fight and win the Civil War were selected.

Consolidated Lists of Men Subject to the Draft

These lists offer a broad look at the population in each congressional district.

Registers of Drafted Men, Recruits, and Substitutes

Describes who entered the army.

Registers of Medical Examinations Showing Rejections and Exemptions

Detailed records were needed to record those that could not serve in order to prevent additional attempts to enroll an individual, and to prevent fraudulent claims of exemption.

Registers of Medical Examinations Showing Rejections and Exemptions

Detailed records were needed to record those that could not serve in order to prevent additional attempts to enroll an individual, and to prevent fraudulent claims of exemption.

The Veteran’s Reserve Corps offered opportunities to men who had served but could no longer serve in the regular army.

Found in a series titled “Reports and Returns,” this record lists enlisted slaves from Missouri, with their master’s name.

This volume, “List Showing Dates of Muster-In and Forwarding of Muster Rolls of Missouri Volunteer Organizations,” documents the formation of Missouri’s earliest volunteer units, listing the initial commanding officer of each company as a regiment was formed.

Maps of Missouri Subdistricts

Records from the National Archives Available On-LineThe National Archives at Kansas City is one

of 13 branches of the National Archives.Across this system there are a wealth of

resources available regarding the Civil War.Searching for these records has been made

simple with the creation of on-line tools that makes research quick and simple.

Archival Research CatalogueThe Archival Research Catalogue (ARC) is

an online research tool providing descriptions of records available for research, as well as some images.

http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/

You can search by specific topics, people and places.

ARC Gallery: Civil WarA collection of ready to use online

resources on the Civil War, separated by categories covering different aspects of the war.

http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/topics/civil-war/

Online Public AccessOnline Public Access (OPA) is NARA’s

newest search engine for finding records from the holdings of the National Archives.

http://www.archives.gov/research/search/