Researching Your Civil War Ancestors - Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Consisting of over 515 rolls of microfilm, the compiled services records pertain to Kentucky volunteers mustered into the Federal service. A master index provides the name, rank, and unit of each soldier. Individual service files typically consist of information abstracted from original muster rolls, regimental returns, hospital rolls, descriptive books, lists of deserters, and originals of any papers relating solely to the particular soldier.

This collection also includes two groups of supplemental records entitled "Miscellaneous Card Abstracts" and "Personal Papers." This material was originally to be interfiled with the compiled service records. The "Personal Papers" are arranged alphabetically by surname and the "Abstracts" are organized first by unit and then by veteran's name. These records generally complement the information found with the compiled service records.

These records do not contain information on Kentuckians who served in the U. S. Regulars, the U. S. Colored Troops, the Navy, or the Marines. Information regarding these records may be obtained from the National Archives.

This two-volume report was published in 1866 in conformity with a resolution of the General Assembly passed in 1864. The report contains rosters of those Kentucky units mustered into the Federal service, U.S. Colored Troops, Kentucky State Troops, and Enrolled Militia. The report also contains an alphabetical list of officers and a complete list of general and staff officers from Kentucky. An index is available on microfilm.

For additional information on U. S. Colored Troops, Kentucky State Troops, and Enrolled Militia, researchers should contact the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs, Military Records and Research Branch. The Library contains the original records of the Adjutant Generals Office, including original muster rolls and other records related to Kentucky's Federal, State and "Colored" volunteers.

Pension records for Union veterans and their widows may be obtained from the National Archives in Washington. KDLA has the 1890 Census of Union veterans and widows in Kentucky available on microfilm. Congress authorized this special census in an effort to locate individuals entitled to pensions or disability benefits. These records include name, rank, unit, length of service and the nature of any service related disability. A published index to the census is available.

Kentucky's courts were flooded with war-related actions both during and after the conflict. Circuit Court (or Commonwealth) Order Books yield a multitude of charges against Union soldiers. A battle-related death or the capture of property during military operations frequently resulted in indictments for "murder", "grand larceny" or "horse-stealing" once peace was declared.

Civil and Criminal Case Files may contain detailed information on these war-related charges, including lengthy depositions by participants and/or witnesses. These files are especially helpful in determining whether an ancestor served in irregular units such as "Home Guards," local organizations whose members are rarely listed in official records.

KDLA has records available from many of the circuit courts around the state.

Evidence of war-related charges could mean that a veteran submitted a petition for pardon to the Governor. KDLA houses the official papers of Kentucky's governors including those who served during the war years. The Papers of Governor Thomas E. Bramlette contain petitions stemming from the conflict. Many petitions contain detailed information on the war-time incident that prompted the indictment as well as copies of the indictments themselves. These records are particularly valuable if the original case files and/or indictments are not available. The Governor's Executive Journals, arranged chronologically, provide dates for these pardons.