Search for content in message boards

Draft records at NARA

Draft records at NARA

Posted: 19 Jun 2015 6:27PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hello All,

When reading up on the "U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865" collection on Ancestry, I see that the description states that "The actual draft registration records are available in NARA regional archives and sometimes contain more information than the consolidated lists." But I can't find any information on the NARA website regarding the actual draft registration records, where they are stored, or how they may be consulted. Can anyone enlighten me on this?

Thanks very much!

Re: Draft records at NARA

Posted: 26 Jun 2015 2:53AM GMT
Classification: Query
It is true that the Civil War Draft books were hastily put online at Ancestry--with many indexing debacles and apparently no proofreading whatsoever. Since they were scanned for Ancestry and Fold3 to sell, NARA no longer lets you see the actual books.

As for other records...yes, there are some other records available that vary by state. Sometimes there are records of men who failed the physicals, or names of substitutes, or other varied information, but that is not at ancestry because it wasn't in demand enough for the profit-making entities to want to spend time scanning. To find these records, you would need to know which regional NARA location those records were shipped off to. They used to all be here in DC, but not any more. Supposedly, the records were shipped to the NARA location closest to where the records originated. So if you have PA soldiers, for example, these assorted additional records relating to the draft would probably be in the Philadelphia NARA branch...but I would call them and see what they have. The draft records should be in Record Group 94, so you could ask about it. Also, you will probably need to know which Congressional district the draftee was credited to. This information is probably in the service record or on the page in the draft book.

Best wishes!

Re: Draft records at NARA

Posted: 6 Jul 2015 6:56PM GMT
Classification: Query
Thanks so much for your informative and helpful reply! I will contact the regional branch corresponding to the area where the particular draftee was registered, as well as the DC branch, to enquire about what records may be available - and then, hopefully, will look forward to consulting them!

Wishing you the best in your own research as well!
per page

Find a board about a specific topic