Union Draft Records

United States Civil War, 1861-1865
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United States U.S. Military U.S. Civil War Draft Records

Union Draft Records

By 1863 it became necessary for the federal government to enroll and draft men into the Army. The Conscription Act declared that men between the ages of 20 and 45 were eligible for duty. Aliens who had filed their declaration of intention to become citizens were also eligible. The draft lasted until 1865, when the war ended. The records are part of Record Group 110 Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau.

Who was subject to the draft:

• All males between 20 and 45 were subjected to the draft.

Who was exempt:

• Men who were mentally or physically impaired
• The only son of a widow
• The son of infirm parents
• A widower with dependent children

Note: A few paid a substitute to serve for them. (The going price was around $300, but quickly went to $1,100 or more.)

Related Collections Selected - National Archives Catalog

• Register of Applicants for Provost Marshals, Surgeons, and Members of Boards of Enrollment
• Register of Disbursements Made
• Register of Accounts Forwarded for Payment
• Annual Report of the provost Marshal General, November 15, 1864. NAID 74884497
• Muster and Descriptive Rolls of Recruits - Northern District of Kansas. Draft Rendezvous at Fort Leavenworth 3.3.1863-1865
• Medical Register of Examinations of Enrolled Men, Drafted Men, Recruits, and Substitutes Northern District of Kansas. 3.3.1863-8.20.1866
• Medical Register of Examinations of Enrolled Men, Drafted Men, Recruits, and Substitutes, Showing Exemptions Missouri 6th District]
• Descriptive Lists of Recruits Enlisted in the 27th, 28th, and 30th Sub-districts. Missouri 6th District, 3.3.1863-8.20.1866

Consolidated Enrollment Lists

The "Consolidated Enrollment Lists, compiled 1863 - 1865" 620 volumes (National Archives Catalog ID: 4213514 / MLR Number NM-65 172) consist of registers of men eligible for the draft.

The consolidated lists are arranged by state, then by congressional district, and then alphabetically by the first letter of the surname. The lists give name, place of residence, age as of 1 July 1863, occupation, marital status, place of birth, and former military service.

The records were divided into three parts, or classes:

• Class I - men 20-35 subject to military duty and unmarried men 36-44 subject to military duty.
• Class II - married men 36-44.
• Class III - volunteers.

Other titles for this collection:

• "Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registrations, 1863-1865"
• "Draft Enrollment Registers"

Determining Congressional District:

Determining the congressional district in which a person lived can be helpful when searching the records, especially in cases where the persons name is very common. The following lists Civil War era congressional districts outlining which counties were located in which districts:

• "Congressional Directory for the Second Session of the Thirty‑eighth Congress of the United States of America" 1865 (FHL 973 E4uc 1865; film 1425543 item 6.) This is arranged alphabetically by state, then by Congressional district. The counties are included in each district.

Where to Find the Records

Online

• U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865 (Ancestry) ($)

National Archives Preliminary Inventories Record Group 110

• Part 1
• Part 2: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island
• Part 3: New York
• Part 4: New Jersey and Pennsylvania
• Part 5: Delaware, Maryland,District of Columbia, West Virginia, Kentucky,Missouri
• Part 6: Ohio and Indiana
• Part 7: Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa
• Part 8: Kansas,Nebraska,Colorado, Dakota, Minesota,California,Nevada,Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, Tennessee

Other Records

Case Files

There are also some case files on drafted aliens in National Archives Record Group 59, General Records of the Department of State. These are arranged alphabetically and include name, age, district from which drafted, country of citizenship, and length of residence in the United States.

Descriptive Rolls

These are arranged the same as the Consolidated Lists and include a physical description of the enrollee, birthplace, and whether accepted or rejected for service.

Further Reading

Civil War draft or enrollment records are discussed in:

• Meier, Michael T. "Genealogy Notes: Civil War Draft Records: Exemptions and Enrollments," Prologue, Quarterly of the National Archives 26:1 (Spring 1994) FHL 973 B2p.
• Meier, Michael T. “ Civil War Draft Records: Exemptions and Enrollments.” Prologue: Quarterly of the National Archives 26. (Winter 1994): 282–86. FHL 973 B2p
• Murdock, Eugene C. One Million Men, the Civil War Draft in the North. Wesptort, Conn.: Greenwood, Press, 1971. FHL 973 M2mu
• Patricia Andrews, Ellen Garrison, Mark German, and Ruth Johnson.comps. Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Provost Marshal's General Bureau. RG 110. 5 vols. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1966-1967. Digital Images

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