Syllabus for my Civil War Lecture

 Civil War Pension Records in New Mexico

Henrietta M. Christmas

hmc@trementina.com

www.1598.blogspot.com

New Mexico had over 3,500 men that fought in the Civil War.  The records pertaining to the Civil War are enormous and are a valuable genealogical resource.  New Mexico, in particular, had men that served in the regular army, volunteers and as militia men. 

Strategies:

Background Work

•   Look at the age of the men you are looking for.  Possibly 18-45 years old
     in the 1860 census.
•   Check the census.
•   Look at family records.
•   Do you have a Civil War Headstone?
•  Look in the 1890 Veterans schedule.
•  The 1910 Census, column 30, if that is checked, Survivor of Union or Confederate. 

 Look at other resources

1. Regular army.
2. Militia.
3. Volunteer.
4. Muster cards or compiled service records.

 Online Resources

1    1. www.loc.gov
2. Familysearch.org
3. Soldiers and sailors at: http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/
4. Nara.gov – National Archives
5. Ancestry.com
6. Google, roster and battles

Pension Records

1. Look for your soldier in the pension files, I use Ancestry. If you find one, order it.

Regimental Histories

1. State Archives

2. State Libraries

3. Online histories

Bibliography:

Wagner, Margaret E., Gary W. Gallagher and Paul Finkelman, editors.  Civil War Desk Reference.  New York.  Simon and Schuster, 2002.

Schweitzer, George K.  Civil War Genealogy.  Knoxville, TN. 2003. 

© 2012 Henrietta M. Christmas