Union Draft Records

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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. Records relating to the draft are at the National Archives in Record Group 110, Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau, and have not yet been microfilmed. They include the following:

• Consolidated Lists. These 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; state, territory, or country of birth; and military service (if any).
• 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. Who was subject to the draft:
  • All males between 20 and 45 were subjected to the draft.
  • Those who were exempt from service included:
  - Men who were mentally or physically impaired
  - The only son of a widow
  - The son of infirm parents
  - A widower with dependent children
  • A few paid a substitute to serve for them. (The going price was around $300, but quickly went to $1,100 or more.)
  • The unpopular draft lasted until 1865, when the war ended.
  • Enrollment districts were divided along the same lines as Congressional Districts.

What draft records contain:
• Name
• Residence
• Age as of 1 July 1863
• Place of birth
• Marital status
• Race
• Occupation

INFORMATION FROM: Meier, Michael T. "Genealogy Notes: Civil War Draft Records: Exemptions and Enrollments," Prologue, Quarterly of the National Archives 26:1 (Spring 1994) FHL book 973 B2p.

To find a name in the records, you must first determine the congressional district in which your ancestor lived. Congressional district numbers are listed in the following:

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

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.

Civil War draft or enrollment records are discussed in:

Meier, Michael T. “Civil War Draft Records: Exemptions and Enrollments.” Prologue: Quarterly of the National Archives 26. (Winter 1994): 282–86. (FHL book 973 B2p.)