Thank you for registering for Civil War Research: Tracing Union & Confederate Ancestors!
In Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, he acknowledged the soldiers who fought and died in battle declaring, “the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” Indeed, as genealogists there are many of us with American ancestry from the Civil War era who wish to determine if—and how—they served, so that they can be remembered long into the future. This five-week online course will delve into the many primary and published resources that exist to document your ancestors’ role in the Civil War and their contributions to either the Union or Confederate cause. You'll receive access to all five recorded lectures and additional course materials on June 15. Then join us for a live Q&A session with the instructors on June 22, 2:00-3:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
This course includes:
- Five+ hours’ worth of pre-recorded lectures
- Exclusive access to handouts, slides, templates, and other materials
- An in-depth Q&A session with the instructors
- Access to all materials for the foreseeable future
Q&A WITH EXPERTS
Running time: 1:27:56
Live broadcast: Saturday, June 22, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Presented by David Allen Lambert, and Melanie McComb
Resources shared in chat during live Q&A
RECORDED PRESENTATIONS & INSTRUCTION
Class 1: Union Ancestors: Essential Resources for Tracing Their Service
Presented by David Allen Lambert
In this first class, we’ll discuss how to determine if your ancestor served for the Union Army and how to learn more about their service. We’ll cover resources that can be used to trace their service, the information included in these records, and how to access them.
Running time: 58:44
Class 1 Handout
Class 1 Slides Worksheet
Class 1 Slides (Large)
Class 2: Confederate Ancestors: Essential Resources for Tracing Their Service
Presented by David Allen Lambert
Following on the heels of the first class, in this session we will discuss key resources for researching your Confederate Ancestors. You’ll learn how to determine if they served for the confederacy and how to trace their service through important resources.
Running time: 46:23
Class 2 Handout
Class 2 Slides Worksheet
Class 2 Slides (Large)
Class 3: Women in the Civil War
Presented by Melanie McComb
While you may look to the men in your tree first to determine if you have ancestors who served in the Civil War, don’t forget to consider your female ancestors from the time period as well. Many women contributed to both the Union and Confederate causes by serving as nurses, spies, and even by disguising themselves as men and taking up arms on the battlefield. In this class, we’ll cover the historical context of women in the Civil War and key resources for researching your female ancestors in the era.
Running time: 48:32
Class 3 Handout
Class 3 Slides Worksheet
Class 3 Slides (Large)
Class 4: Union and Confederate Pension Files: A Genealogist’s Gold Mine
Presented by David Allen Lambert
Pension files can contain a wealth of information about your Civil War ancestors—including medical information related to your ancestor’s service and details about their movements and fighting during the war. They and may even include unique additions like letters your ancestor wrote from the front and photographs. In this class, we’ll discuss how to determine if a pension was filed for your Union or Confederate ancestor and how to access it.
Running time: 55:06
Class 4 Handout
Class 4 Slides Worksheet
Class 4 Slides (Large)
Class 5: Post-Service Records for Union and Confederate Soldiers
Presented by David Allen Lambert
When the Civil War drew to a close in 1865, over 600,000 had died for the Union and Confederate causes. Those who survived moved forward in in a united but forever changed nation, and many were left with injuries and disabilities from the conflict. In this final class, we will cover records for tracing your veteran ancestors after the Civil War ended. We’ll discuss veteran home records, veteran organizations, Civil War hereditary societies, and more.
Running time: 46:23
Class 5 Handout
Class 5 Slides Worksheet
Class 5 Slides (Large)
OTHER RESOURCES
Webinar: Jewish Soldiers in the Civil War: The Union Army
Webinar: Researching Black Soldiers in the Civil War
Webinar: Stories from the Archives Civil War Manuscripts
Author Event: Brian Matthew Jordan with A Thousand May Fall: An Immigrant Regiment's Civil War
INSTRUCTOR BIOS
David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist, has been on the staff of American Ancestors since 1993 and is an internationally recognized speaker on the topics of genealogy and history. Lambert has published many articles in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the New Hampshire Genealogical Record, Rhode Island Roots, Mayflower Descendant, and American Ancestors magazine. He has authored and or co-authored in the published genealogies presented to David McCullough, Ken Burns, Angela Lansbury, Michael and Kitty Dukakis, Nathaniel Philbrick, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. He has also published eleven books including A Guide to Massachusetts Cemeteries (American Ancestors, 2018), and Vital Records of Stoughton, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1850 (Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2008). David received his B.A. in History from Northeastern University. David is an elected Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, Mass., and a life member of the New Hampshire Society of the Cincinnati and the General Society of the War of 1812. David also serves as the tribal genealogist for the Massachusett Tribe at Punkapoag in Massachusetts. His areas of expertise include New England and Atlantic Canadian records of the 17th through 21st century; American and international military records; DNA research; and Native American and African American genealogical research in New England.
Melanie McComb, Senior Genealogist, assists library visitors, both on-site and online, with their family history research. She is an international lecturer who teaches on a variety of topics. Melanie holds a B.S. degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. She previously served as the social media coordinator for the NextGen Genealogy Network, a non-profit that creates a community for younger genealogists, where she managed the Facebook and Twitter accounts. She is also an Honorary Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society. She continues her interest in helping younger genealogists get involved at American Ancestors by assisting with educational programs from local schools, scout groups, and universities. Her areas of expertise include Irish genealogy, DNA, Atlantic Canada, Jewish genealogy, and military records.