U.S. Civil War History & Genealogy

Conscription / Draft Records

Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of persons to serve in the armed forces. Also known as the draft, conscription began in the United States as a result of the Conscription Act of March 3, 1863, during the War Between the States, or Civil War. If you know the state and county where your ancestor lived in 1863, you can look up the congressional district in the "Congressional Directory for the Second Session of the Thirty-Eighth Congress of the United States of America" published by the U.S. House of Representatives. Once you know the congressional district, you can request that the National Archives staff search for the registration file for your ancestor.

There were two types of records produced as a result of the Conscription Act of March 3, 1863: consolidated lists and descriptive rolls. The consolidated lists provide the person's name, birth date, state or country of birth, place of residence, occupation, and marital status as of July 1, 1863. The descriptive rolls add a physical description and a place or birth to the information found on the consolidated list. These records are all maintained in the Provost Marshall General's Bureau.

The conscription and service records for the Civil War are in the process of being transcribed in a project sponsored by the National Park Service.

For men born from 1872 to 1900 and who were drafted for WWI, microfilm of their draft registration cards is located in the National Archives.

For those who served in WWII and later, you may want to contact the records division of the Selective Service System:


Selective Service System
Records Division
1515 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22209-2425
(703) 235-2274


Written and contributed by George G. Morgan

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