Lt. George E. Dixon - SCV Camp No. 1962

Discovering Your Confederate Ancestors

Confederate ancestry can be found on both paternal & maternal sides of your family, so trace as much as possible.

Invest in genealogy tools or services

• Tracing Your Ancestry Logbook by E. Wilbur Helmbold
• Unpuzzling Your Past: The Best-Selling Basic Guide to Genealogy by Emily Croom
• The Unpuzzling Your Past Workbook by Emily Croom
• Family Tree Maker
• Family Search
• Hire a Private Genealogist

Gather your family information

• Family Bibles
• Deeds
• Wills
• Marriage Certificates
• Birth Certificates
• Death Certificates
• Christening Records
• Family Members
• Photos of Headstones
• Post Messages To:
  • GenForum
  • Ancestory.Com
  • RootsWeb

Once you have found a Confederate ancestor(s) and have an idea of the unit/regiment in which they served, you will want copies of muster rolls, pension records, etc. If you have family that seemed to have stayed in one particular area, try the library or archives for that County or State.

• National Resources
  • Sons of Confederate Veterans
  • The United Daughters of the Confederacy
  • Museum of the Confederacy
  • The USGenWeb Project
• State Resources
  • Alabama Dept. of Archives & History
  • Arkansas History Commission
  • Florida State Archives
  • Georgia Dept. of Archives & History
  • Kentucky Dept. for Library & Archives
  • Virginia
    • Virginia Public Libraries
    • Virginia State Library
    • Virginia Historical Society
    • "Virginia Regimental Histories Series"
      • Harold E. Howard
      • 96 RR 3
      • Appomattox, VA 24522-9132
      • (434) 352-8871

Share your family tree once you have found your connection to your Confederate ancestor. Take a copy to the area's library and ask that it be filed for other researchers. This preserves your hard work for future generations.

How to Obtain a Marker for Unmarked Graves

• VA Headstones and Markers

These markers are free from the U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs. These come in flat or upright styles.

The flat markers are available in granite, marble or bronze. The upright markers are available in marble or granite.

These markers are for unmarked graves only. There must not already be a marker in place with or without service information. The individual must certify the grave is unmarked and a Government headstone or marker is preferred to a privately purchased headstone or marker. A grave is considered marked if a monument displays the decedent's name and date of birth and/or death, even though the veteran's military data is not shown.

Complete and accurate proof of Confederate military service is required and the expense of installation is the responsibility of the person ordering the marker.