If you’ve got an ancestor who served in an Iowa Regiment during the Civil War we’ve just acquired a great resource to assist you in your research. Thanks to some generous folks like the Tawani Foundation in Chicago who provided grant assistance and the Scott County Iowa Genealogical Society who stepped in when this project became a bit more expensive than we anticipated, we can now offer the Volunteer Enlistment Papers for Iowa Civil War soldiers. Previously these documents were only available at the State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines. Now that they have been microfilmed you no longer have to drive to Des Moines to view them – you can do that right here in Davenport!
You say you already know that your ancestor served in the War and you know his dates of service and the regiment and company he served in. Why would you care about the enlistment papers? Do you know how tall he was? Or what color his eyes and hair were? Do you have a copy of his signature? The enlistment paper generally gives this information for each soldier. It also documents the soldier’s place of birth in some detail – especially for those soldiers who were born overseas.
If you are really lucky, your soldier was not of legal age and had to have his parent or guardian sign the paper giving their permission for the soldier to enlist. In one case, the enlistee’s wife signed giving him permission to volunteer. We wondered if she was doing her patriotic duty in allowing her young husband to go off to war or if she was, perhaps, happy to see him go?
Like any record, the volunteer enlistments do have their limitations. The biggest one is that the records begin in June of 1862 with records of soldiers in the 27th Infantry, so if your ancestor was an early enlistee their enlistment paper isn’t available. The others are simply a product of the time the records were created. For example, some soldiers could not write their names so a signature isn’t on the record. Sometimes the person filling out the form didn’t have good handwriting and/or spelling skills (or maybe they just didn’t ask how the soldier spelled his name!). The result is that you might find your soldier’s last name spelled four different ways all on the same document.
The records are arranged by regiment and then by company so that’s the information you will need in order to find your soldier’s enlistment paper. If you don’t have that information there are a number of printed indexes available in the Special Collections Center. Or you can try searching an online index at the national park service website: http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/ Our experience has taught us that none of these indexes are complete, so thanks to one of our wonderful volunteers we are working on creating an index that is specifically for the Volunteer Enlistments – hopefully you’ll see it soon as a work in progress on our website at www.qcmemory.org
UPDATE (23March2009): Our searchable index is now available!
Looking for Elias H Larew enlisted 28 Sep 1861 Co A Iowa 11th Infantry Regiment and mustered out same day. Enlisted as a 3rd Sergeant on 12 Aug 1862 Co. F 35th Iowa Infantry Regiment Mustered out 12 Feb 1863 with a disability discharge. Elias was born 28 Nov 1827 in Indiana. I would like to have a copy of his Enistment papers and if there is a photo of him I would like a copy of that too. Thank you.
We would be happy to assist you in your research!
If you would please fill out our eRequest form on our main website, or contact us via e-mail (specialcollections@davenportlibrary.com), we will begin searching our records for Mr. Larew.
I hope enlistment papers for Isaac Wheeler Stevens of the Ist Independent Battery, Iowa Light Artillery indicate place of birth and parents’ names. He shows up on the civilwar.nps.gov/cwss index and I have found him in records at the park center at Kennesaw Mountain, GA. He signed later official documents as “Adjutant.” I am trying to ascertain his place of birth as well as his parents’ names. Thank you.
Isaac Wheeler does not appear in our index to these records; as we stated in our post, our collection of records begin with soldiers in the 27th Infantry.
The best places to find Isaac Wheeler’s enlistment records may be the State Historical Society of Iowa or the National Archives and Records Administration.
The Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion may give Isaac Wheeler’s place of birth. If you wish for us to search these records, please contact our Special Collections Center.
My relative George Metteer served in the Iowa 35th Infantry A from 21 July 1862 – 25 May 1865. He was wounded at the Battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana on 9 April 1864. He never fully recovered from the ball that hit him in the tibia of the right leg. He is buried in Klein Cemetery, Moscow, Muscatine, Iowa.
I am looking for info. about; George Hamilton, enlisted on Aug. 13, 1862, into the Iowa 34th Infantry, company D. I see from the roster of company D that he was in that unit. I am looking for his birth, place of birth and parents names that might be on the enlistment. I seen that those records are on microfilm at your library, but are not available online. I would be happy to pay for any time and printing costs. Thank you Harley Hamilton
We would be delighted to assist you with your research! Our index to the Iowa Civil War Volunteer Enlistments does include a George Hamilton in the 34th Infantry, Company D. Simply submit your request through our website with the Ask a Genealogy Question form and we will gladly look up his record for you.
I would like to get the enlistment papers for Lewis Baxter who was in the 33rd Iowa Infantry. He enlisted at Sigourney.
A quick look in our Iowa Volunteer Civil War Enlistments Microfilm index shows a record for Lewis Baxter, age 20, enlisting at Sigourney, Iowa in the 33rd Infantry Company B. If you would like further information or copies of the record, please email specialcollections@davenportlibrary.com with this request. We would be glad to assist you further!
Hi!
I’m very curious in finding more information on my 3rd great grandfather, David Slagle. He enlisted in the 11th Iowa Infantry, Company A on September 24, 1864. I’d be very willing to pay for any fees & appreciate your help so much!
Hello! We’d be happy to help you with your research. Please send us an email at specialcollections@davenport library.com or make a request through our online form at http://www.davenportlibrary.com/genealogy-and-history/ask-a-genealogy-question.
Could I get the enlistment papers for PETER GOOD? He served in B Co, 36th Rgt Iowa Infantry from 8 Aug 1862 to 24 Aug 1864. Thank you.
Hi Paula,
We would be very glad to assist you! Please email your questions to us at specialcollections@davenportlibrary.com or fill out our online research request form at http://www.davenportlibrary.com/genealogy-and-history/ask-a-genealogy-question/. Thanks!
I am looking for any information you have on John W. Douglas, Co. K, 33 Iowa Infantry. I was going through my father’s photos and found a picture of John W. Douglas. He died at the age of 92. Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
We would be very glad to assist you! Please email your questions to us at specialcollections@davenportlibrary.com or fill out our online research request form at http://www.davenportlibrary.com/genealogy-and-history/ask-a-genealogy-question. Thanks!
my great great grandfather was in civil war but cant find anything about him
We would be very glad to assist you in your search! Please email your questions to us at specialcollections@davenportlibrary.com or fill out our online research request form at https://www.davenportlibrary.com/about-us/contact-us/contact-special-collections. Thanks!
Hi,
I’m looking for information about my great grandpa John E. Hall. He was in Iowa B 13 regiment.
Thank for any help.