Civil War Genealogy

Transcript:

Host (Heather Haunert):
Hi everyone, and welcome to The Family Treehouse, a podcast series brought to you by Storied, where I chat with people who have a passion for genealogy, storytelling, or both.

I’m your host, Heather Haunert, and I’m starting today’s show with a question: Have you ever wondered about your ancestors who fought in the Civil War or other 19th-century conflicts?

If so, today’s guest is a person you need to know. Brian Rhinehart is an expert in military record retrieval and research at the National Archives, where he has retrieved and digitized hundreds of military files that simply aren’t available online. And let’s be honest—so many people today think everything’s online… but that’s definitely not true when it comes to these records.

If you haven’t been to Brian’s website, civilwarrecords.com, you definitely need to check it out. In addition to his research work, he also has over 15 presentations scheduled now through October—he is a busy guy!

So, without further delay, let’s welcome Brian Rhinehart.

Guest (Brian Rhinehart):
Thank you, Heather. I’m glad to be here. I’m looking forward to this!

Host:
Super excited to chat. I know that when I’ve worked with people—even outside of Storied—Civil War records are one of the first things people ask about. So I’m excited to talk today.

Brian, tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started in this fantastic field of family history and storytelling.

Guest:
Yeah, so my very first time ever doing anything with family history was actually in college. I was supposed to be writing a term paper—but I’m a world-class procrastinator. [laughs] I think most people are like that.

At that time, I kept hearing commercials for this new website, Ancestry.com. It was still fairly new. So, I logged in for a free trial. I was supposed to be working on my paper, but instead, I put a family name into Ancestry, and within an hour, I was back in census records from the 1800s. I was just blown away—tracking my people from Ohio back into New England and New York. It was amazing. I was hooked.

That was over 25 years ago… and I’m still going strong.

Host:
I love that. I think we can all relate to procrastinating and finding something more interesting to do. Some of my best ideas have come when I was supposed to be doing something else! [laughs]

Guest:
Yes, and one of my favorite things about genealogy is how easy it is to fall into those rabbit holes.

Host:
So true. Brian, tell us—why do you think storytelling is such an important part of family history?

Guest:
Storytelling is what it’s all about.

There’s nothing wrong with collecting names and dates and building your tree—if that’s what you enjoy, go for it. But if you want to understand who your ancestors really were—and maybe even understand your own parents and grandparents better—then you need the stories.

For example, my great-grandmother—one of the few things I ever knew about her was that she was always known to be a heavy drinker. And I thought, “Wow… that’s the one thing people remember?”

But learning her story changed everything.

She had an unplanned pregnancy at 15. Raised that boy. He had polio and was disabled. Her brother died in WWI from the flu epidemic. Other family members died in that same epidemic. One of her sons died in WWII.

So, you know what? If she ended up being a heavy drinker… it kind of makes sense.

It helps to put her life in context. That story reshaped my understanding of her.

But the bigger moment for me came when my older brother passed away about 20 years ago. He had two young children. His 9-year-old son came to me and asked, “What do you know about the Rhinehart family? Where did we come from?”

It hit me. My brother was gone—he couldn’t share those stories anymore. But I could. I realized I could help give my nephew a sense of identity and grounding.

So I created a little family history book for him. Each page told a story about one of his ancestors—names, dates, biographies. But the very last page was his. And I’d love to read you a part of that.

Host:
Yes, please!

Guest:
Here’s what I wrote:

“This page is yours, Josh.
It’s mostly empty because your life is still beginning.
Someday, it will be filled with your story.
Every one of your ancestors made choices—some big, some small.
They chose whether to leave their homeland, who to marry, how to make a living, how many children to have.
They chose whether to learn from the lives of those who came before them—or try to build something better.
And now, you get to choose.
What kind of impact will you have on your world?
What stories will be told about you, someday long from now?
What will you do to make your life count?”

Host:
I love that. It’s such a beautiful reminder. We always focus on our ancestors’ stories, but we need to tell our own too—because someday, our stories will be the history someone else is researching.

Guest:
Exactly. We are stories in progress. The choices we make now will shape what’s remembered.

Host:
Let’s switch gears a little and talk about Civil War records and their stories. That’s such a common entry point for new researchers.

What resources or tools do you recommend for someone just starting to explore whether they had an ancestor in the Civil War?

Guest:
That’s a great question.

First—ask your living relatives. These kinds of stories are often remembered. My grandmother, for example, told me early on that her great-grandfather was in the Civil War. That was still being passed down.

Second—check obituaries and gravestones. Obits are mini-biographies, and Civil War service was often mentioned. Sometimes even more than the names of children or spouses. You’ll often get enlistment dates, regiment numbers—huge clues.

Third—newspapers. I’ve seen Civil War reunions in early 1900s newspaper articles, where attendees and their units were listed. If you can find something like that, it’s gold.

Host:
Yes! I love newspapers for that very reason.

Okay, so let’s say someone knows they had a Civil War ancestor. What’s next? Where do they dig deeper?

Guest:
Start with the basic records from the National Archives in Washington, D.C.—especially for Union soldiers.

Look for the pension files. These are amazing. If a soldier applied for a pension, you might get 100+ pages of personal info—injuries, service, widow’s applications, affidavits, letters. Just a treasure trove.

Also look at compiled military service records. These will tell you things like enlistment, transfers, battles, desertions, hospitalizations.

And if your ancestor was hospitalized, there are carded medical records—that’s a great, often overlooked resource. I learned from one that my ancestor was hospitalized for sunstroke and measles.

Host:
That’s a new one for me! I didn’t know about those medical records.

And what about POWs—prisoners of war?

Guest:
If someone was held as a prisoner of war, it should be noted in their compiled service record—where and when they were captured and released. For places like Andersonville, some records have been digitized and are available on Ancestry.

But honestly, POW records are sparse. Mostly ledgers—no deep detail. I wish there was more.

Host:
If someone wants to write about a Civil War ancestor, what are three things you’d suggest they focus on?

Guest:
Great question.

1. Start with the records: Pension file, service record, medical cards. Get the facts first.
   
   
2. Research the regiment: If you know your ancestor was injured in July 1863, look up what his regiment was doing then. If they were at Gettysburg—boom. Now you have the setting for your story.
   
   
3. Consider age and context: A 16-year-old had a very different experience than a 45-year-old. Why did they enlist? Were they escaping something, seeking adventure, or supporting a family?
   
   

Bonus tip: Look at casualty lists. If others were injured in the same battle, their pension files might reveal details that apply to your ancestor too.

Host:
That’s fantastic. I especially love the idea of visiting battlefields. Have you done that for your ancestors?

Guest:
Yes! One of mine was at Gettysburg. I went there, found his name on the Pennsylvania monument. It’s powerful to walk where they fought. It changes everything.

Host:
Absolutely. It puts things into perspective.

Do you have a favorite or surprising ancestor story to share?

Guest:
One was shot in the neck at the Battle of South Mountain. He tumbled down the mountain, and a fellow soldier carried him to a hospital—saved his life. I found that in his pension file.

Another ancestor wrote letters to his mother. He was just 19, didn’t survive the war. But his letter said, “Say hello to all my friends and the pretty girls back home.” Such a real, human moment.

I also came across a casualty list for a Wisconsin regiment where soldiers died on April 9, 1865—the very day Lee surrendered. It made me wonder… did their families find out about the surrender before they got the telegram saying their loved one had died?

Host:
Wow. That gave me chills.

And finally—a common question: Are there photos in the pension files?

Guest:
Rarely. It’s like Willy Wonka’s golden ticket—you might get lucky, but don’t count on it. Sometimes there’s a photo of a veteran later in life, or a picture of an injury if it was part of a pension claim, but that’s about it.

Host:
That’s where AI art tools come in handy to bring those people to life! [laughs]

Brian, thank you so much for your time today. Your knowledge and passion are incredible, and I encourage everyone to check out civilwarrecords.com. It’s a fantastic resource.

Guest:
Thank you! I really appreciate the invitation. This was great.

Host:
And that brings us to the end of this episode of The Family Treehouse, where we celebrate the power of storytelling and preserving our family legacies.

Storied is more than just a platform for sharing stories. Dive into historical records and newspapers. Discover the hidden gems that bring your ancestors to life. Add branches to your family tree, connecting generations past and future.

Thank you for joining us. Your stories matter. Keep uncovering your family’s history and keep the spirit of storytelling alive—with Storied.