Genealogy at the Library
The Rappahannock Region is located halfway between the capital of the United States, Washington D.C., and the former capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia.
Its navigable river, rail lines, and roadways made it a significant military target during the Civil War, resulting in thousands of lives lost in battles fought in the streets of Fredericksburg and in Spotsylvania's Wilderness. Both local residents and visitors were caught up in the chaos of war, and the remnants of these battles can still be seen in our landscapes and buildings today.
The library's collection includes numerous books and articles on the Civil War, featuring official records and personal memoirs. If you need assistance with your research, please reach out to us.
Genealogy & Heritage Research
Ancestry for Virginians
Staff Recommendations
Visit The Virginiana Room
The Civil War in the Rappahannock Region
Get a Card and an Online Account for the Library of Virginia
Resources on the Web
Websites and other web resources from local, state, and national archives, documents, and records.
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database (NPS)
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) is a database containing information about the men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. Other information on the site includes histories of Union and Confederate regiments, links to descriptions of significant battles, and selected lists of prisoner-of-war records and cemetery records, which will be amended over time.
Cyndi's List
A trusted genealogy research site for more than 25 years. Cyndi's List is free for everyone to use and it is meant to be your starting point when researching online.
FamilySearch.org
Search billions of ancestor profiles, photographs, and historical documents at once.
FamilySearch: Learning Center
Discover family history through this website, and in-person help at over 5,000 local family history centers.
Find-a-Grave
Find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials or add photos, virtual flowers and a note to a loved one's memorial. Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every-day and famous people from around the world.
Fredericksburg Court Records Online
Historic Court Records consists of extracts, transcripts and indices of records in repository in the Fredericksburg Circuit Court Archives, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Fredericksburg Research Resources (UMW)
Published Fredericksburg City ordinances, index of Order and Minute Books of the Courts in Fredericksburg, city directories, and more.
Krick's Roster of Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery Soldier Burials (.pdf)
A roster of the Confederate Dead in the Fredericksburg's Confederate Cemetery.
Library of Congress Guide to American Newspapers
The Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries (previously known as the United States Newspaper Directory and included in the Chronicling America: Historic American Newspaper online collection) is derived from the library catalog records primarily created by state institutions during the United States Newspaper Program (USNP) (1982-2011).
Newspaper Archives, Indexes & Morgues (Library of Congress)
On this page you will find links to many other national libraries that hold newspaper collections, links to major freely available digital collections of non-U.S. newspapers, and links to free online resources that can facilitate newspaper research.
Unknown No Longer: A Database of Virginia Enslaved Persons Names
The Library of Virginia’s "Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative" project aims to provide greater accessibility to pre-1865 African American history and genealogy found in the rich primary sources in the library's holdings.
The USGenWeb® Project
Originally beginning with online directories of text-based resources, their vision has grown into a network of over 3000 linked websites, all individually created and maintained by a community of volunteers. Today you may find a variety of unique county and state resources including photos, maps, transcriptions, historical documents, helpful links, and much more.
Virginia Chronicle
The Virginia Newspaper Program (VNP), established in 1993, has worked to locate, describe, inventory, preserve, and provide public access to United States imprint newspapers housed not only at the Library of Virginia but throughout the commonwealth.