Lineage Proof Difficulty Rating
This metric evaluates historical context—specifically which side the regiment fought for, the survival of their state's archives, and the availability of Federal vs. State pension records—to give modern descendants an accurate expectation of how difficult it will be to prove lineage.
1.0 to 1.9: Pristine (Very Easy)
Profile: Almost exclusively Union regiments.
Why: The U.S. Federal Government maintained meticulous, centralized records. Union soldiers were eligible for Federal pensions immediately after the war. Their muster rolls were meticulously preserved by the War Department in Washington D.C., and many of these regiments had detailed unit histories published by veterans in the 1880s and 1890s.
Example: The 1st Maine Heavy Artillery (1.5)
2.0 to 2.9: Good (Average Difficulty)
Profile: The vast majority of standard Union regiments, and some highly famous Confederate regiments.
Why: The records survived the war intact. For Confederates in this tier, it means their Confederate Compiled Military Service Records (CMSRs) were successfully captured at Richmond before they could be destroyed, and their home state didn't suffer catastrophic archive burnings.
Example: The 12th Maine Infantry (2.0)
3.0 to 3.9: Difficult
Profile: The majority of Confederate regiments.
Why: Confederate soldiers were explicitly denied Federal pensions until well into the 20th century. If a descendant is looking for a pension record, they have to rely on State pensions, which were impoverished, inconsistent, and often not issued until 30+ years after the war (when many veterans had already died). Furthermore, many Confederate muster rolls were lost during retreats.
Example: The 19th South Carolina Infantry (3.5)
4.0 to 4.9: Very Difficult (Burned Counties)
Profile: Confederate units from the Deep South, Trans-Mississippi theater, or highly localized defense militias.
Why: This rating indicates severe record destruction. This happens when the soldier's local county courthouse was burned down (e.g., during Sherman's March through Georgia/South Carolina, or the "Burned Counties" of Virginia). State and local census data, tax records, and enlistment papers were completely incinerated.
Example: The 1st Confederate Infantry Battalion (4.5)
5.0: Near Impossible
Profile: Irregular partisans, guerillas, or extremely late-war conscripts.
Why: Total loss of records. These units may have never officially mustered into the regular army, meaning no central government ever wrote their names down.