Renee He probably would not have needed a birth certificate for naturalization in those days. The normal form was to sign a document renouncing all allegiance to whomever was ruler in the land you came from. Each state has a different method of archiving Naturalization papers. For a large fee you can belong to Ancestry.com's files which purport to have this data. Normally in the 1860 time frame there will be very little information on the document. The several I have located (Iowa, Wisconsin etc.) contain Name, Arrival date, and a signature on a form which indicates you renounce allegiance to the foreign power. Much more informative might be his Pension files, if he got one, from NARA. In there you might find relatives, sworn statements as to injuries or reason for the pension, and even fights between wives for the pension money etc. Mike [email protected] wrote: > > Hello, > I am seeking information on a Ferdinand Frank Weigand (or varient) > who immigrated to New York 1/9/1862 and almost immediately signed up for the > Civil War. He enlisted as private on January 14th 1862 for the Union. > Enlisted company K, 58th infantry regiment New York. Reenlisted in company K, 58th > infantry regiment New York on 3/30/1864. He mustered out of company K, 58th > infantry New York on 10/1/1865 in Nashville TN. He was born approx. 8/5/1834. > His father's name was Jacob, or included Jacob. They may have been German, > however family info has Ferdinand and his father being born Bern Switzerland, > of which I can find no record. I would like to find his naturalization papers > if possible. A family member I have lost touch with said he had a copy of > some form written in German from New York, perhaps a baptismal certificate?? I > don't know the reasons he would need that but perhaps for the citizenship? He > ended up in Butler PA and married Hannah/Sharlotte Vogeley. They probably > married around 1866. He was on the 1870 census there. It was noted on several > sources his profession was Jeweler/ watchmaker.... clocks etc... > Any help on his information would be appriciated! Thanks, > Renee