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Confederate Service Records: Difference between revisions

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Your Confederate ancestor may have served from a military unit raised by the Confederate Government or by individual states with the Confederacy.
Your Confederate ancestor may have served from a military unit raised by the Confederate Government or by individual states with the Confederacy.


=== United States Government Records ===
=== Confederate Government Records ===


'''Compiled Service Records'''
The following is an important index to Confederate Government records:


The Compiled Service Records for Confederate soldiers were made by the United States Record and Pension Office in the War department. Beginning in 1903, the Record and Pension Office made card abstracts from records in the War Department Collection of Confederate Records and from other borrowed documents. In addition to the cards, original documents that related only to the individual soldier were included.
*''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=108709&disp=Index+to+compiled+service+records+of+Con++ Index to Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations Raised Directly by the Confederate Government and of Confederate General and Staff Officers and Nonregimental Enlisted Men]''. National Archives Microfilm Publication M818. (FHL films 1205310–35.)


The card abstracts were made from original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers, Union prison registers and rolls, parole rolls, and inspection reports. Service records may provide rank, unit, date of enlistment, length of service, age, place of birth, and date of death. The Compiled Service Records were made in an effort to obtain as nearly complete record of military service as possible at the time.
The above source indexes the following two collections:


See card [http://www.footnote.com/page/367_confederate_compiled_military_service examples and descriptions] on Footnote.com.
*''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=313823&disp=Compiled+service+records+of+Confederate+++ Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in Organizations Raised Directly by the Confederate Government]. National Archives Microfilm Publication M258. (FHL films 0880207–329.) This series of records includes those units not raised by the individual states.''
<div class="Section14">
*''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=287336&disp=Compiled+service+records+of+Confederate+++ Compiled Service Records of Confederate General and Staff Officers and Nonregimental Enlisted Men]''. National Archives Microfilm Publication M331. (FHL films 0881105–379.) The records include those men performing staff duties.


The [http://go.footnote.com/civilwar_records Compiled Service Records] ($) (Footnote.com) of Confederate soldiers are available online. In the future, these records will be [http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2007/nr07-41.html made available at no charge] through the National Archives web site. The service records are also available to access at no charge at [http://www.archives.gov/locations/archival-research.html National Archives research rooms] and any library that provides free access to Footnote.com.
Below is an alphabetical collection of records that were never indexed nor interfiled with the compiled service records:  


=== Confederate Government Service Records ===
*''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=41408&disp=Unfiled+papers+and+slips+belonging+in+Co++ Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging to Confederate Compiled Service Records].'' National Archives Microfilm Publication M347. (FHL films 1402001–442.)
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&nbsp;The following is an important index to Confederate Government records:
=== Records of the Confederate States  ===


*''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=108709&disp=Index+to+compiled+service+records+of+Con++ Index to Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations Raised Directly by the Confederate Government and of Confederate General and Staff Officers and Nonregimental Enlisted Men]''. National Archives Microfilm Publication M818. (FHL films 1205310–35.)
Most Confederate soldiers served with a Unit raised in the community where they lived. These records were maintained by each individual Confederate state.


The above source indexes the following two collections:
'''Compiled Service Records'''


*''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=313823&disp=Compiled+service+records+of+Confederate+++ Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in Organizations Raised Directly by the Confederate Government]. National Archives Microfilm Publication M258. (FHL films 0880207–329.) This series of records includes those units not raised by the individual states.''
The Compiled Service Records for Confederate soldiers were made by the United States Record and Pension Office in the War department. Beginning in 1903, the Record and Pension Office made card abstracts from records in the War Department Collection of Confederate Records and from other borrowed documents. In addition to the cards, original documents that related only to the individual soldier were included.
<div class="Section14">
*''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=287336&disp=Compiled+service+records+of+Confederate+++ Compiled Service Records of Confederate General and Staff Officers and Nonregimental Enlisted Men]''. National Archives Microfilm Publication M331. (FHL films 0881105–379.) The records include those men performing staff duties.


To find specific microfilm numbers, look in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:
The card abstracts were made from original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers, Union prison registers and rolls, parole rolls, and inspection reports. Service records may provide rank, unit, date of enlistment, length of service, age, place of birth, and date of death. The Compiled Service Records were made in an effort to obtain as nearly complete record of military service as possible at the time.


UNITED STATES ‑MILITARY RECORDS ‑ CIVIL WAR , 1861–1865
See card [http://www.footnote.com/page/367_confederate_compiled_military_service examples and descriptions] on Footnote.com.


Below is an alphabetical collection of records that were never indexed nor interfiled with the compiled service records:
The [http://go.footnote.com/civilwar_records Compiled Service Records] ($) (Footnote.com) of Confederate soldiers are available online. In the future, these records will be [http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2007/nr07-41.html made available at no charge] through the National Archives web site. The service records are also available to access at no charge at [http://www.archives.gov/locations/archival-research.html National Archives research rooms] and any library that provides free access to Footnote.com.
 
*''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=41408&disp=Unfiled+papers+and+slips+belonging+in+Co++ Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging to Confederate Compiled Service Records].'' National Archives Microfilm Publication M347. (FHL films 1402001–442.)
</div>
=== State Service Records  ===


Most Confederate soldiers served with a Unit raised in the community where they lived. These records were maintained by each individual Confederate state. The records and indexes available at the [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]] and [[Family History Library|Family History Library]] are:  
The records and indexes available at the [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]] and [[Family History Library|Family History Library]] are:  


*[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=300893&disp=Compiled+service+records+of+Confederate+++ Alabama. Compiled Service Records]. National Archives Microfilm Publication M311. (FHL films 0880330‑837.) Also, [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=108781&disp=Index+to+compiled+service+records+of+Con++ Index]. National Archives Microfilm Publication M374. (FHL films 0821949–97.)  
*[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=300893&disp=Compiled+service+records+of+Confederate+++ Alabama. Compiled Service Records]. National Archives Microfilm Publication M311. (FHL films 0880330‑837.) Also, [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=108781&disp=Index+to+compiled+service+records+of+Con++ Index]. National Archives Microfilm Publication M374. (FHL films 0821949–97.)  
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