Michigan in the Civil War

Michigan

Michigan, Military Records

Michigan in the Civil War

During the Civil War, Michigan raised more than 90,000 men. Their records can be found in state records shown on this page, unit records which may be found on the military unit pages (see below for links), or federal records. For ideas on how to begin searching for your Civil War ancestor, see Beginning United States Civil War Research.

Civil War Monument in Detroit, Michigan, 1888

Introduction

Michigan raised more than 90,000 men for the Union. The Michigan regiments included 34 infantry regiments, 11 cavalry regiments, one sharpshooter regiment, one engineer regiment, many smaller independent units, and about 600 men in the Union Navy,

"14,753 Michigan soldiers died in service, roughly 1 of every 6 who served. 4,448 of these deaths were combat deaths while the majority, over 9000, were from disease..."

Michigan Military Units

Most units were numbered, however, some were named. See the table below for lists of the regiments, battalions, batteries, and other units.

The information in the lists of Michigan Military Units comes from the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors web site. That web site also can be searched by the name of a soldier.

Michigan Units by Number or by Name

Union Units

1st-9th

10th-30th

A to Z

Michigan Units by Type of Unit

Union Units

Infantry

Cavalry

Artillery

Unassign- ed Units

Colored Troops

Other

Related Sources

• John T. Fallon, comp. List of synonyms of organizations in the volunteer service of the United States during the years 1861, '62, '63, '64, and '65 Washington: Government Printing Office, 1885 FamilySearch Digital Library

• Bibliography of State Participation in the Civil War 1861-1866 Washington: Government Printing Office, 1918. For Michigan see pages 339- 361. This section will include a bibliography of war related state publications, published unit histories, and local histories with Civil War content. FamilySearch Digital Library

• Frederick Dyer. A compendium of the War of the Rebellion 3 volumes. reprint. New York, New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1959. v. 1. Number and organization of the armies of the United States -- v. 2. Chronological record of the campaigns, battles, engagements, actions, combats, sieges, skirmishes, etc., in the United States, 1861 to 1865 -- v. 3. Regimental histories. v.1 FamilySearch Digital Library; v.2 FamilySearch Digital Library; v.3 FamilySearch Digital Library

• United States Adjutant General's Office. Official army register of the volunteer force of the United States Army for the years 1861, '62, '63, '64, '65 volume 5 reprint Gaithersburg, Maryland: Olde Soldier Books, 1987 incudes officers from Ohio and Michigan Regiments FamilySearch Digital Library

Records and Resources

Cemetery Records

• "Civil War Graves Registration Index Cards, 1861–1930" (FS Library1955405 (22films)) This index for the state of Michigan includes name, county of burial, and military unit. See also Michigan, Civil War Centennial Observance Commission, Committee on Civil War Grave Registration, Burial Records FamilySearch Historical Records

1890 Census Veterans Schedules

• 1890 Census Veterans Schedules - The "Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War" (NARA M123) are available online for the state of Michigan. The schedules list Union veterans and their widows living in Michigan in 1890. For more information on the 1890 Veterans Schedules see Union Census Records.

Pensions

• Civil War Pension Index Cards - An Index to Pension Applications of veterans who served in the US Army between 1861-1917 is available on FamilySearch. Each card gives the soldier’s name, application and certificate numbers, state of enlistment, and might include rank and death information. The majority of the records are of Civil War veterans, but the collection also includes records for veterans of the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Indian Wars, and World War I. For more information see Union Pension Records.

Service Records

Most of the service and pension files have not been filmed and are only available at the National Archives. Footnote.com is currently digitizing the records (11 March 2011).

• Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War, 1861–1865. 46 vols. Kalamazoo, Michigan: Ihling Bros. & Everard, 1905. (FamilySearch Library book 977.4 M2r; on 4 films.) (Online at Hathi Trust Digital Library) Brief service records of Michigan soldiers. For an index of names listed in these volumes use:

-Alphabetical General Index to Public Library Sets of 85,271 Names of Michigan Soldiers and Sailors Individual Records. Lansing, Michigan: Michigan Secretary of State, 1915. (FamilySearch Library book 977.4 M2a; film 915948.)

• Michigan. Adjutant General's Office. Records of Michigan Volunteers Mustered into the Service of the United States, 1861–1866. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1973. (On 7 FS Library films.) Includes index. Lists name, rank, enlistment date and place, and residence. The records are also at the Michigan State Archives.

• Michigan. Adjutant General's Office. Michigan Volunteers Descriptive Rolls, 1861–1866; Index to Michigan Volunteers, 1861–1865. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972. (On 16 FS Library films.) Indexes are on films 915346–47. 50 volumes listing name, rank, enlistment date and place, physical description, and service record. Lists death date and place for some individuals.
• Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Civil War Principles and Substitutes index Database website. (Accessed July 12, 2011). Searchable database given names of substitutes and the person they served for. Lists regiment and company.

• For more information on service records see Union Service Records See also United States, National Archives, Compiled Military Service Records Sources Civil War: Michigan

Histories

• Robertson, John. Michigan in the War, Revised. Lansing, Michigan: W.S. George, 1882. (FamilySearch Library book 977.4 M25a; film 1015816 item 1, and 982366 item 3; 1880 edition on film 1294017.) (Google Book-online.) General history for the state. Histories for each regiment.
  

• Ellis, Helen H., compiler.” Index to John Robertson's Michigan in the war, revised edition, Lansing, Michigan, 1882” (Ann Arbor, Michigan. University Microfilms International-Books on Demand, 1989) 5 microfiche. Fiche 6078584 Index to the book above, "Michigan in the War"
  

• Lanman, Charles, The Red Book of Michigan: A Civil, Military and Biographical History, Publisher E.B. Smith, 1871 - Civil War Histories, Regiment histories, more

• Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. Michigan in the Civil War: A guide to the Resources in the Bentley Historical Library.. Gives brief information about items in collection. Histories, Regiment histories and diaries of individual soldiers. Many items available on microfilm through interlibrary loan.
  

• Clarke Historical Library, in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, has a great Civil War collection of published works and manuscripts. Michigan Infantry lists regimental histories at this library. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993), FS Catalog book 977.4 H25m.

• Duffield, Henry Martin. Address at the dedication of the monuments erected by the state of Michigan to her regiments and batteries on the battlefields of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, September 18th, 1895 : delivered on the battlefield of Chickamauga. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993), FS Library fiche 6084576.

• History of the Michigan organizations at Chickamauga, Chattanooga and Missionary Ridge, 1863Lansing, Mich. : Robert Smith Printing, 1899, c1897. FamilySearch Digital Library

• Jack Dempsey & Brian James Egen, Michigan at Antietam : the Wolverine State's sacrifice on America's bloodiest day Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2015 FS Library 977.4 M2d

Officers

• Robertson, John. Michigan in the War, Revised. Lansing, Michigan: W.S. George, 1882. (FamilySearch Library book 977.4 M25a; film 1015816 item 1, and 982366 item 3; 1880 edition on film 1294017.) Alphabetical lists show officer's residence, enlistment date, regiment, promotions, and date mustered out.

Grand Army of the Republic Veterans Organization

Grand Army of the Republic founded in 1866 - 1956, was the largest veteran’s organization in the country after the Civil War. It was a fraternal organization members were veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, Marines and Revenue Cutler Service who served in the American Civil War. The group supported voting rights for black veterans, and lobbied the U.S. Congress to establish veterans' pensions. In 1890 the membership was 490,000. In 1888 there were 343 posts and 21,420 members in the state of Michigan

GAR Posts in the State of Michigan

• FamilySearch Historical Records Michigan, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1876-1945

• Finding aid for the records of Michigan Department of the Grand Army of the Republic 1861-1957 FamilySearch Digital Library

• Grand Army of the Republic. Department of Michigan. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1973, 1991. (On 90 FS Library films.) Indexed. 50 volumes. Union veterans organization records show name, age, birth state, residence, occupation, service dates, and discharge cause.

• Alonzo J. Sherman, List of the Grand Army of the Republic posts in Michigan, 1872-1948 Oscoda, Michigan: Huron Shores Genealogical Society, 1994 FS Library 977.4 M2sa

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

With the death of the last member of the Grand Army of the Republic the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was formed.

Post War Records

• Clinton County Historical Society (Mich.). United States Civil War Soldiers Living in Michigan in 1894. St. Johns, Mich. (P.O. Box 23, St. Johns): Genealogists of the Clinton County Historical Society, 1988. FS Catalog book 977.4 M2c. Other Libaries.