Confederate Service Records

United States U.S. Military Records U.S. Civil War Confederate Service and Pension Records Confederate Service Records

Introduction

Confederate soldiers may have served from a military unit raised by the Confederate Government or by an individual Confederate state. Most Confederate soldiers served with a Unit raised in the community where they lived.

Compiled Service 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.

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.

See card examples and descriptions on Footnote.com.

The Compiled Service Records ($) (Footnote.com) of Confederate soldiers are available online. In the future, these records will be made available at no charge through the National Archives web site. The service records are also available to access at no charge at National Archives research rooms and any library that provides free access to Footnote.com.

Compiled Service Records of Individual States

The following three collections are not needed if searching the collection Compiled Service Records available on Footnote.com. They are include in that database.

If you are using the records of the individual states, however, the following three collections should also be searched as they were not included in the compiled service records of the individual states.

• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in Organizations Raised Directly by the Confederate Government. National Archives Microfilm Publication M258. (FHL films 0880207–329.) (also available on Footnote) ($).
  Index. NARA M818.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate General and Staff Officers and Nonregimental Enlisted Men. National Archives Microfilm Publication M331. (FHL films 0881105–379.) Include those men performing staff duties. (also available on Footnote) ($).
  Index. NARA M818.
• Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging to Confederate Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M347. (FHL films 1402001–442.) (also available on Footnote) ($).

Compiled Service Records of Individual States

State	Index to Compiled Service Records	NARA Microfilm Publication	FHL Film
Alabama	Index	M311	0880330‑837
Arizona	Index	M318	0536241
Arkansas	Index	M317	0880849–1104
Florida	Index	M251	0880103–206
Georgia	Index	M266	1499064–670
Kentucky	Index	M319	1447468–603
Louisiana .	Index	M320	1447604–975, 1473206–47
Maryland	Index	M321	1292663–84
Mississippi	Index	M269	1488026–452
Missouri	Index	M322	1500030–222
North Carolina	Index	M270	1381001–500, 1447001–80
South Carolina	Index	M267	1380691–95, 1447081–467
Tennessee	Index	M268	1499671–854, 1499856–1500028, 1527065
Texas	Index	M323	1501077–52
Virginia	Index	M324	1488678–9752

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