Mississippi, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of Union service records of soldiers who served in organizations from Mississippi for the years 1861 to 1865. The records include abstracts of entries relating to the soldier as found in the muster rolls:


 * Name of soldier
 * Rank, company and battalion
 * Age
 * Physical description
 * Place of birth
 * Occupation
 * Enlistment date
 * Where enlisted and by whom
 * Length of enlistment

For each military unit, the service records are arranged alphabetically by the soldier's surname. The Military Unit field may also display the surname range (A-G) as found on the microfilm. This collection is a part of RG 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s - 1917, and is National Archive Microfilm Publication M404. Index courtesy of www.fold3.com (previously Footnote.com).

Service records were kept for each Union soldier. Those records, or their abstracts, were compiled into individual files. Each envelope/jacket contains information and cross references to original records relating to the soldier.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The index to these records contains the following:
 * Jacket name
 * Soldier’s full name
 * Year
 * Age (often estimated)
 * Military unit served in
 * Type of records in file
 * NARA publication number, title, and roll number

The records are in individual files which usually include the following:
 * A jacket-envelope for each soldier, labeled with his name, rank, and the unit in which he served
 * A card (or cards) with abstracts of entries from original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers, parole rolls, and inspection reports
 * The originals of any papers relating only to the particular soldier

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age or birth date

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age to calculate a birth date and to find other records such as birth, christening, marriage, census, land and death records
 * Use the information to find additional family members. *Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Mississippi.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning United States Civil War Research
 * Locating a Union Civil War Soldier (1861-1865)
 * Mississippi Guided Research
 * Mississippi Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Mississippi, NARA pub M404

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.