20th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry

Brief History
20th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry [formerly the 10th Volunteers] were assembled at Smithfield and Fort Caswell, North Carolina, in July, 1861. It surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on 9 April 1865, with 4 officers and 71 men of which only 9 were armed.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2351 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A - many men from Cabarrus County

Company B - many men from Cabarrus County

Company C - many men from Columbus County

Company D - many men from Columbus County

Company E - many men from Columbus County

Company F - many men from Sampson County

Company G - many men from Brunswick County

Company H - many men from Sampson County

Company I - many men from Sampson County

Company K - many men from Columbus County The information about the companies comes from A Guide to Military Organizations and Installations North Carolina 1861-1865  Information about the companies and their rosters are in Manarin and Jordan, North Carolina Troops 1861-1865 A Roster.

Regimental History and Roster

 * History of Co. E. 20th N.C. Regiment, 1861-'65 : Confederate Greys. By Benjamin B Carr. Goldsboro, N.C. : Joe F. Morris Printing, 1932. Online at: Internet Archive

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘North Carolina in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * North Carolina in the Civil War describes many sources, specifically for North Carolina, and how to find them. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Birdsong, James C. (James Cook). Brief sketches of the North Carolina State troops : in the war between the states. (Raleigh, North Carolina : Josephus Daniels, 1894),


 * Carr, Benjamin B. History of Co. E, 20th N.C. Regiment, 1861 - '65 : Confederate Greys. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990),


 * John Wheeler Moore. Roster of North Carolina Troops in the War between the States. (Raleigh: Ash &amp; Gatling, State printers, 1882). Internet Archive