Melton's Company, Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry - Confederate

Brief History
The company was organized by Captain Melton, of Calloway county, Kentucky, after his return from Virginia where he had taken part in the first battle of Bull Run as 2nd Lieutenant in the 9th Alabama Infantry. With this Cavalry Company he was ordered to Fort Henry, where the company remained until after the battle of Fort Henry and retreated from there to Fort Donelson; engaged at battle in several other battles. On the escape of Gen,. Forrest with is command this Company was left behind with Col. Roger Hanson’s 2nd Infantry and was surrendered with the garrison at the capitulation of Fort, Donelson.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
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.

Many men mustered in from Kentucky.

Records for this Regiment's Companies are from Report of the Adjutant General of the state of Kentucky, Confederate Kentucky Volunteers, War 1861-1865, (Utica, Kentucky : McDowell Publications, c1980), pg. 326-327.

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 ‘Kentucky 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.


 * Kentucky in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Kentucky, 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.