Florida Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes Confederate Civil War service records from 1861 to 1865, who served in organizations from Florida. The records include abstracts of entries relating to the soldier as found in the following original records:


 * Name of soldier
 * Age and year(s) of service
 * Military unit, including regiment and company
 * Date and place of enlistment

Service records were kept for each Confederate 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. 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 109, War Department Collection of Confederate Records and is National Archive Microfilm Publication M251. Index courtesy of www.fold3.com (previously Footnote.com).

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Jacket name
 * Soldier’s full name
 * Year(s) served
 * Age (often estimated)
 * Military unit served in
 * Type of records in file
 * NARA publication number, title, and roll number

Collection Content
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, Union prison registers and rolls, 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 helpful to know:
 * The name of the solider
 * The birth date of the soldier
 * The name of the soldier's widow

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.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s Civil War service record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. The pieces of information in the record may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. This information will often lead you to other records. In addition to providing information about the veteran and his family, pension applications can also lead to more military records.

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

 * Use the locator information found in the index (such as roll number and the unit served in) to locate your ancestors in the service records
 * Use the age and location of the military unit to find the soldier’s family in census, church and land records
 * Death dates may lead to death certificates, mortuary, or burial records
 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been seeking the pension
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * When searching for an application keep in mind that in some cases the applications were filed under the name of the widow or other dependent who submitted the application

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

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

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.