31st Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union)

Brief History
The 31st Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union) was organized at St. Louis, Carondelet and Ironton, Mo., August 11 to October 7, 1862. The regiment consolidated with 32nd Missouri Infantry November 12, 1864, as Consolidated Battalion 31st and 32nd Missouri Infantry.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 31st Regiment Infantry, (accessed 26 July 2012).
 * The Wikipedia article, 31st Missouri Volunteer Infantry, (accessed 26 July 2012).

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.

Company A - Captain Oscar Dover - Victoria, Jefferson, Missouri

Company B - 1st Lieutenant Charles McClay, 2nd Lieutenant Samuel R. McClay - Washington, Missouri

Company C - Captain William H. Judd - Hopewell, Washington, Missouri

Company D - Captain Isaac M. Davidson, Captain Andrew A. Harrison - Greenville, Wayne, Missouri

Company E - Captain William Burch, Captain George L.M. Crevey, Captain Samuel R. McClay, Captain R.M. Swander - Moselle, Franklin, Missouri

Company F - Captain Jonathan W. Evanden, Captain Egbert W. Hill - Canaan, Gasconade, Missouri

Company G - Captain Mathias Neuner, Captain William Osterhorn - Washington, Franklin, Missouri

Company H - Captain George A. McGuire, Captain James S. McMurtry - Wayne, Missouri

Company I - Captain Edward Hale, Jr., Captain Andrew Royal - St.Louis, Missouri

Company K - Captain Francis Doherty, Captain Roderic O. Doherty - Patterson, Wayne, Missouri

The information about the companies and counties is from Kenneth E. Weant's book, Civil War Records, Missouri Volunteer Infantry, ''Volume 5, Three and One Year Volunteer Regiments 31-33, 35, 38-40 (Arlington, Texas: K.E. Weant, c2011), pages 16-32. ''

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in 'Missouri 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.


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


 * Gary L. Scheel. Rain, mud, and swamps : 31st Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiment, marching through the south during the Civil War with General William T. Sherman. (Pacific, Missouri : G.L. Scheel, c1998),