61st Regiment, Alabama Infantry

Brief History
The 61st Alabama Infantry [also known as the 59th Alabama Infantry] was organized at Pollard in September, 1863. A number of the men, from Barbour, Chambers, Coffee, Henry, and Macon counties, had been in camps of instruction for some time under the conscript law of congress, while the officers were mostly veterans. Surrendered at Appomattox in April 1865

"Units of the Confederate States Army" by Joseph H. Crute, Jr. contains no history for this unit.

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.

Companies by captains and counties:


 * Company A - James Walker Fannin, Macon County
 * Company B - Robert A. Peterson (retired, 3 June 64); William H. Philpot both of Macon County
 * Company C - Julius P. Haggerty, Coosa County; Chris C. Long, Macon County
 * Company D - John F. Barganier, Butler County (retired, 26 Aug 64); William J. Porter
 * Company E - Eugenius F. Baber, Macon County (retired, 13 May 64); Augustus B. Fannin, Macon County
 * Company F - Alfred F. Zachry (retired); Richard W. Allen both of Chambers County
 * Company G - Archibald D. McCaskill, Coffee County (KIA); Nathan R. Joiner (KIA)
 * Company H - Sidney B. Paine (retired, 20 Sept 64); William A. Campbell (resigned, 25 Feb 65) both of Macon County
 * Company I - James S. Hastings (retired, 25 July 64), Montgomery County; Andrew J. Slaughter, Macon County
 * Company K - Henry L. Jones; James E. Jones; John D. Grantham, Henry County

The companies with their captains and the counties they came from are found on the history-sites.com web site

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,637 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

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 'Alabama 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.


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