South Carolina Militia

Brief History
According to South Carolina's Military Organizations During the War Between the States, it states the following: "It was the South Carolina Militia and the South Carolina Regular Army that held the line around Charleston Harbor and along the coast during the first few months of 1861 until additional battalions and regiments of volunteers could be raised and prepared for duty.” Many of the companies in the regiments had been organized prior to the Civil War for State service.

Units 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.

Information about the Militia units is taken from Seigler's book and the South Carolina Militia Units website (accessed 5 Apr 2011).


 * 1st Regiment, South Carolina Militia - Artillery
 * 1st Regiment, South Carolina Rifles Militia (Branch's Rifle Regiment)
 * 1st Regiment, South Carolina Militia (Charleston Reserves)
 * 5th Regiment, South Carolina Militia, also known as 45th State Militia, (accessed 6 Apr 2011).
 * 6th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 7th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 8th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 9th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 10th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 11th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 12th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 13th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 14th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 15th Regiment, South Carolina
 * 16 Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 17th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 18th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 19th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 20th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 21st Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 22nd Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 23rd Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 24th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 25th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 26th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 27th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 28th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 29th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 30th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 31st Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 32nd Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 33rd Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 34th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 35th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 36th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 37th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 38th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 39th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 40th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 41st Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 42nd Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 43rd Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 44th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 45th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * 46th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * Charbonnier's Company, South Carolina Militia (Pickens Rifles)
 * Trenholm's Company, South Carolina Militia (Rutledge Mounted Riflemen)
 * 1st Regiment, South Carolina Mounted Militia (Martin's Mounted Militia)
 * 4th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Militia)
 * Theodore Cordes' Company, South Carolina Cavalry MIlitia (German Hussars)
 * Rutledge's Company, South Carolina Cavalry Militia (Charleston Light Dragoons)

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 11 men on its roster for this unit. Possibly this unit did not complete its organization, and the men went to other units. Roster.

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 ‘South 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.


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


 * Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina. Microfilm publication M267. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Services, 1958. These records have been indexed and digitized and are available at Footnote.com (A subscription website, but is available for use at the FamilySearch Library and some FamilySearch Centers). It has digital Civil War soldier service records and brief regiment histories (located at the bottom of some of the muster rolls). (Accessed December 2010)


 * The War for Southern Independence in South Carolina. Eastern Digital Resources, (accessed 2 Apr 2011). This site contains some historical sketches, officers, battles, rosters, bibliographies and references.


 * Seigler, Robert S. South Carolina's Military Organizations During the War Between the States. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, c2008. . This book has an overview about the creation of the military units for service during the Civil War. There are four volumes which are divided into areas of the State. There is information about the different military units including dates of organization and service, company officers, battle engagements, company names and places of origin, and a few pictures. This book is also available through other libraries.