1st Regiment, South Carolina State Troops Junior Reserves (State Militia)

Brief History
By the end of the summer of 1864 (August/September), South Carolina had a great need for more men to serve in the military. It was decided that all males between the ages of 16 and 60 were liable for service. Besides those now eligible for service, each State militia unit was to contribute one company in order that four new regiments could be created. These units were called Regiments of Junior Reserves, Regiments of South Carolina State Troops or Regiments of South Carolina Militia. Most of these Junior Reserve units were made up of 16 year old boys and older men. These regiments were mainly for the use of State service. By the first part of April 1865 the four regiments had disbanded but the 16-17 year old boys were sent to Spartanburg were they were kept for training and continued service for the State. These units were not part of the reorganization, so by April 8th the men were either furloughed or the units disbanded. Because these boys/men were only used for State service, there are not any Confederate service records available for them. Information about them may be found in pension records, contemporary newspapers or county histories.

All the South Carolina Junior Reserves meet on November 26, 1864 at Hamburg (Aiken County), South Carolina. There they organized into four regiments. The 1st Regiment of Junior Reserves served by doing guard and picket duty in various places. It was also called the 1st Regiment, South Carolina State Troops. The 1st Regiment Junior Reserves were on furlough when the Army of Northern Virginia surrendered in April 1865.

See also: South Carolina State Troop Regiments Seed Corn Units Junior Reserves

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.

Information about the companies and their counties of origin is taken from Seigler's book and the Junior Reserves website (Note: there are some differences between which county the companies were from). Rosters are from the Junior Reserves website.

Company A -many men from Greenville District (County) and Spartanburg Distric (County) - Roster, (accessed 6 Apr 2011).

Company B - many men from  Anderson District (County) - Roster, (accessed 6 Apr 2011).

Company C - Roster, (accessed 6 Apr 2011).

Company D - many men from Pickens District (County) - Roster,  (accessed 6 Apr 2011).

Company E - many men from Edgefield District (County) - Roster (accessed 6 Apr 2011)

Company F - many men from Abbeville District District (County) - Roster, (accessed 6 Apr 2011).

Company G - many men from Abbeville District (County); Students at Wellington Academy in Calhoun Falls, Abbeville District (County) - Roster, (accessed 6 Apr 2011).

Company H - many men from Anderson District (County) - Roster, (accessed 6 Apr 2011).

Company I - many men from Colleton District (County)  - Roster, (accessed 6 Apr 2011)

Company K - many men from Anderson District (County)

Captain Bruns Company - Roster, (accessed 6 Apr 2011).

Company Unknown - many men from Laurens District (County)  - Roster, (accessed 6 Apr 2011).

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 Family History Library and some Family History 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)


 * 1st Regiment, South Carolina State Troops Junior Reserves (State Militia),(accessed 6 Apr 2011). States that this unit mustered into State Service November 1864.


 * 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.