Confederate Unit Histories

United States U.S. Military  U.S. Civil War  Confederate Unit Histories

Some Confederate military units have published histories. These explain the unit’s role in the war, give biographical data on officers, and usually provide a unit roster of its members.

Published Histories

 * Civil war unit histories. [Part 1], the Confederate States of America and border states : regimental histories and personal narratives. (Worldcat)


 * Includes all published state adjutant general’s office reports. It also has the unit histories and personal narratives for the Confederate and border states published from 1861 to 1920 as listed in Charles E. Dornbusch’s Military Bibliography of the Civil War (Worldcat)


 * Units of the Confederate States Army by Joseph H. Crute (Worldcat)


 * Arranged by state, then by number of unit. Contains brief unit sketches of service. Lists dates and places of organization, counties raised from, and field officers.

The Family History Library

 * Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives: Part 1: The Confederate States of America and Border States. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1991. This microfiche set includes all published state adjutant general’s office reports. It also has the unit histories and personal narratives for the Confederate and border states published from 1861 to 1920 as listed in Charles E. Dornbusch’s previously mentioned Military Bibliography of the Civil War (see page 25). Below is a detailed inventory of the collection:


 * Hydrick, Blair D., compiler, Robert E. Lester, ed. Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives. Part 1: Confederate States of America and Border States. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1992.


 * Units in Confederate Organizations. National Archives Microfilm Publication M861. These records are being transcribed as Part II: Record of Events to Supplement the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. For additional information, look under “General Reference Sources” in this section.


 * Evans, Clement, editor. Confederate Military History. 12 Volumes. 1899. Reprint, 19 Volumes. Wilmington, North Carolina: Broadfoot Publishing, 1987–89. ) A comprehensive history of each state’s role in the war with unit histories and biographical sketches of officers and civilian leaders.


 * Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies. 11 Volumes. New York, New York: Facts on File, 1992–95 (FHL book 975 M2ss.) Provides a history of each unit, a list of battles and campaigns in which the unit was involved, and a bibliography of suggested readings.


 * Tancig, W.J., compiler. Confederate Military Land Units, 1861–1865. New York, New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1967. (FHL book 973 M2wj.) Identifies units by their local or militia names and their Confederate service designations.