12th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry

Brief History
12th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry was organized near Garysburg, North Carolina, in May, 1861. It surrendered 8 officers and 139 men of which 76 were armed.

Organized for 12 months as the 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry near Garysburg, Northampton, 15 May 1861. Mustered into Confederate service there on 18 May 1861. Re-designated as the 12th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, on 29 November 1861. 1st Company D mustered out on, 16 December 1861. 2nd Company I assigned on 25 February 1862. 2nd Company K assigned in March 1862. Reorganized on 1 May 1862. 2nd Company H assigned to the regiment even while 1st Company H was in existence in May 1862. 2nd Company H became 2nd Company H, 32nd Infantry Regiment, on 22 July 1862. It surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, 9 April 1865.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 3125 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

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 - many men from Catawba County

Company B - many men from Granville County

1st Company C - many men from Duplin County

2nd Company C - many men from Warren County

1st Company D - many men from Robeson County

2nd Company D - many men from Granville County

Company E - many men from Cleveland County

Company F - many men from Warren County

Company G - many men from Halifax County

Company H - many men from Nash County

Company I - many men from Halifax County

Company K - many men from Warren County and Franklin County

Company L - many men from Tyrrell County and Franklin County

Company M - many men from Camden County

Company N - many men from Northampton County

Company O - many men from Northampton County

The information about the companies comes from A Guide to Military Organizations and Installations North Carolina 1861-1865 Information about the companies and their rosters are in Manarin and Jordan, North Carolina Troops 1861-1865 A 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 ‘North 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.


 * North Carolina in the Civil War describes many sources, specifically for North 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.


 * John Wheeler Moore. Roster of North Carolina Troops in the War between the States. (Raleigh: Ash &amp; Gatling, State printers, 1882). Internet Archive.


 * Montgomery, Walter Alexander. The days of old and the years that are past. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990),


 * Sherrill, Miles O. A soldier's story : prison life and other incidents in the war of 1861-'65. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990) and