Arizona Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This is an index to compiled service records for Confederate soldiers from Arizona. It covers the years 1861 to 1865. The records indexed are from the National Archives and Records Administration publication M318. Service records were kept for each Confederate soldier. Those records, or their abstracts, were compiled into individual files. Each envelope/jacket contains information and cross references to original records relating to the soldier. The records in this collection are for the years 1861 to 1865. This index was created to provide quick access to compiled service records. The information in this index is quite reliable. However, keep in mind that even though this index is very accurate it still may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings or misinterpretations.

Record Content
These records are in individual files which usually include the following:


 * Soldier's name
 * Dates of service
 * Age
 * Military unit
 * Military branch

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Name of the soldier
 * Identifying information such age or military unit of service

Search the Collection
To search the collection fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s service record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the age and location of the military unit to find the soldier’s family in census, church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, check for variant spellings of the surnames.

Related Websites

 * Civil War in Arizona
 * Civil War Soldier Search - Confederate Service Records
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
 * Footnote $ Compiled service records for Confederate Soldiers from Arizona.
 * Ancestry $ Searchable Civil War service records.
 * The Civil War in Arizona / New Mexico Territory A brief history of Arizona in the Civil War.

Related Wiki Articles

 * Confederate Service Records
 * Arizona
 * Arizona Military Records
 * United States Civil War 1861 to 1865, Part 1
 * United States Civil War 1861 to 1865, Part 2

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.