Confederate Service Records

''United States U.S. Military Records  U.S. Civil War  Confederate Service and Pension Records   Confederate Service Records

Your Confederate ancestor may have served from a military unit raised by the Confederate Government or by individual states with the Confederacy.

United States Government Records
Compiled Service Records

The Compiled Service Records for Confederate soldiers were made by the United States Record and Pension Office in the War department. Beginning in 1903, the Record and Pension Office made card abstracts from records in the War Department Collection of Confederate Records and from other borrowed documents. In addition to the cards, original documents that related only to the individual soldier were included.

The card abstracts were made from original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers, Union prison registers and rolls, parole rolls, and inspection reports. Service records may provide rank, unit, date of enlistment, length of service, age, place of birth, and date of death. The Compiled Service Records were made in an effort to obtain as nearly complete record of military service as possible at the time. These records were needed in order to properly administer federal pensions for soldiers that served the Union, their dependents and widows.

See card examples and descriptions on Footnote.com.

The Compiled Service Records ($) (Footnote.com) of Confederate soldiers are available online. In the future, these records will be made available at no charge through the National Archives web site. The service records are also available to access at no charge at National Archives research rooms and any library that provides free access to Footnote.com.

Confederate Government Service Records
The following is an important index to Confederate Government records:


 * Index to Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations Raised Directly by the Confederate Government and of Confederate General and Staff Officers and Nonregimental Enlisted Men. National Archives Microfilm Publication M818. (FHL films 1205310–35.)

The above source indexes the following two collections:


 * Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in Organizations Raised Directly by the Confederate Government. National Archives Microfilm Publication M258. (FHL films 0880207–329.) This series of records includes those units not raised by the individual states.
 * Compiled Service Records of Confederate General and Staff Officers and Nonregimental Enlisted Men. National Archives Microfilm Publication M331. (FHL films 0881105–379.) The records include those men performing staff duties.

To find specific microfilm numbers, look in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

UNITED STATES ‑MILITARY RECORDS ‑ CIVIL WAR, 1861–1865

Below is an alphabetical collection of records that were never indexed nor interfiled with the compiled service records:


 * Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging to Confederate Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M347. (FHL films 1402001–442.)

State Service Records
Most Confederate soldiers served with a Unit raised in the community where they lived. These records were maintained by each individual Confederate state. The records and indexes available at the National Archives and Family History Library are:


 * Alabama. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M311. (FHL films 0880330‑837.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M374. (FHL films 0821949–97.)
 * Arizona. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M318. (FHL film 0536241.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M375. (FHL film 0821837.)
 * Arkansas. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M317. (FHL films 0880849–1104.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M376. (FHL films 0821811–36.)
 * Florida. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M251. (FHL films 0880103–206.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M225. (FHL films 0880001–09.)
 * Georgia. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M266. (FHL films 1499064–670.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M226. (FHL films 0821700–66.)
 * Kentucky. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M319. (FHL films 1447468–603.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M377. (FHL films 0881380–93.)
 * Louisiana. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M320. (FHL films 1447604–975; 1473206–47.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M378. (FHL films 0881457–87.)
 * Maryland. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M321. (FHL films 1292663–84; .) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M379. (FHL films 0821887–88.)
 * Mississippi. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M269. (FHL films 1488026–452.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M232. (FHL films 0821838–82.)
 * Missouri. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M322. (FHL films 1500030–222.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M380. (FHL films 0882002–17.)
 * North Carolina. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M270. (FHL films 1381001–500; 1447001–80.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M230. (FHL films 0821768–810.)
 * South Carolina. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M267. (FHL films 1380691–95; 1447081–467.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M381. (FHL films 0881967–2001.)
 * Tennessee. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M268. (FHL films 1499671–854, 120547, 1499856–1500028, 1527065.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M231. (FHL films 0880055–102.)
 * Texas. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M323. (FHL films 1501077–52.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M227. (FHL films 0880014–54.)
 * Virginia. Compiled Service Records. National Archives Microfilm Publication M324. (FHL films 1488678–9752.) Also, Index. National Archives Microfilm Publication M382. (FHL films 0881395–456.)

FamilySearch Historical Record Collections
An online collection containing this records is located in FamilySearch.org.

A wiki article decribing this collection is found at: Arizona Service Records of Confederate Soldiers of the Civil War (FamilySearch Historical Records)