1st Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union)

Brief History
Organized at Camp Clay, Ohio and mustered into the United States service the 4th day of June, 1861, gave valuable service in the early engagements of the war. In Jan., 1862 the regiment was ordered to the Dept. of the Cumberland and took an active part in the advance on Nashville.

1st Regiment, Kentucky Infantry was first organized at Pendleton, Ohio, for three months April and May, 1861, but not recognized by Kentucky until June, when reorganized for three years. Duty at Pendleton, Ohio, April to July, 1861. The regiment was involved in operations against Morgan's Invasion of Kentucky May 31-June 18. Mt. Sterling June 9. The regiment mustered out June 18, 1864.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 1st Regiment Infantry, (accessed 29 June 2012).
 * The Wikipedia article, 1st Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, (accessed 29 June 2012).

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.

Company A - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County; Camp Rousseau, near Louisville, Jefferson County and Camp Boyle,Adair County, Kentucky. Company B - Many men mustered in from Camp Dick Robinson, Garrard County; Louisville, Jefferson County and Calhoon,McLean County, Kentucky. Company C - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Company D - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Company E - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County and Camp Nielson, Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky.

The records for this Regiment's Companies are from the book, Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky, Vol. 1-1861-1866.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,668 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Regimental History and Roster

 * History of the Orphan brigade. By Edwin Porter Thompson. Louisville, Ky: Lewis N. Thompson, 1898. Online at: Internet Archive

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 ‘Kentucky 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.


 * Kentucky in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Kentucky, 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.


 * Welcher, Frank J. (Frank Johnson). Coburn's Brigade : 85th Indiana, 33rd Indiana, 19th Michigan, and 22nd Wisconsin in the western Civil War. (Carmel, Indiana : Guild Press of Indiana, c1999),