53rd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry

Brief History
53rd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry was organization in April, 1862, at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina. It totaled about 900 effectives in November, 1864. It mustered less than half that number in March, 1865. It surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, a force of nearly 250 on April 26, 1865.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2223 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 Guilford County.

Company B - many men from Mecklenburg County.

Company C - "Lexington Guards" - many men from Johnston County.

Company D - many men from Stokes County, Forsyth County and Guilford County.

Company E - "Farmer Boys" - many men from Surry County.

Company F - many men from Alamance County and Chatham County.

Company G - "Mountain Greys" - many men from Stokes County.

Company H - "Danbury Blues" - many men from Stokes County

Company I - many men from Union County

Company K - "Wilkes Rangers" - many men from Wilkes 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.


 * Walter Clark. Histories of the several regiments and battalions from North Carolina in the Great War, 1861-'65  (Nash Brothers, Book and Job Printers, Goldsboro, N.C., 1901). Internet Archive.