1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry,usually known as the Bethel Regiment.

Brief History
1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, usually known as the Bethel Regiment, was organized at Raleigh, North Carolina, in May, 1861. It disbanded and returned to North Carolina on November 12, 1861. Many of the men transferred to the 11th North Carolina Regiment.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1737 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.

The companies in the regiment came from the counties of Edgecombe, Mecklenburg, Orange, Buncombe, Cumberland, Burke, Guilford and Lincoln counties.

Company A - "Edgecombe Guards" - many men from Edgecombe County

Company B - "Hornet Nest Rifles" - many men from Mecklenburg County

Company C - "Charlotte Greys" - many men from Mecklenburg County

Company D - "Orange Light Infantry" - many men from Orange County

Company E - "Buncombe Riflemen" - many men from Buncombe County

Company F - "Lafayette Light Infantry" - many men from Cumberland County

Company G - "Burke Rifles" - many men from Burke County

Company H - "Fayetteville Independent" - many men from Cumberland County

Company I - "Enfield Blues" - many men from Halifax County

Company K - "Lincoln Guards" - many men from Lincoln County

Company L - "Bertie Volunteers" - many men from Bertie County

Company M - "Chowan Dixie Boys" - many men from Chowan 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 & Gatling, State printers, 1882). Internet Archive