Louisiana in the Civil War

Introduction
Before the Civil War, Louisiana was a major slave state. In 1860, 47% of the population was in slavery. However Louisiana also had one of the largest free black populations in the United States.

On January 26, 1861, Louisiana seceded from the United States. However sections of the state were strongly Union, so the U.S. Congress made those parts a state and allowed it to have a governor and U.S. Congressmen.

Louisiana formed 265 military units for the Confederacy and 23 for the Union.

For additional information, see the Wikipedia article, Louisiana in the American Civil War.

Louisiana Military Units
Most units were numbered, however, some were named. See the table below for lists of the regiments, battalions, batteries, and other units.

The information in the lists of Louisiana Military Units comes from the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors web site. This web site also can be searched by the name of a soldier. Louisiana Units by Number or by Name  'Confed. Units' 1st-3rd 4th-22nd 23rd-36th A-E F-M N-Z

Union Units 1st-7th A to Z

Louisiana Units by Type of Unit  'Confed. Units' Infantry Cavalry Artillery <div style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(208,208,208); margin: 4px; padding-left: 5px; width: 60px; padding-right: 5px; float: left; height: 40px; padding-top: 5px">Reserves <div style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(208,208,208); margin: 4px; padding-left: 5px; width: 60px; padding-right: 5px; float: left; height: 40px; padding-top: 5px">Militia <div style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(208,208,208); margin: 4px; padding-left: 5px; width: 60px; padding-right: 5px; float: left; height: 40px; padding-top: 5px">Rangers <div style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(208,208,208); margin: 4px; padding-left: 5px; width: 60px; padding-right: 5px; float: left; height: 40px; padding-top: 5px">Other <div style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(204,255,255); margin: 4px; padding-left: 5px; width: 60px; padding-right: 5px; float: left; height: 40px; color: black; padding-top: 5px">Union Units <div style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(204,255,255); margin: 4px; padding-left: 5px; width: 60px; padding-right: 5px; float: left; height: 40px; padding-top: 5px">Infantry <div style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(204,255,255); margin: 4px; padding-left: 5px; width: 60px; padding-right: 5px; float: left; height: 40px; padding-top: 5px">Cavalry <div style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(204,255,255); margin: 4px; padding-left: 5px; width: 60px; padding-right: 5px; float: left; height: 40px; padding-top: 5px">Colored Troops <div style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(204,255,255); margin: 4px; padding-left: 5px; width: 60px; padding-right: 5px; float: left; height: 40px; padding-top: 5px">Other

Sources and Resources
Louisiana soldiers served in both the Union and the Confederate armies. Indexes to the service records and the compiled Confederate service records are at the FamilySearch Library. The service records for both armies are at the National Archives.


 * Hollandsworth, James G. The Louisiana Native Guards: The Black Militray Experience During the Civil War. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995 FS Library book 976.3 M2hj  WorldCat

Service Records

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index


 * The Compiled Service Records ($) (Fold3.com) of Confederate soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Louisiana 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 at no charge at National Archives research rooms. The compiled service records consist of an envelope containing card abstracts taken from muster rolls, returns, pay vouchers, and other records. Service records may provide rank, unit, date of enlistment, length of service, age, place of birth, and date of death. For more information see Confederate Service Records.


 * Louisiana, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records describes the records with a link to the database.

Pension Records

 * The Louisiana State Archives Library has posted an online Confederate pension index.
 * The FamilySearch Library collection holds an index to Confederate application records for pensions 1898-1944. (FamilySearch Library) A record of pensioners 1889-1940 contains abstracted information and may include name, residence, company or regiment, date, place and nature of wound received, disability, where and when paroled or discharged, if discharged where remaining until surrender, cause of death of widow's husband, where and when died, date of granting pension, monthly amount, and date of application. (FamilySearch Library ) The FamilySearch Library collection also holds a group widows' applications, consisting mainly of letters concerning their applications dated 1912-1936. (FamilySearch Library ).
 * Copies of Confederate pension applications can be ordered from the Louisiana State Archives. Union army pensions are available at the National Archives.
 * 1898-1950 at FamilySearch — images

In 1911 a special census was taken of Confederate veterans or their widows. The census is arranged alphabetically by parish and is onFamilySearch Library. The original census and similar records are at the New Orleans Public Library.

Confederate Prisoners of War

 * United States, Records Of Confederate Prisoners Of War, 1861-1865 at Findmypast - Index

1890 Census Veterans Schedules
1890 Census Veterans Schedules - The "Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War" (NARA M123) are available online for the state of Louisiana. The schedules list Union veterans and their widows living in Louisiana in 1890. For more information on the 1890 Veterans Schedules see Union Census Records.

Service Records

 * The Compiled Service Records ($) (Fold3.com) of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Louisiana 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 at no charge at National Archives research rooms. The compiled service records consist of an envelope containing card abstracts taken from muster rolls, returns, pay vouchers, and other records. Service records may provide rank, unit, date of enlistment, length of service, age, place of birth, and date of death. For more information see Union Service Records.


 * Louisiana, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records describes the collection with a link to the database.

Pension Records
Civil War Pension Index Cards - An of veterans who served in the US Army between 1861-1917 is available on FamilySearch. Each card gives the soldier’s name, application and certificate numbers, state of enlistment, and might include rank and death information. The majority of the records are of Civil War veterans, but the collection also includes records for veterans of the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Indian Wars, and World War I. For more information see Union Pension Records.

Contraband Camps
The web site Last Road to Freedom has information on America's Civil War contraband camps.

Civil War contraband camps in Louisiana were located in Baton Rouge, Carrollton, Goodrich Landing, Kenners, Paw Paw Island, Young's Point, Milliken's Bend and Camp Parapet

Veteran Lists

 * Booth, Andrew B. Records of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers and Louisiana Confederate Commands. 3 vols. New Orleans, Louisiana: N.p., 1920. (FamilySearch Library )


 * Bartlett, Napier. Military Record of Louisiana: Including Biographical and Historical Papers Relating to the Military Organizations of the State. 1875. Reprint. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press, 1964. Other libraries with book.

Southern Claims Commission
If a Union sympathizer in Louisiana claimed a loss during the Civil War due to Union military confiscation, he could apply to the Southern Claims Commission for reimbursement. Only a few applied per parish, but their neighbors were called as witnesses and asked dozens of questions. Hundreds of the residents of all kinds in a parish may be mentioned in answers to Commission questions, and their wartime activities described. To learn how to find records mentioning these neighbors in Louisiana parishes during the Civil War see the Southern Claims Commission.

Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)
Grand Army of the Republic founded in 1866 - 1956, was the largest veteran’s organization in the country after the Civil War. It was a fraternal organization members were veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, Marines and Revenue Cutler Service who served in the American Civil War. The group supported voting rights for black veterans, and lobbied the U.S. Congress to establish veterans' pensions. In 1890 the membership was 490,000.

In 1888 there were 5 posts and 205 members in the state of Louisiana

GAR Posts in the State of Louisiana

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
With the death of the last member of the Grand Army of the Republic the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was formed.