56th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry

Brief History
56th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry was organized July, 1862, at Camp Magnum, near Raleigh, North Carolina. It surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia on April 9, 1865.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2122 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 - "North Carolina Defenders" - many men from Camden County.

Company B - "Cape Fear Guards" - many men from Cumberland County and Johnston County

Company C - "Pasquotank Boys" - many men from Pasquotank County

Company D - "Graham Rifles" - many men from Orange County

Company E - "Moore Guards" - many men from Moore County and Northampton County

Company F - "Cleveland Riflemen" - many men from Cleveland County

Company G - "Henderson Blues" - many men from Henderson County

Company H - Pettigrew Guards" - many men from Alexander County and Caswell County

Company I - "Rutherford Rifles" - many men from Rutherford County

Company K - "Confederate Boys or Davidson College Guards" - many men from Mecklenburg County and Iredell County

The information about the companies comes from [http://www.ncgenweb.us/catawba/military/NCMilOrg/company.htm 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.


 * Clark, Walter. 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.


 * Elliott, James Carson. The southern soldier boy : a thousand shots for the Confederacy. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990),.


 * Harrill, Lawson. Reminiscences, 1861-1865. Statesville, N.C. : Brady, the Printer, 1910..