About Our Civil War Roster and Regimental and Descriptive Rolls
Learn how Civil War Records are organized and how to purchase copies.
The Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, is an online 2 volume digital book from the Wisconsin Historical Society Library. This resource lists all the soldiers known to have participated in Wisconsin's Civil War regiments. These two volumes were compiled in 1886 from original archival records and their alphabetical index was published in 1914. These volumes serve as indexes to the Regimental and Descriptive Rolls of Wisconsin soldiers who served in the Civil War, also known as the Red & Blue Books or Compiled Service Records.
Locating Your Soldier Ancestor
Online
To use this resource, click the large blue search buttons below. Begin by searching for a soldier's name in the Alphabetical Index. Note the regiment and company in which he served. Next, look up the regiment and company in the regimental index below. In these volumes, you'll find a brief summary of when he enlisted, battles in which he participated and his status at the end of service.
- Make a list of all potential matches. A soldier who served in more than one regiment or company may be listed multiple times.
- Note the exact spelling of each soldier's name, his rank, regiment and company. This information is required to purchase a copy of the Regimental Muster and Descriptive Rolls.
Search the Regimental Index (Pt 1)
Part 1 begins with the Cavalry, Light and Heavy Artillery and ends with the 15th Regiment.
Part 2 starts at the 16th Regiment.
- Names of soldiers in this Regimental Listing may be spelled slightly differently than in the Alphabetical Index.
- Use the information in the Residence, Date (of enlistment) and Remarks columns to eliminate unlikely matches.
- For any remaining match(es) note the information below to purchase a copy of the Regimental Muster and Descriptive Rolls. Please also include any text found in the "Remarks" column in your request. Note: Categories marked with an * asterisk below are required to have your order processed. Email us at historydocs@wisconsinhistory.org if you have questions.
* Soldier First/Middle Name: | Residence: |
* Soldier Last Name: | Enlistment Month: |
* Rank: | Enlistment Year: |
* Regiment and Company: | Notes: |
Usage Notes: |
How the Regimental Muster and Descriptive Rolls are Organized
Physical
The originals are held at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library Archives and the microfilm of this collection is available to borrow through Interlibrary Loan. You can purchase a copy online.
If you would like to find more information about Wisconsin's Civil War Soldiers, the Society's Library and Archives have extensive Civil War resources available for research. These resources are not online but can be accessed by visiting the Library and/or Archives at the Society headquarters in Madison.
Learn More
FAQs About the Civil War Roster and Compiled Civil War Service Records
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