What is the Civil War Roster Project?
The Civil War Roster Project is an ongoing effort to illuminate the service record of every individual from North Carolina who served in the American Civil War, for both the United States and the Confederacy, and to highlight stories from North Carolina Civil War history.
The Civil War Roster Project aims to offer a comprehensive list of the North Carolinians who served in the American Civil War. In 1961 the Office of Archives and History and the North Carolina Centennial Commission established this project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Civil War. From its inception, the series has been dedicated to documenting the Civil War service of all North Carolinians. This includes people who served in United States and Confederate armed forces. When the North Carolina Centennial Commission ended in 1965, the Office of Archives and History continued the Roster Project - first as part of the State Archives, then, in 1970, as part of the Historic Publications Office, and finally, in 2014, as part of the merged Historical Research and Publications Section.
Twenty-two volumes focus on Confederate service and exist as published books under the title North Carolina, A Roster: 1861-1865. Twenty-one of those volumes detail the service of individuals in North Carolina’s Confederate army troops (including artillery and cavalry). Volume twenty-two lists the service of North Carolinians in the Confederate Navy, including marines and Charlotte Naval Yard workers.
Each published volume contains both a narrative overview and a roster of individuals. Readers will find these rosters ordered alphabetically by battalion or, for the navy, service branch. Volume twenty, however, organizes North Carolina generals and staff in their own alphabetical lists. If readers face any difficulty locating a specific individual, please refer to our index in the resources tab.
In 2025, the Civil War Roster Project transformed into a digital project. This project is now housed on two websites, with narrative document-based exhibits housed on MosaicNC.org and a searchable database of service records accessible at dncr.nc.gov/civil-war-roster-database. In its new form, the Civil War Roster project aims to make this history even more accessible than before. You can now find the service records of your family members and learn about the Civil War in North Carolina from the comfort of your own home.
The digital Roster Project service record database is focusing its research on compiling those North Carolinians, African American and White, who served in the United States Army and Navy. Nearly 1,300 service records of United States Navy sailors from North Carolina are currently published and available online. The ensuing research will focus on adding United States Colored Troops – infantry, artillery, and cavalry – to the database. It will then accumulate the North Carolina Union Volunteers (White) and Mounted Infantry units as well as those people who “Galvanized” – took the Oath of Allegiance and went from being a prisoner of war to serving in the United States Army/Navy. While Confederate service records can continue to be found within the published volumes, it is the hope of this project to digitize those records in the near future.
The exhibits housed on MosaicNC.org will offer an exploration of North Carolina in the Civil War-era. Rooted in primary documents, each exhibit will cover a(n) event, topic, theme, or individual and allow readers to engage not only with the story but with the archives themselves. In its this format, the Civil War Roster Project will focus on telling undertold stories and offer new insight into the impact of the Civil War in North Carolina.
Given the on-going nature of this project, the Historical Publications staff accepts submissions of reliable information regarding a North Carolina soldier/sailor in the American Civil War. Examples of valuable information include:
• a soldier/sailor's full name,
• birth and death date,
• place of residence and
• any information relating to their service in the war.
Please note that we can only include information in our series we deem to be reliable. If you are so fortunate as to have an original document relating to someone’s service in the American Civil War, such as a letter or diary or official document, we would appreciate it if you would contact the Historical Research and Publications staff. If you have research on an individual, please contact the Historical Research and Publications staff and include a detailed bibliography of sources. By sharing with us, you can contribute to North Carolina history!
Civil War Roster Digital Database: Explore the new home of the Civil War Roster! Search by name, place, or keyword and discover the experiences of North Carolinians in the American Civil War. Check back as this database continues to regularly add new service records: Civil War Roster Database
PDF Index: The index here includes all roster entries through Volume 21. The index is alphabetical by last name and can be searched using the search function of your computer’s PDF reader. Entries in this document show an individual’s name with publication information in this format: Last Name, First Name: Volume: Page.
Search by County: The index here will assist researchers looking to compile a listing of men who served from a particular county. Under each county is listed the regiments and companies of service and the North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster volume where information on those regiments and companies can be found. The index is listed alphabetical by county.
The Civil War Roster is available for purchase through UNC Press. Use the links below to navigate to each volume.
