Collections

Start Over Creator U.S. 1st-6th Volunteer Infantry (Ex-Confederates) Level Collection
West Virginia and Regional History Center

U.S. 1st-6th Volunteer Infantry (Ex-Confederates), Civil War Service Records

9.48 Linear Feet Summary: 9 ft. 5 3/4 in. (65 reels of microfilm, 1.75 in. each)
The compiled service records of Confederate prisoners of war who were released from prison camps upon signing a loyalty oath and volunteering for service in the Union Army. The ex-Confederates who comprised the First through Sixth U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiments were recruited at first from the prison camp at Pt. Lookout, Maryland but later also from Rock Island, Alton, Camp Douglas, and Camp Morton in Illinois, and from Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio. Although initially serving near combat theaters of the Civil War, it was deemed that these popularly nicknamed "Galvanized Yankees" should not have to face fighting their former comrades in arms. Consequently, they were transferred early on to the northwestern frontier where they served as escorts and guards for settlers from the native inhabitants (Plains Indians). The records are arranged by regiment number and thereunder alphabetically by soldier's surname. The records contained therein relate solely to a particular soldier and are of two general types. The first kind consists of card index abstracts of entries on rolls or in books such as muster rolls, hospital rolls, or descriptive books. The second type consists of copies of original personal papers such as medical reports, enlistment papers and orders. Reel 65 consists of personal papers of soldiers with insufficient proof of service to justify a regular compiled record, those rejected for service for various reasons, and those attached to one of the regiments such as physicians or chaplains.
1 result

U.S. 1st-6th Volunteer Infantry (Ex-Confederates), Civil War Service Records 9.48 Linear Feet Summary: 9 ft. 5 3/4 in. (65 reels of microfilm, 1.75 in. each)

U.S. 1st-6th Volunteer Infantry (Ex-Confederates)
The compiled service records of Confederate prisoners of war who were released from prison camps upon signing a loyalty oath and volunteering for service in the Union Army. The ex-Confederates who comprised the First through Sixth U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiments were recruited at first from the prison camp at Pt. Lookout, Maryland but later also from Rock Island, Alton, Camp Douglas, and Camp Morton in Illinois, and from Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio. Although initially serving near combat theaters of the Civil War, it was deemed that these popularly nicknamed "Galvanized Yankees" should not have to face fighting their former comrades in arms. Consequently, they were transferred early on to the northwestern frontier where they served as escorts and guards for settlers from the native inhabitants (Plains Indians). The records are arranged by regiment number and thereunder alphabetically by soldier's surname. The records contained therein relate solely to a particular soldier and are of two general types. The first kind consists of card index abstracts of entries on rolls or in books such as muster rolls, hospital rolls, or descriptive books. The second type consists of copies of original personal papers such as medical reports, enlistment papers and orders. Reel 65 consists of personal papers of soldiers with insufficient proof of service to justify a regular compiled record, those rejected for service for various reasons, and those attached to one of the regiments such as physicians or chaplains.

Content Warning

ARVAS is an aggregator of archival resources. ARVAS does not have control of the descriptive language used in our members’ finding aids.

Finding aids may contain historical terms and phrases, reflecting the shared attitudes and values of the community from which they were collected, but are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical or mental ability; religion; sex; and sexual orientation and gender identity.

Many institutions and organizations are in the process of reviewing and revising their descriptive language, with the intent to describe materials in more humanizing, inclusive, and harm-reductive ways. As members revise their descriptive language, their changes will eventually be reflected in their ARVAS finding aids.