A Guide to Alabama Civil War Research

Rather than focusing on the big picture,
this book helps you look for a very small cog in the wheel,
regular people, with ordinary problems and concerns,
who found themselves swept into the vortex
of war in their own homes.

With all the many hundreds of books on the Civil War coming out every year and thousands now available on line, the challenge for the non-professional Civil War researcher is to zero in on the relevant material that will aid in your research.

John Rigdon, a professional Civil War researcher, and author of dozens of Civil War books has finally authored a volume that will aid your research in Alabama. The book is 210 pages in length and it will open up the universe of materials available to you in a way never shown before.

CONTENTS

Getting Started

Finding a Name - How to find the name of your ancestor who fought in the war.

A Word About Troop Organization - What does regiment, company, battalion, squadron, army, corps, and battery mean and why should I care?

A Mini Course on How To Do Research

Off Line Resources for Research - General reference material for researching both the war in Alabama and Alabama troops who fought in Virginia and in the west.

Military Service Records - An introduction to the holdings in the National and State archives and how to access the finding aids on line.

Veteran Records - Pension records, the United Confederate Veterans, the 1890 Veterans Census, Confederate Veteran Magazine and other resources.

Library Research Tools - Bibliographies, how to effectively utilize the Library of Congress classifications and numbers to browse a library shelf virtually. How to use Inter Library Loan.

On Line Research Tools - An introduction and overview of the on line resources.

Alabama Research Volumes - The most comprehensive bibliography ever compiled by regiment of histories, diaries and journals of Alabama troops. This section lists each of the artillery, cavalry, and infantry units formed in Alabama with cross references to the first hand accounts, diaries, journals, and regimental histories written on the unit.

Formation of Counties in Alabama

County Cross Reference - Showing the units that were formed in each county.

EXAMPLE:

BIBB COUNTY:

Independent Co., Alabama Infantry - Bibb County Reserves
Co. F, 11th Alabama Infantry; also, independent co., Alabama Infantry - Bibb Grays [Greys]
Co. D, 20th Alabama Infantry - Bibb Rangers
Co. D, 29th Alabama Infantry - Bibb Rifles
Co. G, 20th Alabama Infantry - Cahaba Valley Guards
Co. H, 44th Alabama Infantry - Dawson Warren Company
Co. B, 44th Alabama Infantry - Scottsville Guards
Co. H, 20th Alabama Infantry - Perry and Bibb Liners
Co. I, 1st Alabama Reserves; afterward, Co. I, 62nd Alabama Infantry - Rosser Reserves
Capt. J. L. Davidson's Co., Alabama Infantry; afterwards Co. A, 1st Alabama Reserves - Lockhart Cadets

Local Designations of Alabama Troops - Cross referencing local names to the unit and company in which they served.

EXAMPLE:

Baldwin Rifles ~ Co. F, 21st Alabama Infantry; also, independent co., Alabama Infantry
Baldwin Star Rangers ~ Independent Co., Alabama Infantry
Barbour Artillery ~ Co. C, 4th Alabama Artillery Bn.
Barbour Greys ~ Co. K, 5th Alabama Infantry; also, independent co., Alabama Infantry
Barbour Rangers ~ Independent Co., State Guards
Barbour Yankee Hunters ~ Co. A, 45th Alabama Infantry

Battles Fought in Alabama - The major battles identified by campaign with links to on-line resources.

Mr. Rigdon has spent over 25 years researching and organizing these materials and this book truly represents a lifetime of achievement in the field of Alabama Civil War research.

John Rigdon has authored a number of books on the Civil War and is the manager of the web site, Research OnLine, (www.researchonline.net) the premier site for researching Civil War ancestors in the Civil War. His titles include the Historical Sketch and Roster Volumes (1100 plus titles) and a dozen volumes in the "We Fought" series focusing on particular battles and commanders. Additionally John works in translation of materials for Haitian Creole and several languages of West Africa including French, Mòoré, Bambara, and Dioula (Jula). John resides in the foothills of the Appalachians outside Cartersville, GA. where he enjoys gardening and aquaponics. You may reach him at jrigdon@researchonline.net