Confederate soldier serial numbers

[rlendt]

I was wondering if the Confederate States assigned individual serial numbers to newly enrolled recruits?
The only reference I can locate regarding individual serial numbers comes from an obituary of Shirley W. Palmer who served two 6 months tours of duty during the Civil War. Enlistment number one was with the 5th Georgia Infantry (Allum's company, State Guards) where he was enrolled as serial number 45520380. His second enlistment apparently got him assigned a second different serial number of 45574205! This second tour was served with Fannin's Company K of the Georgia reserves.
I can find no muster rolls or discharge papers that reference individual serial numbers but Mr. Palmer apparently had one (Two). Whether each state assigned their own serial numbers, or some states had them and others did not, or the Central Confederate Government issued them itself eludes me.
Any enlightenment that could be provided would be great.
Thanks, Bob Lendt

[ley74]

Re: Confederate soldier serial numbers

While US, I think this will answer your question.

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdogtags.html

If the Union summarily dismissed official dog tags until 40 years after the ACW, where would the CSA get such a notion?

[Charles Heath]

Re: Confederate soldier serial numbers

Bob,

See if you can contact Robert L. Palmer to learn where he picked up that info back in July 2001.

[dcwilliams29id]

Re: Confederate soldier serial numbers

I seem to recall my GGG Grandfathers parole paperwork and pay records from the CSA Govt we found at the National Archives having a SN on it as well. I will check this weekend at my grandmothers house and see what I can find. He was in the 4th VA Cav.

Chris Williams

[Dignann]

Re: Confederate soldier serial numbers

Bob,

As has already been alluded to, neither the Union nor the Confederacy issued serial numbers to their men.

"The US system of assigning numbers to individuals began for enlisted men during WWI (Feb 1918) and to officers by 1924. Called at first army serial number," it became "service number" in 1954 and was replaced in 1969 by an individual's social security number." http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/...i/identify.asc

If you could provide us with the exact wording from his obituary, perhaps one of us could figure out what the numbers meant.

Chris - the number found on your ancestor's paperwork is most likely a file number assigned to his records by the War Department after the war. It is nothing more than a number used for cataloging and filing purposes. It's not a serial number.

Eric

[Hank Trent]

Re: Confederate soldier serial numbers

Here's one place it's mentioned online:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~txnavarr/war/civil_war/burials/civil_war_veteran_burials_p-r.htm

I have two of the records for Shirley W. Palmer for times he spent in service during the Civil War. He served under Allum's Company, 5th. Georgia Infantry (State Guards) for one six month's time of duty. Serial number: 45574205. The second tour of duty was with the: Company "K" (Fannin's) Georgia Reserves. Serial number:45520380. Each of these tour of duty were for six months each.

I'm wondering if the numbers had something to do with the post-war record-keeping system? Pension applications also had numbers, but not generally that high.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Confederate soldier serial numbers

Hallo!

Just an aside...

Not to be confused with the soldier's "number" as entered in the company record books for matters of pay, quartermaster, and ordnance department issuances/accountability, etc.

Curt

[ley74]

Re: Confederate soldier serial numbers

Curt:

Excellent point.

[1stMaine]

Re: Confederate soldier serial numbers

Comrades,

I have to agree with Hank and others. I suspect it is a post-war file number of some sort relating to either service records or pension records.

Respects,

[rlendt]

Re: Confederate soldier serial numbers

Thanks to all of you who responded. The obituary writer must have made an error.

Bob Lendt