Citing a Muster Roll Image You Found Online
What details should accompany a digital image of a muster roll or card so another researcher can locate it, verify it, or explain why they cannot.
4 min read 1,004 words 3 sources
The publication
Muster & Margin: reading soldier records
An independent card-catalogue reading room for Civil War research: we read documents, compare clues, and keep our place with a call number. No claims beyond what the cards support.
Publication notebook
- Updated
- articles
- 14
- sections
- 3
- Recent articles
- 14
- Sources read
- 3 on 1 domain
Latest guides
8 articles · 20/09/2026 to 20/09/2026
Battle Links Do Not Prove Presence
A unit history listing a battle proves the regiment was there, not the man. Here is how to test soldier-level presence in the record.
Regiment Presence vs Personal Participation
A regimental history and a battle link describe the unit, not the man. Learn how to test whether a soldier was actually present and fit for duty.
The card catalogue
3 sections · 14 articles
Reading the Record
Understand what each field on a muster roll or index card is actually telling you.
4 articles
See also Section 02, Comparing Clues 1 domain read in both drawers ; Section 03, Keeping the Trail 1 domain read in both drawers
RR-004 Anatomy of a 3 by 8 Inch Card
Learn the standard zones of a Civil War compiled military service record card, and how to read one that is partly illegible or heavily abbreviated.
RR-003 
RR-001
Comparing Clues
Test one document against another before you accept a conclusion.
5 articles
See also Section 01, Reading the Record 1 domain read in both drawers ; Section 03, Keeping the Trail 1 domain read in both drawers
CC-002 Confederate Pensions: Start with the State
The National Archives does not hold Confederate pension files. Learn how to trace state-level eligibility and compare it with a compiled service record.
CC-001
Keeping the Trail
Log your sources and your reasoning so the path stays inspectable.
5 articles
See also Section 01, Reading the Record 1 domain read in both drawers ; Section 02, Comparing Clues 1 domain read in both drawers
KT-005 When to Stop and Flag a Research Question
Learn how to decide a Civil War soldier record question cannot be resolved with documents at hand, and how to leave a clear, useful note for your.
KT-004 
KT-003
Sources consulted
3 sources · 1 domain
Primary references used in the research guides; each link identifies the relevant articles.
nps.gov
- /civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-research.htm read for KT-005, KT-004, KT-003, KT-002, KT-001, CC-005, CC-003, CC-004, CC-002, RR-004, CC-001, RR-003, RR-002
- /civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-overview.htm read for KT-005, KT-004, KT-003, KT-002, KT-001, CC-005, CC-003, CC-004, CC-002, RR-004, CC-001, RR-003, RR-001, RR-002
- /civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-recordsorigin.htm read for KT-005, KT-004, KT-003, KT-002, KT-001, CC-005, CC-003, CC-004, CC-002, RR-004, CC-001, RR-003, RR-001, RR-002