Of the two record series, the loose muster rolls provide the most information about each solider. The drawback, however, is that the loose muster rolls for some Maryland units are missing. Both types are arranged by unit. Muster-out rolls list the solider's name, rank, age, when and where enrolled, enrolling officer, when and where mustered, mustering officer, period mustered for, name of paymaster, last date paid, the value of equipment, clothing and horses assigned to the soldier, and remarks. The remarks column is often the most informative.
Common remarks have to do with deaths, transfers, and desertions.
The muster rolls are not indexed, so one must know the unit before beginning a search. Slave muster rolls list the name of the slave, organization assigned, when and where mustered-in, mustering officer, county accredited, and the slave owner's name. Regiments missing from the loose rolls appear in these bound copies. Although the State Archives lists this series under the Adjutant General, the Comptroller of the Treasury actually created these records. The Comptroller's Office, faced with the task of paying bounty to every man who served in Maryland military units, complied these volumes from the regimental muster rolls held now by the National Archives.