Descriptive roll

Companies and regiments kept descriptive books and rolls. A War of 1812 descriptive list could give age, height, eye and hair color, complexion, birthplace, the date, place and term of enlistment, who enlisted him, occupation, bounty paid and due, and clothing issued. Civil War draft offices also made descriptive lists of drafted men.

These are where a physical description of an ancestor usually comes from. Clerks copied the details onto compiled service record cards, so check the cards first; original descriptive rolls of Civil War volunteer regiments are among the Adjutant General's records at NARA.