I am trying to research a local Civil War era fort. It says it was manned by a regiment of soldiers but how many would that be?

Wikpedia says a regiment is normally about 3000 men, but says it can vary widely.
Any help?
3000 seems like a lot of men for a frontier fort.

Usually depends on the time/place. On paper, pre civil war regiment was supposed to be 10 companies of 100 men plus regimental officers (colonel, major, adjutent, etc.) and musicians. There were also regimental sutlers, teamsters/wagons. During the war in the east, a typical regiment could have as little as 300 men or 800.

What's the fort's name and was it early or later in the war?

Quoted: What's the fort's name and was it early or later in the war?

Thanks for the information, I am still looking for the actual dates of occupation.

A civil war regiment was about the same size as one is today.

Several companies!

But since back then every company was usaully recruited in the same town you may have one comapny of 50 men and another comapny of 300 to 500 men, it just meant some mustered in more than than the other in the neighboring town. And the regiments were usaully from groups of towns all in the same region of a state.

So yes theoretically you could have a 3000 man regiment.

BTW, The fort was Fort Weld, in the current Denver city limits. The unit supplied men for both the battle of Glorieta Pass and Chivington's Sand Creek Massacre.

In the 18th and 19th Centuries Regiments in the Anglo/American tradition were what we would think of as Battalions today.  

What fort and what unit are you looking at?  I might have the regimental musters right here with me.

Glorietta is a growing passion of mine.  The Gettysburg of the West and all that Jazz.

Best info for the Northern side is probably "The Battle of Glorieta Pass"; The Colorado Volunteers in the Civil War; Author is William C. Witford.

I picked my copy up off of Abe Books last month.

Here's a little info on the 3rd Regiment and Camp Weld. Regiments and companies came and went continually so it would be harder to pinpoint exact numbers. A regiment did not necessarily have all of it's companies together at one time.

Specific Colo. Cav. line units (besides the headquarters) known to occupy Camp Weld:

1st Regt, Co. C, Sep-Dec 1863
Independent (Arty) Battery, Jan-Apr 1864
2nd Regt
- Co C, 1862
- Co D, Jan-Feb 1862
- Co E, Sep-Oct 1862
- Co G, Oct 1862
- Co I, Oct 1862
3rd Regt
- Co A, B and D, Jan-Feb 1863
- Co G, Jul-Aug 1863

(Source: Glen R. Scott, Denver Historical Trail Map, 1999, page 50.)


Third Colo. Regiment had 700 men at the battle of Sand Creek  

Other Names: Chivington Massacre
Location: Kiowa County
Campaign: Sand Creek Campaign (1864)
Date(s): November 29-30, 1864
Principal Commanders: Col. John Chivington [US]; Black Kettle, Cheyenne
Forces Engaged: Third Colorado Regiment (approx. 700 men) [US]; 500 Cheyennes and a few Arapahos
Estimated Casualties: Total unknown (US unknown; I 200)

During the Civil War, another factor made it hard to guage numbers.  Units typically did not get replacements, so the longer they've been around and the more action they've seen; the smaller the unit due to casualties.