Military Service Records

R E F E R E N C E I N F O R M A T I O N P A P E R 1 0 9

at the nat i onal archive s

Military Service Records

at the National Archives

R E F E R E N C E I N F O R M A T I O N P A P E R 1 0 9

National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC

Compiled by Trevor K. Plante

Revised 2009

Plante, Trevor K.

Military service records at the National Archives,

Washington, DC / compiled by Trevor K. Plante.— Washington,

DC : National Archives and Records Administration, revised 2009.

p. ; cm.— (Reference information paper ; 109)

1. United States. National Archives and Records Administration

—Catalogs. 2. United States — Armed Forces — History —

Sources. 3. United States — History, Military — Sources. I. United

States. National Archives and Records Administration. II. Title.

Front cover images:

Bottom: Members of Company G, 30th U.S. Volunteer Infantry, at Fort

Sheridan, Illinois, August 1899. The regiment arrived in Manila at the end of

October to take part in the Philippine Insurrection. (111-SC-98361)

Background: Fitzhugh Lee’s oath of allegiance for amnesty and pardon following

the Civil War. Lee was Robert E. Lee’s nephew and went on to serve in the Spanish-

American War as a major general of the United States Volunteers. (RG 94)

Top left: Group of soldiers from the 71st New York Infantry Regiment in camp in

1861. (111-B-90)

Top middle: Compiled military service record envelope for John A. McIlhenny

who served with the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War. He was

the son of Edmund McIlhenny, inventor of Tabasco sauce. (RG 94)

Top right: Union naval officers and crew shown on vessel guarding the port of

Alexandria, Virginia, during the Civil War. (111-B-513)

Back cover: Group of officers from the 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry during the

Civil War. (111-B-2191)

c o n t e n t s

Preface v

Introduction 1

Before Getting Started 5

Army 9

Volunteer Soldiers 9

Regular Army 12

Enlisted Men 12

Officers 15

Returns 17

Courts-Martial 18

Navy 20

Enlisted Men 20

Officers 23

Courts-Martial 26

Deck Logs 26

Marine Corps 28

Enlisted Men 28

Officers 29

Coast Guard 31

Pensions 35

iii

Bounty Land 41

Civil War 42

Union Service 42

Confederate Service 47

Confederate Pensions 55

African Americans 63

Women 66

Draft Records and Selective Service 68

Prisoners of War 75

Discharges 80

National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers 81

Headstones and Burials 84

Medals 91

Modern Military Records 96

National Personnel Records Center 107

Researchers for Hire 115

Contacting the National Archives 116

Appendix 119

Index 123

iv

p r e f a c e

This reference information paper describes military service records held at the

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The National Archives

is the official repository for records of military personnel who have been dis-

charged from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard.

Six decades ago, the National Archives began publishing reference infor-

mation papers (RIPs) as part of a comprehensive descriptive program

designed to help people find their way through voluminous records in our

holdings. Related records addressed in other publications are the Guide to

Genealogical Research in the National Archives of the United States (rev.

2000) as well as the Microfilm Resources for Research: A Comprehensive

Catalog (2000) and Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National

Archives Microfilm Publications (1985). The National Archives and Records

Administration’s web site, www.archives.gov, offers access to more sources

for genealogical research as well as to the Archival Research Catalog (ARC),

the online catalog of NARA’s nationwide holdings.

As the nation’s record keeper, NARA safeguards records of all three

branches of the Federal Government. NARA meets an almost unlimited

range of information needs, ensuring access to records on which both the

credibility of government and the accuracy of history depend. We welcome

any comments you may have on the information products and services

NARA provides. Use the “contact us” link on www.archives.gov.

Adrienne C. Thomas

Acting Archivist of the United States

v

- -Taking the oath of enlistment to join the U.S. Army, ca. 1898. (111 SC 113514)

i n t r o d u c t i o n

Several changes have occurred since the 1985 revision of General Information

Leaflet (GIL) Number 7, Military Service Records in the National Archives of the

United States. This reference information paper (RIP) replaces GIL 7 and

updates much of its content. For example, some records listed under the Coast

Guard section of GIL 7 as residing in the Washington National Records Center

in Suitland, Maryland, are now found in the National Personnel Records

Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri. Also the Official Military Personnel Files

(OMPFs) of former members of all branches of the Armed Forces who were

discharged or retired from or who died in service 62 or more years ago have

been accessioned into the National Archives and are made available to the pub-

lic by the National Personnel Records Center’s Archival Programs Division. In

addition, unit rosters, morning reports, and other strength accounting records

for Army, Army Air Corps, and Army Air Force organizations, 1912–47, at

NPRC have been accessioned and are available to the public.

Computer technology has also greatly changed how researchers can

conduct research on military service records at the National Archives and

Records Administration (NARA). You can now order copies of military

service records and pension and bounty land records, stored at the National

Archives in Washington, DC, online where before it required mailing in a

form. Now veterans and their next of kin can order copies of military per-

sonnel files from the National Personnel Records Center online. For those

conducting Civil War research, you can go to the National Park Service’s

“Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System” online and conduct a name search

for those who served during the conflict. At least one Internet site provides

access to Federal Civil War pension indexes for a fee. Likewise the Veterans

1

Administration now provides a searchable database for finding veterans

buried in national cemeteries on their web site. Several web sites provide

databases or information that can assist researchers in gaining access to

NARA records, and in some cases, copies of NARA records are available on

these sites as well.

Each section of this reference information paper contains additional

sources of information such as published articles, books, or finding aids

and, in some cases, links to Internet sources. For records relating to service

in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, there are quick refer-

ence guides that provide consolidated lists or “hot spots” to search when

conducting research on those particular records. In the case of military records

for service in the Army there is a further breakdown for volunteers and regu-

lars and for enlisted men and officers. After the sections concerning the vari-

ous services, there are descriptions of different types of records such as pen-

sions, bounty land files, headstones and burials, medals, and discharges. This

RIP provides information on online sources throughout the finding aid in

addition to a consolidated section on web sites relating to military service

records at the National Archives.

Records at the National Archives are arranged by the creating agency

or office in groupings called record groups (RG). For example, RG 127 is

the Records of the U.S. Marine Corps, and RG 94 is the Records of the

Office of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780s–1917. Under the record

group is the series, a body of records that are related chronologically (Civil

War compiled military service records) or by subject (headstone applica-

tions for private cemeteries).

The National Archives and Records Administration has microfilmed

over 3,000 series of Federal records that contain a wealth of valuable infor-

mation for scholars and other researchers. These publications are cited in

this RIP by the publication number (such as M260 or T1099) and the series

title (Records Relating to Confederate and Naval Marine Personnel or Index

to Rendezvous Reports, Civil War, 1861–1865).

For additional information beyond the scope of this RIP consult the

2

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives of the United States

(2000). There is a section on military records containing chapters on:

records of the Regular Army; service records of volunteers; naval and

marine service; pension records; bounty land warrant records; and other

records relating to military service.

Additional Sources of Information

Eales, Anne Bruner and Robert M. Kvasnicka, eds. Guide to Genealogical

Research in the National Archives of the United States. Third edition,

Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 2000.

Johnson, Lt. Col. Richard S. How to Locate Anyone Who Is or Has

Been in the Military: Armed Forces Locator Directory. San Antonio,

TX: MIE Publishing, 1995.

Neagles, James C. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State

Sources, Colonial America to the Present. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, 1994.

Plante, Trevor K. “An Overview of Records at the National Archives

Relating to Military Service,” Prologue, Fall 2002, Vol. 34, No. 3.

Internet Sources

The following web sites are useful places to begin your research:

www.cyndislist.com. Provides information on various genealogical topics.

www.Ancestry.com. Some parts of this web site are by subscription.

www.heritagequest.com. Web site is by subscription through libraries.

www.footnote.com. Web site is a partially fee-based site.

All these web sites are available on public access computers at the National

Archives research facilities.

For information on civilian records consult RIP 110, Using Civilian Records for

Genealogical Research in the National Archives, Washington, DC, Area, pre-

pared by Constance Potter.

3

Card from a compiled military service record showing that Cpl. Samuel Gay, 1st Massachusetts Infantry,

was discharged from the Army after it was learned the soldier was a woman serving as a man during the

Revolutionary War. (RG 93)

b e f o r e g e t t i n g s ta r t e d

Before getting started, there are several questions that when answered can

greatly help you in your quest:

• What branch of service did the person serve in?

• Do you know the conflict they fought in or their dates of service?

• If they served in the Army, was it in the Regular Army or a volunteer unit?

• Do you know what state they were living in when they joined the military?

• Did the individual serve as an officer or enlisted man?

• Did the veteran, their widow, or a dependant apply for or receive a pension?

These questions are important, for the answers help determine which

search paths to follow in researching records in our holdings.

Using the National Archives

The National Archives, established in 1935, is the official depository for

records of military personnel separated from the U.S. Air Force, Army,

Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps. There are two main repositories for

records relating to military service, the National Archives Building,

Washington, DC, and the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), St.

Louis, Missouri. Listed below are some military service records that are in

the holdings maintained at each facility. On subsequent pages are pertinent

details about the records available.

The following records relating to military service are held at the

National Archives Building in Washington, DC:

5

• Volunteer enlisted men and officers whose military service was per-

formed during an emergency and whose service was considered to be

in the Federal interest, 1775 to 1902

• Regular Army enlisted personnel, 1798–October 31, 1912

• Regular Army officers, 1798–June 30, 1917

• U.S. Navy enlisted personnel, 1798–1885

• U.S. Navy officers, 1798–1902

• U.S. Marine Corps officers and enlisted personnel, 1798–1904

• Those who served in predecessor agencies to the U.S. Coast Guard, i.e.

the Revenue Cutter Service (Revenue Marine), the Life Saving Service,

and the Lighthouse Service, 1791–1919

• Confederate Army, Navy, and Marine Corps (Civil War)

For researchers unable to visit the National Archives Building in

Washington, DC, copies of compiled military service records, pension files,

and bounty land records held by NARA can be obtained through the mail.

To obtain the proper request form, please write to Old Military and Civil

Records, National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001. You can also request a paper

form be mailed to you at: www.archives.gov/global_pages/inquire_form.html.

The NATF Form 80 is now obsolete. Form 80 was replaced by NATF Form

85, National Archives Order for Copies of Federal Pension or Bounty Land

Warrant Applications, and Form 86, National Archives Order for

Copies of Military Service Records. NATF Forms 85 and 86 can be request-

ed from our web site, or you may order copies of these records online at:

www.archives.gov/research_room/orderonline.html.

If requesting information on military records at the National Archives

Building related to Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard personnel, please

do not use a form; send a written inquiry either by mail to the address

above or e-mail [email protected].

The National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, holds

military personnel files for the following:

6

• U.S. Army officers, separated July 1, 1917–September 30, 2002, and

enlisted personnel, separated November 1, 1912–September 30, 2002

• U.S. Air Force officers and enlisted personnel, separated September 25,

1947–September 30, 2004

• U.S. Navy officers, separated January 1, 1903–December 31, 1994, and

Navy enlisted personnel, separated January 1, 1886–December 31, 1994

• U.S. Marine Corps officers and enlisted personnel, separated January 1,

1905–December 31, 1998

• U.S. Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel, separated after January 1,

1898; civilian employees of Coast Guard predecessor agencies such as Revenue

Cutter Service, Life Saving Service and Lighthouse Service, from 1864 to 1919

To request copies of an individual’s military personnel file held at the National

Personnel Records Center, use a Standard Form 180, Request Pertaining to

Military Records. If you are a veteran requesting a copy of your records or next of

kin of a deceased veteran, you use www.archives.gov/ research_room/evetrecs/ to

order a copy of the military records online.For more information on what records

are available at NPRC and who may request them due to privacy restrictions, con-

sult the National Archives web site at www.archives.gov.

Note: The National Personnel Records Center is currently in the process of

opening to the public nearly 1.2 million official military personnel files of

former U.S. Navy and Marine Corps enlisted personnel who served in the

military between 1885 and 1939.

This reference information paper provides further detailed information

on records relating to military service at the National Archives Building in

Washington, DC, the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, and the

National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri. While the

National Archives Building and the NPRC maintain military personnel

records, researchers may also wish to consult unit/ship organization and oper-

ational records held in College Park, Maryland. It should be noted that only

rarely do these records include information about named individuals.

7

a r m y

National Archives Building, Washington, DC

Records Relating to U.S. Volunteer Soldiers

The place to start researching a volunteer soldier’s service is the compiled mil-

itary service record. The compiled service records, available for both volunteer

enlisted men and officers, consist of an envelope that may contain card

abstracts taken from records such as: muster rolls, returns, pay vouchers,

orders, and other records that relate to the individual soldier. Information in

the service record may include references to mustering-in, mustering-out,

wounds, hospitalization, absence from the unit, capture and imprisonment by

the enemy, courts-martial, and death.

The general name index and compiled service records for Revolutionary War

soldiers are available on National Archives microfilm publications M860, General

Index to Compiled Military Service Records of Revolutionary War Soldiers, and

M881, Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army

During the Revolutionary War. The indexes to the War of 1812, early Indian Wars,

Mexican War, Spanish-American War, and the Philippine Insurrection are on

microfilm,but the compiled military service records for these conflicts are not.The

Philippine Insurrection is the last conflict in which the War Department compiled

military service records for volunteers.

The Civil War is more complicated for the National Archives does not

maintain an overall general name index for Union soldiers. However, there

are microfilmed name indexes for each state. Note: The state where the soldier

joined may be different from the state in which he lived at the time. Most

of the compiled military service records for Union soldiers are not avail-

Left: A group of volunteer officers pose for a picture during the Civil War. (111-B-5299)

9

able on microfilm. For records of state or local militias or National Guard

units that were not Federalized, consult the state archives from where the

unit served.

Begin researching volunteers by consulting the appropriate name

indexes available on National Archives microfilm. The index cards are

arranged alphabetically by the individual’s last name and show the soldier’s

name, rank, and the unit or units in which he served. If the soldier you are

researching served in more than one unit he should have a compiled mili-

tary service record for each volunteer unit in which he served. In some

cases, there are cross-references to names that appear in the records under

various spellings. For a listing of microfilm publications relating to name

indexes and compiled service records, consult the National Archives’

Microfilm Resources for Research: A Comprehensive Catalog (2000). The

Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm

Publications (1985) is also a very good resource to consult.

You can also consult the name database found on the “Civil War

Soldiers and Sailors System” online at www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/index.html.

For more information on the “Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System” see

page 45.

For compiled military service records that have not been reproduced

on microfilm, researchers can request to see the original records at the

National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Researchers unable to

come to Washington, DC, may request copies of these records by using

NATF Form 86, National Archives Order for Copies of Military Service

Records or order copies of these records online at www.archives.gov/

research_room/orderonline.html. After utilizing the compiled military serv-

ice records consult the pension file. For additional information on these

records consult the description of pensions on page 35 of this reference

information paper.

For medical information concerning volunteer soldiers who fought in

the Mexican and Civil Wars, consult carded medical records found in RG

94, Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780s–1917, entry 534. These

cards relate to volunteers admitted to hospitals for treatment and may

10

include information such as name, rank, organization, complaint, date of

admission, hospital to which admitted, date returned to duty, deserted, dis-

charged, sent to general hospital, furloughed, or died. This series is

arranged by state, thereunder by the number of the regiment (cavalry,

infantry, and artillery are filed together under the common regiment num-

ber), and then by initial letter of surname. For example, the 1st

Pennsylvania Cavalry is filed under “1 Pennsylvania” along with the 1st

Pennsylvania Infantry, 1st Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, 1st Pennsylvania

Light Artillery, and 1st Pennsylvania Reserves.

Carded medical records of volunteers who served in the Spanish-

American War and Philippine Insurrection, however, are filed with the

individual’s compiled military service record.

Revolutionary War, 1775–83

• Compiled Military Service Record

• Pension File/Bounty Land Warrant File

War of 1812, 1812–15

• Compiled Military Service Record

• Pension File

• Bounty Land Warrant File

Early Indian Wars, 1815–58

• Compiled Military Service Record

• Pension File

• Bounty Land Warrant File

Mexican War, 1846–48

• Compiled Military Service Record

• Pension File

• Bounty Land Warrant File

Civil War (Union), 1861–65

• Compiled Military Service Record

• Pension File

• Carded Medical Records

Spanish-American War, 1898

11

• Compiled Military Service Record (includes carded medical records)

• Pension File

Philippine Insurrection, 1899–1902

• Compiled Military Service Record (includes carded medical records)

• Pension File

Additional Sources of Information

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, third ed., pages 127–150.

Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army

During The War of the Revolution, April 1775, to December 1783,

Washington, DC: The Rare Book Shop Publishing Co., 1914.

Neagles, James C. and Lila L. Neagles. Locating Your Revolutionary War Ancestor:

A Guide to Military Records, Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1983.

Note: The National Archives does not alter records or compiled military

service records. It is not unusual to have a soldier’s name spelled different-

ly on various cards within the same compiled military service record.

Records Relating to Regular Army Service

Enlisted Men

Unlike the compiled service records for individuals who served as volunteers,

the War Department did not compile military service records for those who

served in the Regular Army. The place to start researching enlisted men is the

Regular Army Enlistment Papers, 1798–1912, RG 94, entry 91. This series is

arranged alphabetically by name of soldier and generally shows the soldier’s

name, place of enlistment, date of enlistment, by whom enlisted, age, place of

birth, occupation, personal description, regimental assignment, and certifica-

tions of the examining surgeon and recruiting officer. Soldiers usually have

multiple enlistment papers if they served two or more enlistments.

Researchers should also consult M233, Register of Enlistments in the

U.S. Army, 1798–1914. The register of enlistments is arranged chronolog-

ically and thereunder alphabetically by first letter of surname. The regis-

12

ter usually shows the individual’s name, military organization, physical

description, age at time of enlistment, place of birth, enlistment informa-

tion, discharge information, and remarks. For more detailed information

concerning service consult the unit muster rolls arranged by arm of serv-

ice, thereunder by regiment number, then alphabetically by company,

troop or battery, and thereunder chronologically. The muster rolls are

found in RG 94, entry 53, Muster Rolls of Regular Army Organizations,

1784–October 31, 1912.

For medical information, consult carded medical records found in

RG 94, entries 529 and 530 covering the years 1821–85 and 1894–1912

respectively. These cards relate to Regular Army personnel admitted to

hospitals for treatment and may include information such as name,

rank, organization, age, race, birthplace, date entered service, cause of

Recruits wait while clerks fill out Army enlistment papers, ca. 1898. These papers are found in entry 91,

Enlistment Papers, RG 94, Records of the Adjutant General’s Office. (111-SC-113512)

13

admission, date of admission, hospital to which admitted, and disposi-

tion of the case. Entry 529, covering the years 1821–85, is arranged by

the number of the regiment (cavalry, infantry, and artillery are filed

together under the common regiment number) and then by initial let-

ter of surname. For example, the 1st Cavalry is filed under the number

“1” along with the 1st Infantry and 1st Artillery. Regimental designa-

tions are followed by Ordnance, Engineers, Signal Corps, Scouts, and

miscellaneous (including Recruits, Prisoners, Service Troops, and

General Mounted Service). Entry 530, covering the years 1894–1912, is

arranged by arm of service, thereunder by number of regiment, and

thereunder by initial letter of surname. Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery

regiments are followed by Coast and Field Artillery batteries, Philippine

Scouts, Prisoners, Engineers, Ordnance, Signal Corps, Service School

Detachment, Navy Marines, Transports, men on duty at West Point, the

Hospital Corps, miscellaneous (including recruits, discharged soldiers,

ex-volunteers, unassigned persons and civilians). For information on

other records related to Regular Army enlisted men, consult the sections

on returns, Army courts-martial and pensions found later in this refer-

ence information paper.

Regular Army, (Enlisted Men)

• Enlistment Papers, 1798–1912

• Register of Enlistments, 1798–1914 (M233)

• Carded Medical Records

• Court-Martial Records

• Pension File

• Unit Returns

• Post Returns

Additional Sources of Information

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, third ed., pages

109–122.

14

Officers

When researching Army officers, researchers should first consult Francis B.

Heitman’s Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, From

Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903, two volumes

(Washington, DC: GPO, 1903). Volume one contains a register of Army

officers providing a brief history of their service. Volume two contains a

“chronological list of battles, actions, etc., in which troops of the Regular

Army have participated and troops engaged.” Heitman’s has been repro-

duced on M1858.

The War Department did not maintain or compile personnel files for

Regular Army officers until 1863. Prior to that date, records concerning officers

can be found in several different series in RG 94. The best place to start is the

series of letters received by the Adjutant General’s Office (AGO). The registers

have been reproduced on M711, Registers of Letters Received, Office of the

Adjutant General, 1812–1889. The letters are found on M566, Letters Received by

the Office of the Adjutant General, 1805–1821; M567, Letters Received by the Office

of the Adjutant General (Main Series), 1822–1860; and M619, Letters Received by

the Office of the Adjutant General (Main Series), 1861–1870.

When researching the records for an officer’s military service after 1863,

consult the Commission Branch (CB) and Appointment, Commission and

Personal Branch (ACP) records both found in RG 94, entry 297, Letters

Received, 1863–94. There is a card index arranged by name of officer for each

of these files. CB files are reproduced on M1064, Letters Received by the

Commission Branch of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1863–1870, and a select

number of ACP files have been reproduced on National Archives microfiche

M1395, Letters Received by the Appointment, Commission and Personal Branch,

1871–1894. For service after 1894, consult M698, Index to General Cor-

respondence of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1890–1917. The index provides

document file numbers to RG 94, entry 25, Document File, 1890–1917.

If the officer attended West Point consult M688, U.S. Military Academy

Cadet Application Papers, 1805–1866, and M91, Records Relating to the U.S.

Military Academy, 1812–1867.

15

For information on other records related to Regular Army officers,

consult the sections on returns, Army courts-martial, and pensions found

later in this reference information paper.

Regular Army (Officers)

• Francis B. Heitman’s Historical Register and Dictionary of the United

States Army

• AGO Letters Received, 1805–89

• CB and ACP Files, 1863–94

• AGO Doc File, 1890–1917

• Pension File

• Court-Martial Files

• Unit Returns

• Post Returns

Additional Sources of Information

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, third ed., pages 109–122.

Cullum, George W. Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the

U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York Since its Establishment in

1802. Multiple volumes for various years.

Adjutant General’s Office, Official Army Registers. Washington, DC.

Multiple volumes for various years.

Hamersly, Thomas H.S. Complete Regular Army Register of the United States: For

One Hundred Years, (1779 to 1879). Washington, DC: T.H.S. Hamersly, 1881.

Powell, William H. List Officers of the United States Army From 1779 to 1900.

New York: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1900.

Powell, William H. Records of Living Officers of the United States Army.

Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1890.

Powell, William H. Officers of the Army and Navy (Volunteer) Who Served in

the Civil War. Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1893.

Powell, William H. Officers of the Army and Navy (Regular) Who Served in

the Civil War. Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1892.

16

Returns

Other records that may be of interest to researchers are Army post returns

and Regular Army unit returns. Returns for many military posts, camps,

and stations are reproduced on National Archives microfilm publication

M617, Returns from U.S. Military Posts, 1800–1916. Returns generally

show units stationed at the post and their strength, the names and duties

of officers, the number of officers present and absent, and a record of

events. For researchers working on enlisted men the returns generally do

not single out enlisted men by name but rather provide general informa-

tion about the unit.

Returns for Regular Army units are reproduced on microfilm and can

be found on M665, Returns From Regular Army Infantry Regiments, June

George A. Custer’s acceptance of appointment to West Point. In addition to Custer’s signature, note his

father’s signature at the bottom consenting to the acceptance. (RG 94)

17

1821–December 1916; M744, Returns From Regular Army Cavalry

Regiments, 1833–1916; and M727, Returns From Regular Army Artillery

Regiments, June 1821–January 1901. There are also returns found on the

following National Archives microfilm publications: M690, Returns From

Regular Army Engineer Battalions, September 1846–June 1916; M691,

Returns From Regular Army Coast Artillery Corps Companies, February

1901–June 1916; M727, Returns From Regular Army Artillery Regiments,

June 1821–January 1901; M728, Returns From Regular Army Field Artillery

Batteries and Regiments, February 1901–December 1916; M851, Returns of

the Corps of Engineers, April 1832–December 1916; and M852, Returns of

the Corps of Topographical Engineers, November 1831–February 1863.

These monthly returns of military organizations report stations of com-

panies and names of company commanders, unit strength, including the

number of men present, absent, sick, on extra duty or daily duty, in arrest

or confinement, and significant remarks. For additional information on

records related to posts and units consult RG 391, Records of United

States Regular Army Mobile Units, 1821–1942; RG 393, Records of U.S.

Army Continental Commands, 1821–1920; and RG 395, Records of U.S.

Army Overseas Operations and Commands, 1898–1942.

Army Courts-Martial

Court-martial records are a great source of information not only for a par-

ticular individual but also for providing insights into the trials and tribula-

tions faced by soldiers. Records related to the proceedings of U.S. Army

courts-martial, courts of inquiry, and military commissions can be found

in RG 153, Records of the Judge Advocate General (Army).

To find an individual’s case file in the early date span first consult

M1105, Registers of the Records of the Proceedings of the U.S. Army General

Courts-Martial, 1809–1890. The registers provide case file numbers to a

subseries covering the years 1809 to 1894. The other subseries covers the

years 1894–1917. An index for 1891–1917 is found in RG 153, entry 17.

Both of these subseries are filed by case file number in RG 153, entry 15A.

These records are located in the Old Military Records section at the

18

National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Only a few select cases

have been reproduced on microfilm. Court-martial files covering the

years 1917 to 1938 (RG 153, entry 15B) are located in the Modern

Military Records section of the National Archives in College Park,

Maryland.

Additional Sources of Information

Plante, Trevor K. “The Shady Side of the Family Tree: Civil War Union

Court-Martial Case Files,” Prologue, Winter 1998, Vol. 30, No. 4.

Union soldiers from the Army of the Cumberland awaiting court-martial. (111-B-2738)

19

n av y

National Archives Building, Washington, DC

Records Relating to Naval Service

Enlisted Men

Useful sources to consult for Navy enlisted men include pension files, ren-

dezvous reports, keys to enlistment, jackets of enlisted men, and muster rolls.

The place to begin research on Navy enlisted men is the pension files. The

pension file may provide leads such as dates of service and the ship(s) or duty

station(s) the sailor served on. Pensions usually provide the most genealogical

information for researchers. For information on searching these records see

the pension file section found later in this reference information paper.

Your next step is to search rendezvous reports. A rendezvous was the

recruiting station where the men signed up to enlist in the Navy. Officers at the

rendezvous kept a record of each man enlisted and reported the information

weekly to the Navy Department. These documents are known as the “ren-

dezvous reports” and provide the following information: name of recruit, date

and term of enlistment and rating, previous naval service, usual place of resi-

dence, place of birth, occupation, and personal description. The indexes to these

records, both arranged alphabetically, are available on microfilm T1098, Index to

Rendezvous Reports, Before and After the Civil War, 1846–1861, 1865–1884, and

T1099, Index to Rendezvous Reports, Civil War, 1861–1865. The enlistment ren-

dezvous have been reproduced on M1953, Weekly Returns of Enlistments at

Naval Rendezvous (“Enlistment Rendezvous”), January 6, 1855–August 8, 1891.

Next search RG 24, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, entry 224,

Keys to and Registers of Enlistment Returns, 1846–1902. The keys to enlist-

ment show names of men enlisting at rendezvous or on board vessels, enlist-

20

Crew working the gun on a Civil War Navy gunboat. (111-B-486)

ment data, and a summary of service. The series is arranged chronologically.

Another good source to consult is jackets of enlisted men found in RG 24,

entry 204, Records Relating to Enlisted Men Who Served in the Navy Between

1842 and 1885. The “jackets” that make up this series are arranged alphabeti-

cally by sailor’s name and contain correspondence that was collected on men

who served in the Navy between 1842 and 1885. The jackets also contain mate-

rial for the years 1885 to 1941 if the sailor made an application for pension, filed

a claim, or requested verification documents. Jackets may also contain letters

received, copies of letters sent, endorsements, applications for certificates of

honorable discharge, or copies of other types of certificates.

To track the service of an enlisted man in the Navy consult the Navy

muster rolls and pay rolls, which cover 1798 to 1938. There are several series

of bound volumes of muster rolls and pay rolls of ships and stations.

Muster rolls generally show the name of the enlisted man, the ship or sta-

tion on which he was serving, his dates of service, and, in some cases, the

ship or station from which he had transferred. Pay rolls generally show the

name of the enlisted man, his station or rank, date of commencement of his

service, and terms of service. To use muster rolls and payrolls, researchers

should know where the subject of research was stationed during the time

21

pertinent to the research. Generally, muster and pay rolls of vessels are

arranged alphabetically by name of ship and thereunder chronologically.

Muster and pay rolls of shore establishments are also arranged alphabeti-

cally by name of station and thereunder chronologically. Many of the pre-

1860 Navy muster rolls and pay rolls have been reproduced on T829,

Miscellaneous Records of the Office of Naval Records and Library.

For medical information consult RG 52, Records of the Bureau of

Medicine and Surgery (Navy), entry 21, Medical Journals of Shore Stations,

1812–89; entry 22, Medical Journals of Ships, 1813–1910; entry 30, Reports of

Diseases and Deaths, July 1828–December 1846; entry 31, Certificates of Death,

Disability, Pension and Medical Survey, June 1842–January 1896; and entry 51,

Registers of Patients, 1812–1929. U.S. Navy deck logs and Navy courts-martial

files may also prove useful. Information on Navy deck logs and Navy courts-

martial files can be found in later sections of this reference information paper.

If you are researching sailors in the Revolutionary War, the War Department

compiled service records of naval personnel for that conflict. These records are

fragmented, and it should be noted that they are based on War Department

records and not Navy Department records. The place to begin is the index found

on M879, Index to Compiled Service Records of American Naval Personnel Who

Served During the Revolutionary War. The compiled service records are repro-

duced on M880, Compiled Service Records of American Naval Personnel and

Members of the Departments of the Quartermaster General and the Commissary

General of Military Stores Who Served During the Revolutionary War.

Navy (Enlisted Men)

• Pension Files

• Rendezvous Reports

• Keys to and Register of Enlistment Returns, 1846–1902

• Jackets of Enlisted Men, 1842–85

• Muster Rolls

• Deck Logs

• Court-Martial Records

22

Officers

When beginning research on U.S. Navy officers first consult the List of

Officers of the Navy of the United States and of the Marine Corps, From 1775

to 1900, edited by Edward W. Callahan for names and dates of service. You

can also consult M2078, General Register of the United States Navy and

Marine Corps, 1782–1882. Next consult the pension files. The pension file

may provide leads such as dates of service and the ship(s) or duty station(s)

the officer served on. Pensions usually provide the most genealogical infor-

mation for researchers. For information on searching these records see the

pension file section found later in this reference information paper.

Your next step is to consult the abstracts of service. These records have

been reproduced as M330, Abstracts of Service Records of Naval Officers

(“Records of Officers”), 1798–1893, and M1328, Abstracts of Service Records

of Naval Officers (“Records of Officers”), 1829–1924. The descriptive pam-

phlet for M1328 provides a name index to the abstracts. If the officer

attended the Naval Academy you can consult M991, U.S. Naval Registers of

Delinquencies, 1846–1850, 1853–1882, and Academic and Conduct Records of

Cadets, 1881–1908. You can also consult various records relating to applica-

tions and appointments of naval cadets found in several series in RG 24.

For a list of officers on board Naval vessels during the Civil War con-

sult National Archives microfilm publication M1976, Lists of Officers of

Vessels of the United States Navy, August 1860–December 1877. The micro-

film is arranged primarily by vessel name.

Additional information on naval officers can be found in examining

board and retiring board files in RG 125, Records of the Judge Advocate

General (Navy). The records of these boards are found in entry 58, Records of

the Proceedings of Naval and Marine Examining Boards, 1861–1903, arranged

alphabetically; and entry 56, Records of Proceedings of Naval and Marine

Retiring Boards, 1861–1909, numerical files arranged chronologically with a

partial register found in entry 59. For additional information on Navy officers

consult Navy deck logs and Navy courts-martial files. Descriptions for these

files are found on page 26 of this reference information paper.

23

Document from the Examining Board file of Capt. Bowman H. McCalla, U.S. Navy. (RG 125)

If you are researching naval officers in the Revolutionary War, the War

Department compiled service records of naval personnel for that conflict.

These records are fragmentary. The place to begin is the index found on M879,

Index to Compiled Service Records of American Naval Personnel Who Served

During the Revolutionary War. The compiled service records are reproduced

on M880, Compiled Service Records of American Naval Personnel and Members

of the Departments of the Quartermaster General and the Commissary General

of Military Stores Who Served During the Revolutionary War.

Navy (Officers)

• Edward W. Callahan’s List of Officers of the Navy of the United States

and Marines Corps, From 1775 to 1900

• Abstracts of Service Records (M330 and M1328)

• Examining Board and Retirement Board

• Pension Files

• Court-Martial Files

• Deck Logs

Additional Sources of Information

Hamersly, Lewis R. The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and

Marine Corps; with a History of Naval Operations During the Rebellion

of 1861–65, and a List of the Ships and Officers Participating in the Great

Battles. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1870.

Hamersly, Lewis Randolph. The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy

and Marine Corps; Compiled From Official Sources. Philadelphia: L.R.

Hamersly & Co., 1890.

Hamersly, Thomas H.S. General Register of the United States Navy and the

Marine Corps, Arranged in Alphabetical Order, For One Hundred Years,

(1782 to 1882). Washington, DC: T.H.S. Hamersly, 1882.

Powell, William H. Officers of the Army and Navy (Volunteer) Who Served in

the Civil War. Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1893.

Powell, William H. Officers of the Army and Navy (Regular) Who Served in

the Civil War. Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1892.

25

Navy Courts-Martial

Navy court-martial records are found in Records of the Office of the Judge

Advocate General (Navy), RG 125. They also relate to officers and enlisted

men of the Marine Corps. The records include transcripts of proceedings of

general courts-martial. A name index identifies the case file of a particular

person and the records relating to a court of inquiry. Each dossier, when

complete, contains the precept appointing the court; letters detailing or

detaching its several members; a letter dissolving the court; the charges and

specifications; minutes of the court consisting chiefly of a verbatim tran-

script of testimony; the plea of the defendant (often printed); copies of cor-

respondence introduced as part of the minutes; the finding of the court, the

sentence in case of a finding of guilty; and various endorsements. The ear-

lier records are available as M273, Records of General Courts-Martial and

Courts of Inquiry of the Navy Department, 1799–1867. Later records can be

found in entry 28, Registers of General Courts-Martial, 1861–1904; entry

27, Records of Proceedings of General Courts-Martial, 1866–1940; entry

30, Records of Proceedings of Courts of Inquiry, Boards of Investigation

and Boards of Inquest, 1866–1940; entry 31, Registers of Courts of Inquiry,

Boards of Investigation and Boards of Inquest, 1866–1940, and entry 49,

Index to Summary Courts-Martial, 1895–1904.

Navy Deck Logs

U.S. Navy deck logs typically provide information on a ship’s performance

and location, weather conditions, personnel (names of officers, assign-

ments, transfers, desertions, deaths, injuries, and courts-martial), supplies

received, and miscellaneous observations. For a listing of logbooks held by

the National Archives, consult Special List 44, List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy

Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801–1947.

For brief histories of U.S. Navy vessels consult the multivolume

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. In this publication you will

find an alphabetical listing of Navy ships that includes a brief history of

each vessel and provides statistics such as: type or classification, tonnage or

displacement, length, beam, draft, speed, complement, armament, and

26

Officers and crew of the USS Monocacy, during the 1871 expedition to Korea. (200-KWG-42)

class. Consulting the dictionary is important for several reasons. It is

important to verify that the ship was in fact a U.S. Navy vessel and to veri-

fy dates of service. Before conducting a search in ship-related records make

sure you have information on the correct vessel. Several ships served at dif-

ferent times under the same name, so first consult the Dictionary of

American Naval Fighting Ships to find the dates of service of the vessel you

are researching.

Additional Sources of Information

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, third ed., pages

155–160.

Bacon, Lee D. “Early Navy Personnel Records at the National Archives,

1776–1860,” Prologue, Spring 1995, Vol. 27, No.1.

Bacon, Lee D. “Civil War and Later Navy Personnel Records at the National

Archives, 1861–1924,” Prologue, Summer 1995, Vol. 27, No. 2.

27

m a r i n e c o r p s

National Archives Building, Washington, DC

Records Relating to Marine Corps Service

Enlisted Men

Generally, service records for enlisted marines who separated from service

prior to 1905 are held in Washington, DC. Service records or “case files” of

enlisted marines at the National Archives are found in RG 127, Records of the

U.S. Marine Corps, entry 76. Service records may include: enlistment and

reenlistment papers, descriptive lists, conduct records, notice of discharge,

military history, and in some cases the issuance of campaign badges and

awards. There are two series of case files. The first (marines who enlisted prior

to 1895) is arranged by date of enlistment or last reenlistment starting in 1798.

If the enlistment date is unknown, researchers can use the card index found in

RG 127, entry 75, Alphabetical Card List of Enlisted Men of the Marine Corps,

1798–1941. The second series of case files, relating to Marines who enlisted

after 1895, is arranged alphabetically. It was not unusual for enlisted marines

to use aliases during this period. Service records and enlistment cards are filed

under the name the marine used while in service.

To track a marine’s service, consult the Marine Corps muster rolls. The

Marine Corps muster rolls, 1798–1940, are arranged chronologically by year

and month, and thereunder by post, station, ship detachment, or other unit,

except during World War I, when they are arranged in two subseries: (1) posts

and stations and (2) mobile units. There are indexes in the volumes to the

names of ships and stations.A muster roll generally shows name of ship or sta-

tion and name; rank, date of enlistment or reenlistment; and if applicable, date

of desertion or apprehension; sentence of court-martial (and the offense);

28

injuries sustained or illness and type of treatment; and date of death or dis-

charge for officers and enlisted men. Depending on the date, the researcher

must know the vessel on which the marine served, the unit in which he served,

or duty station. Marine Corps muster rolls have been reproduced on T1118,

Muster Rolls of the U.S. Marine Corps, 1798–1902, and T977, Muster Rolls of

Officers and Enlisted Men of the U.S. Marine Corps, 1893–1940. For more infor-

mation consult correspondence files in RG 127. Also Navy deck logs, Navy

courts-martial files, and pension files may contain information on Marines.

Marine Corps (Enlisted Men)

• Case Files (prior to 1905)

• Muster Rolls (T1118 and T977)

• Pension Files

• Court-Martial Records

Officers

A good source to verify service of a marine officer is the List of Officers of the Navy

of the United States and of the Marine Corps from 1775 to 1900, edited by Edward

W. Callahan. Several series found in RG 127, Records of the U.S. Marine Corps,

can provide documentation of the military service of Marine Corps officers. A

one-volume register shows the name, rank, and state of birth of commissioned

officers of the Marine Corps in each year, 1819–48. A similar register for each

year, 1849–58 (contained in the front part of the first of two volumes of abstracts

of military service of Marine Corps officers), shows the same information and

date of entry into service, state from which appointed, and state of residence.The

remainder of that first volume pertains to officers serving during the period

1869–73, and the second volume, to officers serving during the period

1899–1904. Entries are arranged by rank, but there are name indexes in the vol-

umes. The entries give information about promotions, appointments to boards,

assignments and transfers, and retirement. The second volume also shows date

and place of birth, state from which appointed, state of residence, and date of

commission for each officer.Another series of two volumes contains press copies

of military histories and statements of service of officers covering 1904 to 1911

29

which were prepared by the Marine Corps in response to inquiries from military

officials. The records are arranged chronologically, but there are name indexes.

Marine Corps muster rolls,Navy deck logs,Navy courts-martial files,and pen-

sion file records can also provide additional information on Marine Corps officers.

Marine Corps (Officers)

• Edward W. Callahan’s List of Officers of the Navy of the United States

and Marines Corps, From 1775 to 1900

• Records of Service, 1819–1911 (with gaps)

• Muster Rolls (T1118 and T977)

• Pension Files

• Court-Martial Files

Additional Sources of Information

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, third ed., pages 160–164.

Plante, Trevor K. “U.S. Marines in the Boxer Rebellion,” Prologue, Winter

1999, Vol. 31, No. 4.

Smith, Charles R. Marines in the Revolution: A History of the Continental

Marines in the American Revolution, 1775–1783, Washington, DC: History

and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, 1975.

Portion of Harry Fisher’s Marine Corps enlistment paper in 1899. Fisher was an alias for Franklin J. Phillips,

previously dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army for desertion. He was killed July 16, 1900, in the siege

of Peking, China, during the Boxer Rebellion, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. (RG 127)

30

c o a s t g u a r d

National Archives Building, Washington, DC

Records Relating to Coast Guard Service

The National Archives has records relating to the Coast Guard and its predeces-

sor agencies: the Lighthouse Service, Revenue Cutter Service, and the Life Saving

Service. These records are found in RG 26, Records of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Registers of Lighthouse Keepers were compiled chronologically and

have been reproduced on M1373, Registers of Lighthouse Keepers,

1845–1912. Indexes to each of the volumes are alphabetical by surname of

keeper and/or name of lighthouse. The registers include the names of keep-

ers and assistant keepers. The registers typically consist of the person’s

name; the district and the name of the light; the date of appointment; the

date of resignation, discharge or death; and sometimes annual salary.

Correspondence Concerning Keepers and Assistant Keepers, 1821–

1902, is arranged alphabetically by surname. These letters may contain:

nominations of keepers and assistant keepers with testimonials, lists of

examination questions, notifications of appointments, oaths of office,

requests for transfer, recommendations for promotion, complaints, peti-

tions, and reports of inspectors and letters of resignation

Records relating to officers of the Revenue Cutter Service include

records of officer personnel, 1791–1919, indexed alphabetically by name of

officer. These volumes provide dates of service, citations to pertinent corre-

spondence, and charges. There are also copies of commissions, 1791–1910,

in two series. One, for 1791–1848, is arranged chronologically as commis-

sions were issued; the other, for 1815–1910, is arranged chronologically and

thereunder alphabetically by surname of officer.

31

Surfmen with their lifeboat equipment in front of a U.S. Life Saving Station in North Carolina in the late

1800s. Records of the U.S. Coast Guard (RG 26) include records of predecessor agencies such as the U.S.

Life-Saving Service. (26-CGS-66-02-01)

The records relating to enlisted crew members of the Revenue Cutter Service

include muster rolls, payrolls, and shipping articles. In one series of muster rolls

are unbound monthly reports, 1848–1910, arranged by name of vessel and

thereunder chronologically. They are not indexed, so they can be searched only

by name of vessel and the individual’s approximate date of service. Muster rolls

and payrolls show the name, and, when appropriate, signature or mark of each

crew member. The muster rolls for the Revenue Cutter Service/Coast Guard,

1833–1932, provide name, rating, date and place of enlistment, place of birth,

age, occupation, personal description, and number of days served during the

reported month for each crew member, along with notes if the crewman was

detached, transferred, discharged, deserted, or died during the report period.

The records are arranged alphabetically by name of vessel.

The shipping articles, 1863–1915, are volumes arranged alphabetically by

name of vessel and are not indexed. Use of these records requires knowledge of

32

the name of the ship and the approximate date of crewman’s service. Information

includes crewmember’s name, rating, wages, date and place of enlistment, place

of birth, age, occupation, personal description, and signature or mark.

Useful records to search in the Life Saving Service include registers, serv-

ice record cards, and articles of engagement. The registers of employees,

1866–1913, usually show the name of employee, post office address, previous

occupation, year of birth, year when employee would reach age 55, present

age, military service, if any, state from which appointed, date of appointment,

compensation, date discharged, and reason for leaving.

The service record cards, 1900–14, show name of employee, legal resi-

dence, place of birth, place and status of employment, changes of status,

and salary. The cards are arranged alphabetically.

Articles of engagement for surfmen, 1878–1914, are arranged chrono-

logically, and thereunder by district. The article shows a list of surfmen,

terms of engagement, and compensation. They may include reports of

changes in crew along with the reason for the change and biographical

information on new crewmembers. Often, medical inspection reports pro-

viding physical descriptions of the surfmen examined are also included.

Coast Guard (Lighthouse Service)

• Registers of Lighthouse Keepers

• Correspondence Concerning Keepers and Assistant Keepers

Coast Guard (Revenue Cutter Service)

• Records of Officer Personnel

• Muster Rolls

• Pay Rolls

• Shipping Articles

Coast Guard (Life Saving Service)

• Registers of Employees

• Service Record Cards

• Articles of Engagement

33

Additional Sources of Information

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, third ed., pages

164–165.

Historical Register, U.S. Revenue Cutter Service Officers, 1790–1914

Noble, Dennis L. Historical Register, U.S. Revenue Cutter Service Officers,

1790–1914, Washington, DC: USCG Historian’s Office, U.S. Coast

Guard Headquarters, 1990.

U.S. Life Saving Service, U.S. Life Saving Service, Annual Reports,

1876–1914, Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1876–1915.

Canney, Donald L. U.S. Coast Guard and Revenue Cutters, 1790–1935,

Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1995.

Scheina, Robert L. U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft of World War II,

Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1982.

Scheina, Robert L. U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft, 1946–1990, Annapolis,

MD: Naval Institute Press, 1990.

34

p e n s i o n s

The National Archives has pension applications and records of pension

payments for veterans, their widows, and other heirs. The pension records

are based on service in the Armed Forces of the United States between 1775

and 1916. Note: Civil War Federal pensions are based on Union and not

Confederate service. Application files often contain supporting documents

such as discharge papers, affidavits, and depositions of witnesses, narratives

of events during service, marriage certificates, birth records, death certifi-

cates, pages from family Bibles, and other supporting papers. Pension files

usually provide the most genealogical information for researchers.

The pension files in the National Archives are divided into the follow-

ing major series: Revolutionary War, Old Wars, War of 1812, Indian Wars,

Mexican War, and Civil War and later. The series of “Old War” pensions

relate primarily to claims based on death or disability incurred in service in

the Regular Army, Navy, or Marine Corps between the end of the

Revolutionary War in 1783 and the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. The

series of “Indian War” pension applications relate to service performed in

the Indian campaigns between 1817 and 1898. Consolidated with this series

are some Indian War pension application files that were formerly in the Old

War series. The records in each series are arranged alphabetically by name

of veteran, except those in the Civil War and later series, which are arranged

numerically by application, certificate, or file number. All series of pension

application files have alphabetical name indexes.

For the Civil War and later pensions consult T288, General Index to Pension

Files, 1861–1934. This microfilm publication is arranged alphabetically by the

35

This document is from the pension file of Joshua Chamberlain who served in the 20th Maine Infantry during the Civil

War. It is a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions seeking information relating to his wife and children. (RG 15)

individual’s last name. The index cards include the individual’s unit(s) making

it easier to decipher individuals with the same name. Once the application

number or pension certificate number is found (this includes invalid and

widow pensions), researchers can request to view the pension file. Researchers

unable to come to Washington, DC, may request copies of these records by

using a NATF Form 85, National Archives Order for Copies of Federal Pension

or Bounty Land Warrant Applications. You can also order copies of these

records online at www.archives.gov/research_room/orderonline.html.

If the pension file was still active in 1934, the file will still be in the legal

custody of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Send a Freedom of Information

Act request to Department of Veteran Affairs,Veterans Benefits Administration

(20M33), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420.

Pension files (including application files) often contain valuable per-

sonal information on soldiers, sailors, and marines not found in other

records. A typical pension file contains the application of the claimant, doc-

uments submitted as evidence of identity and service, and records of action

taken on the claim. The claimant may have been a veteran or his widow,

minor children, or other dependant. Since a claimant could have applied

for a pension under several different acts, a pension file may contain more

than one application from a claimant. It may also contain applications from

several claimants because applications for pensions based on the service of

one serviceman for a certain period were usually filed together. Documents

submitted in support of some pension claims include affidavits attesting to

service, pages from family Bibles, and copies of birth, marriage, and death

records. For service in the Civil War and later, a pension file may also

include Bureau of Pensions questionnaires sent out in 1898 and 1915,

which contain genealogical information. Information on pension pay-

ments, often including last payment, can be found on M850, Veterans

Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907–1933.

You can also search T289, Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who

Served Between 1861and 1900.Notethat T289 does not include naval service.Three

microfilm publications that include records relating to Navy pensions are: M1274,

37

Case Files of Disapproved Pension Applications of Widows and Other Dependents of

Civil War and Later NavyVeterans (“Navy Widows’ Originals”),1861–1910; M1279,

Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Widows and Other Dependents of Civil

War and Later Navy Veterans, (“Navy Widows’ Certificates”), 1861–1910; and

M1391, Lists of Navy Veterans for Whom There are Navy Widows’ and Other

Dependents’ Disapproved Pension Files (“Navy Widows’ Originals”), 1861–1910.

For a listing of microfilm publications to other pension indexes and pen-

sion files, consult the National Archives’ Microfilm Resources for Research: A

Comprehensive Catalog (2000). For more information on pension records con-

sult chapter seven of the Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives.

Selected Published Indexes

Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications in the National Archives.

Washington, DC: National Genealogical Society, 1976.

White, Virgil D., compiler. Index to US Military Pension Applications of

Remarried Widows for Service between 1812 and 1911. Waynesboro, TN:

The National Historical Publishing Company, 1999.

White,Virgil D., compiler. Index to Pension Applications for Indian Wars Service

between 1818 and 1898. Waynesboro, TN: The National Historical

Publishing Company, 1997.

White, Virgil D., transcriber. Index to War of 1812 Pension Files. 2 Vols.

Waynesboro, TN: The National Historical Publishing Company, 1992.

Additional Source of Information

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, third ed., pages 169–177.

Internet Sources

HeritageQuest

HeritageQuest Online (www.heritagequestonline.com) contains selected

Revolutionary War pension and bounty-land warrant applications. The

database can be searched using surname, given name, state, and type of

service. The database provides images taken from records found on

38

M805, Selected Records From Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-

Land Warrant Application Files. The result pages also provide the series

(microfilm publication number) and roll number that the image is

found on.

Ancestry.com

Ancestry maintains a Civil War and later military pension database. The

database is an index to nearly 2.5 million pension application cards. Each

record includes the veteran’s name and state in which he, or his dependents,

filed the application. If a widow or a child filed the application, their name

is provided. Because these pension files were for Federal benefits, this col-

lection only contains the names of Union veterans. To researchers of Civil

War ancestors this database can be a useful source of detailed information.

The index contains a link to a digitized image of the index card itself, which

will contain additional information on the individual, such as unit of serv-

ice, date of filing, and application and certificate numbers for the pension

case file housed at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.

Ancestry also maintains a Revolutionary War Pension Index database.

The database is an index to a list of pensions awarded to U.S. veterans of

the war. It was taken from “Letter from the Secretary of War, communicat-

ing A Transcript of the Pension List of the United States showing the

Number of Pensioners in the Several Districts. Also, The Amount Allowed

to each Pensioner” dated June 1, 1813. It provides the name of pensioner,

state or district of residence, number in the roll, rank, and annual stipend.

The districts included are: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont,

Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,

Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky,

Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana territory, Michigan, and the District of

Columbia. It reveals information regarding over 1,700 men. While

Ancestry.com is a fee-based site, all National Archives facilities have public

access computers that can link researchers to an institutional version of

their web site.

39

Footnote.com

Footnote currently maintains a Civil War and later pension database arranged

by unit. The site provides an index to pension applications for service in the U.S.

Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the vet-

erans served. Index cards may include: the individual’s rank, company, and reg-

iment, dates of service, and application number. The application number can be

used to view or request copies of the pension application file housed at the

National Archives Building in Washington, DC. While Footnote.com is a partial-

ly fee-based site, all National Archives research facilities have public access com-

puters that can link researchers to their web site.

40

b o u n t y l a n d

Bounty land warrant application files relate to claims based on wartime serv-

ice between 1775 and March 3, 1855. If your ancestor served in the

Revolutionary War, War of 1812, early Indian Wars, and the Mexican War, a

search of these records may be worthwhile. Documents found in these

records are similar to those in pension files. Please note many of the bounty

land application files relating to Revolutionary War and War of 1812 service

have been combined with the pension files. There is also a series of unindexed

bounty land warrant applications based on service between 1812 and 1855,

which includes disapproved applications based on Revolutionary War serv-

ice. This series is arranged alphabetically by name of veteran.

Additional Sources of Information

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, third ed., pages

181–185.

Internet Source

HeritageQuest

HeritageQuest Online (www.heritagequestonline.com) contains selected

Revolutionary War pension and bounty land warrant applications. The

database can be searched using surname, given name, state, and type of

service. The database provides images taken from records found on M805,

Selected Records From Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant

Application Files. The result pages also provide the series (microfilm publi-

cation number) and roll number that the image is found on.

41

c i v i l wa r

Union Volunteers

The National Archives does not maintain an overall general name index for

Union soldiers. However, there are microfilmed name indexes for each

state. Note: The state where the soldier joined may be different from the

state in which he lived at the time. Most of the compiled military service

records for Union soldiers are not available on microfilm. For records of

state or local militias or National Guard units that were not Federalized,

consult the state archives from where the unit served.

Begin researching volunteers by consulting the appropriate name indexes

available on National Archives microfilm. The index cards are arranged alpha-

betically by the individual’s last name and show the soldier’s name, rank, and the

unit or units in which he served. If the soldier you are researching served in more

than one unit, he should have a compiled military service record for each volun-

teer unit in which he served. In some cases, there are cross-references to names

that appear in the records under various spellings. For a listing of microfilm

publications relating to name indexes and compiled service records, consult the

National Archives’ Microfilm Resources for Research: A Comprehensive Catalog

(2000). The Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives

Microfilm Publications (1985) is another very good resource to consult.

You can also consult the name database found on the National Park

Service’s “Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System” online at: www.itd.nps.gov/

cwss/index.html. For more information on the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors

System see page 45.

For compiled military service records that have not been reproduced on

42

microfilm, researchers can request to see the original records at the National

Archives Building. Researchers unable to come to Washington, DC, may

request copies of these records by using NATF Form 86, National Archives

Order for Copies of Military Service Records. You can order copies of these

records online at www.archives.gov/research_room/orderonline.html. After uti-

lizing the compiled military service records, consult the pension file. Additional

information on the soldier may be found in a pension application file.

For information on Union unit activities consult the record of events

reproduced on M594, Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in

Volunteer Union Organizations. This series is arranged by unit.

For medical information concerning soldiers who fought in the Civil War,

consult carded medical records found in RG 94, Records of the Adjutant

General’s Office, 1780s–1917, entry 534. These cards relate to volunteers

admitted to hospitals for treatment and may include information such as

name, rank, organization, complaint, date of admission, hospital to which

admitted, date returned to duty, deserted, discharged, sent to general hospital,

furloughed, or died. This series is arranged by state, thereunder by the num-

ber of the regiment (cavalry, infantry, and artillery are filed together under the

common regiment number), and then by initial letter of surname. For exam-

ple, the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry is filed under“1 Pennsylvania” along with the

1st Pennsylvania Infantry, 1st Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, 1st Pennsylvania

Light Artillery, and 1st Pennsylvania Reserves.

Additional information may be found on Union veterans in the 1890

Union Veterans Census. These records have been reproduced on M123,

Schedules Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the

Civil War, 1890. The microfilm contains individuals enumerated in the

1890 special census of Civil War Union veterans and widows of veterans.

Although this schedule was to be used to enumerate Union veterans, in

some cases, Confederate veterans were listed as well.

The 1890 veterans schedules provided spaces for the following infor-

mation: names of surviving soldiers, sailors, and marines, and widows;

rank; name of regiment or vessel; date of enlistment; date of discharge;

length of service; post office address; disability incurred; and remarks.

43

Veterans schedules are often used as a partial substitute for the 1890

Federal census, which was destroyed by fire. While fragments of the 1890

census may exist in state and local repositories, they are often difficult to

track down and are incomplete. Although they do not list everyone who

was included in the 1890 census, the veterans schedules are a partial head

of household list for those who were old enough to have served in the

Union military during the Civil War. Veterans schedules can be used to ver-

ify military service and to identify the specific military unit in which a per-

son served. A search of the state where an individual lived in 1890 may yield

enough identifying information to follow up in service and pension records

at the National Archives; in some cases, it can often trace Civil War veterans

to their places of origin.

Civil War (Union), 1861–65

• Compiled Military Service Record

• Pension File

• Carded Medical Records

• 1890 Union Veterans Census

Additional Sources of Information

Hunt, Roger D. and Jack R. Brown. Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue.

Gaithersburg, MD: Olde Soldier Books Inc., 1990.

Munden, Kenneth W. and Henry Putnam Beers. The Union: A Guide to

Federal Archives Relating to the Civil War. Washington, DC: National

Archives and Records Administration, 1986.

Van Sickle, Ron R. General Index to Official Army Register of the Volunteer

Force of the United States, 1861–1865. Gaithersburg, MD: Ron R. Van

Sickle Military Books, 1987.

War Department. Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force of the United

States Army for The Years 1861,

‘

62,

‘

63,

‘

64,

‘

65. (8 Volumes), Washington,

DC: Adjutant General’s Office, 1865.

Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton

Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964.

44

Internet Sources

U.S. Army Military History Institute

The U.S. Army Military History Institute (USMHI) maintains a digitized copy

of Heitman’s and Dyer’s on their web site. The 1903 edition of Francis B.

Heitman’s, Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from its

Organization, September 29, 1879, to March 2, 1903, and Frederick H. Dyer’s, A

Compendium of the War of Rebellion, are both available online under the Civil

War section at: www.carlisle.army.mil/usamhi/DL/chron.htm.

Naval Historical Center

The Naval Historical Center recently digitized and revised Edward W.

Callahan’s Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps,

1775-1990. There is a new foreword by Rear Adm. Paul E. Tobin, USN

(Ret.), the Director of Naval History. The information on these officers is

now available at: www.history.navy.mil/books/callahan/index.htm.

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (OR)

and the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies

in the War of the Rebellion (ORN)

Both The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union

and Confederate Armies (http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/browse.mono-

graphs/waro.html) and the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies

in the War of the Rebellion (http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/browse.mono-

graphs/ofre.html) are now available online at Cornell’s web site as part of

“Making of America.” Both publications reproduce official battle reports and

correspondence of Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War.

Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

The National Park Service maintains a database called the “The Civil War

Soldiers and Sailors System” at www.nps.gov. This database contains very basic

information about servicemen who served on both sides during the Civil War;

a list of regiments in both the Union and Confederate Armies; identifications

and descriptions of 384 significant battles of the war; references that identify

45

the sources of the information in the database; and suggestions for where to

find additional information. There are sections for Soldiers, Sailors,

Regiments, Cemeteries, Battles, Prisoners, Medals of Honor, and links to Civil

War–related National Parks found at: www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/index.html.

Under the Soldiers section, for example, you can input information on

last name, first name, state of origin, unit number, and function (infantry,

cavalry, artillery, sharpshooters, or engineers). The database is based on

National Archives indexes on microfilm so if you find someone in this data-

base they should have a compiled military service record at the National

Archives. The search result usually provides the regiment number, side

(Union or Confederate), company, soldiers rank in and out, alternate name

(if applicable), and the film number (National Archives microfilm publica-

tion number and roll number that the information can be found on; this is

the index microfilm and not microfilm reproducing the service record).

Union regimental histories in the system were taken from Frederick H.

Dyer’s, A Compendium of the War of Rebellion.

Ancestry.com

Ancestry maintains a Civil War and later military pension database. The data-

base is an index to nearly 2.5 million pension application cards. Each record

includes the veteran’s name and state in which he, or his dependents, filed the

application. If a widow or a child filed the application, their name is provided.

Because these pension files were for Federal benefits, this collection only con-

tains the names of Union veterans. To researchers of Civil War ancestors this

database can be a useful source of detailed information. In addition, the index

contains a link to a digitized image of the index card itself, which will contain

additional information on the individual, such as service unit, date of filing,

and application and certificate numbers for the pension case file housed in the

National Archives Building in Washington, DC.

Ancestry also maintains a database for the 1890 Union Veterans Census. The

databaseisanindexto individuals enumerated in the 1890special census of CivilWar

Union veterans and widows of veterans based on records found on M123, Schedules

Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

46

Ancestry is currently working on a Civil War Research Database in an

effort to compile and link all available records of soldiers in the Civil War. They

are attempting to link a wide variety of records including state rosters, pension

records, regimental histories, photos, and journals. So for now the site only

provides information on limited soldiers’ searches. While Ancestry.com is a fee-

based site, NARA research facilities have public access computers that can link

researchers to an institutional version of this web site.

Footnote.com

Footnote currently maintains a Civil War and later pension database arranged

by unit. The site provides an index to pension applications for service in the U.S.

Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the vet-

erans served. Index cards may include: the individual’s rank, company, and reg-

iment, dates of service, and application number. The application number can be

used to view or request copies of the pension application file housed at the

National Archives Building in Washington, DC. While Footnote.com is a partial-

ly fee-based site, NARA research facilities have public access computers that can

link researchers to their web site.

Records Relating to Confederate Service

Compiled military service records for many, but not all, of the men who

served in the Confederate States Army are in the National Archives

Building. They contain information similar to those previously described

relating to Union volunteer soldiers.

As the Confederate government evacuated Richmond in April 1865, the

central military records of the Confederate Army were taken to Danville,

Virginia, and then Charlotte, North Carolina, by the adjutant and inspector gen-

eral, who then transferred them to the Union commander. The records were

taken to Washington, DC, where, along with other Confederate records cap-

tured by the Union Army, they were preserved by the War Department. In 1903

the Secretary of War persuaded the governors of most Southern states to lend

the War Department Confederate military personnel–related records, such as

muster rolls, in the possession of the states so that they could be copied.

47

The compiled military service record of a Confederate soldier consists

of one or more card abstracts and sometimes one or more original docu-

ments. Each card abstract copies an entry in original records, such as

Confederate muster rolls, returns, and descriptive rolls and Union prison

and parole records. The card abstracts in the jacket of any soldier, if the

original record of his service was complete, may serve to trace that service

from beginning to end, but they normally do little more than tell where he

was at a given time. The only information of genealogical interest they are

likely to give is his age and place of enlistment.

Many of the original records from which compiled service records were

made are among NARA holdings, but there is rarely a need to examine

them because of the care and thoroughness with which the information

they contain was copied.

A soldier may have served in a state militia unit that was never mus-

tered into Confederate service. Records of service in such units, if they exist,

are likely to be in the archives of the state or in custody of the state adjutant

general. Many Southern states have records relating to payment of state

benefits to Confederate veterans as well.

All indexes and compiled military service records relating to service in

the Confederate Army are available on microfilm. The general name index

has been reproduced on M253, Consolidated Index to Compiled Service

Records of Confederate Soldiers. There are also name indexes to soldiers who

served in organizations from each of the Confederate states plus the

Arizona Territory, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri. All the states have

been reproduced on National Archives microfilm as well as organizations

raised directly by the Confederate government, Confederate generals and

staff officers, and non-regimental enlisted men. For a listing of microfilm

publications of indexes and compiled service records relating to

Confederate service, consult the Microfilm Resources for Research: A

Comprehensive Catalog (2000) under RG 109. You can also use the National

Park Service’s Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System described on page 52

to learn more about Confederate soldiers and units.

For information on Confederate unit activities consult the record of

48

events reproduced on M861, Compiled Records Showing Service of Military

Units in Confederate Organizations. This series is arranged by unit.

If the Confederate soldier, sailor, or marine you are researching was

captured during the war consult prisoner-of-war records found on M598,

Selected Records of the War Department Relating to Confederate Prisoners of

War, 1861–1865. For more information on Confederate prisoners, see the

section on Civil War under the “Prisoners of War” section found later in

this reference information paper.

A series of “unfiled papers and slips belonging in Confederate com-

piled service records” were created or collected by the War Department to

be interfiled with the compiled military service records. This was never

accomplished. Most of the items in this series are card abstracts and per-

sonal papers. The card abstracts contain information taken from other

sources such as vouchers, requisitions, paroles, oaths of allegiance, and ref-

erences to original records are noted.

Original papers were placed in this series when their proper filing loca-

tion was uncertain or there was no place to file them, usually because the

information was insufficient or contained discrepancies and could not be pos-

itively identified with any particular soldier for whom there was a compiled

military service record. In some cases it is difficult to determine if the records

in this series refer to a soldier, civilian employee, or private individual. Papers

concerning Confederate civilians are similar to those found in the Confederate

papers relating to citizens or business firms (M346, Confederate Papers

Relating to Citizens or Business Firms), but the identity of each person was not

always clearly indicated. Civilian records may include employment informa-

tion about hospital attendants, clerks, and other employees. Also included are

some papers relating to Confederate sympathizers similar to those found in

the Union Provost Marshal records reproduced on M345, Union Provost

Marshal’s File of Papers Relating to Individual Civilians, and M416, Union

Provost Marshal’s File of Papers Relating to Two or More Civilians.

The unfiled papers and slips are arranged alphabetically by surname and

have been reproduced on M347, Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging in Confederate

Compiled Service Records.

49

Civil War (Confederate), 1861–65

• Compiled Military Service Record

• Prisoner-of-War Records (M598)

• Unfiled Papers and Slips (M347)

• Pension File (Consult the archives of the state the veteran lived in

after the war.)

The National Archives also maintains records relating to some individuals

who served in the Confederate States Navy and Marine Corps, 1861–65.

Confederate naval and marine service records give the serviceman’s name

and rank, and sometimes his duty station. In rare cases, if he was impris-

oned, a record may give the date of his capture, place of his imprisonment,

and date of his parole. These records are reproduced on M260, Records

Relating to Confederate Naval and Marine Personnel.

Additional Sources of Information

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, third ed., pages 144–148.

Allardice, Bruce S. More Generals in Gray. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State

University Press, 1995.

Beers, Henry Putnam. The Confederacy: A Guide to the Archives of the

Government of the Confederate States of America Washington, DC:

National Archives and Records Administration, 1986.

Donnelly, Ralph W. Service Records of Confederate Enlisted Marines,

(Washington, NC, by the author, 1979).

Donnelly, Ralph W. Biographical Sketches of the Commissioned Officers of the

Confederate States Marine Corps, (Washington, NC, by the author,

revised 1983).

Krick, Robert E. Staff Officers in Gray: A Biographical Register of the Staff

Officers in the Army of Northern Virginia. Chapel Hill: The University

of North Carolina Press, 2003.

Office of Naval Records. Register of Officers of the Confederate States

Navy, 1861–1865. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office,

1931.

50

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Alabama. New

York: Facts on File, 1992.

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Florida and

Arkansas. New York: Facts on File, 1992.

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Kentucky,

Maryland, Missouri, the Confederate units and the Indian units. New

York: Facts on File, 1995.

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Louisiana. New

York: Facts on File, 1995.

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi. New

York: Facts on File, 1995.

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: North Carolina.

New York: Facts on File, 1992.

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina and

Georgia. New York: Facts on File, 1995.

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Tennessee. New

York: Facts on File, 1992.

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Texas. New York:

Facts on File, 1995.

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia. New

York: Facts on File, 1992.

War Department. List of Staff Officers of the Confederate States Army,

1861–65. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1891.

Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.

Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959.

Internet Sources

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (OR)

and the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies

in the War of the Rebellion (ORN)

Both The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the

Union and Confederate Armies (http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/browse.

monographs/waro.html) and the Official Records of the Union and Confederate

51

Navies in the War of the Rebellion (http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/ browse.

monographs/ofre.html) are now available online at Cornell’s web site as part of

“Making of America.”

Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

The National Park Service maintains a database called The Civil War

Soldiers and Sailors System at www.nps.gov. This database contains very

basic information about servicemen who served on both sides during the

Civil War; a list of regiments in both the Union and Confederate Armies;

identifications and descriptions of 384 significant battles of the war; refer-

ences that identify the sources of the information in the database; and

suggestions for where to find additional information. There are sections

for Soldiers, Sailors, Regiments, Cemeteries, Battles, Prisoners, Medals

of Honor, and links to Civil War–related National Parks found at

www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/index.html.

Under the Soldiers section, for example, you can input information on

last name, first name, state of origin, unit number, and function (infantry,

cavalry, artillery, sharpshooters, or engineers). The database is based on

National Archives indexes on microfilm so if you find someone in this data-

base they should have a compiled military service record at the National

Archives. The search result usually provides the regiment number, side

(Union or Confederate), company, soldiers rank in and out, alternate name

(if applicable), National Archives microfilm publication number, and roll

number that the information can be found on.

Confederate regimental histories in the system were taken from Joseph

H. Crute, Jr.’s Units of the Confederate States Army.

Confederate Amnesty, Pardon, and Parole Records

Early in the Civil War, Congress authorized the President to extend pardon

and amnesty to participants in the rebellion (12 Stat. 592). Presidential procla-

mations of December 8, 1863, May 29, 1865, and September 7, 1867, granted

pardon and amnesty to increasingly larger groups of individuals on the con-

dition that they take an oath of allegiance. President Andrew Johnson’s procla-

52

mation of July 4, 1868, granted pardon and amnesty to virtually all remaining

participants without the requirement of an oath. Amnesty and pardon records

in the National Archives are found in RG 59 and RG 94.

Several series of amnesty oaths, 1863–66, relate to the vast number of

Southerners who wished to gain or regain U.S. citizenship. Usually a single

document, the oath is all that relates to one person. Filed with the oaths, in

appropriate instances, are acknowledgements of warrants of Presidential par-

dons and agreements to accept the conditions of pardon. One series consists

of documents relating to one person arranged by state, thereunder usually

alphabetically by the first two letters of the surname. To use the records, the

researcher must know the state where the individual took the oath of alle-

giance. Another series of documents that relate to more than one person is

arranged numerically, usually under the name of a state. In the series of doc-

uments relating to one person are cross-references to the names on docu-

ments in the series of papers relating to more than one person.

An oath shows the name of the person; place the oath was taken, which

was often the place of residence; date the oath was taken; and usually the

signature of the person taking the oath. Sometimes an oath gives the age

and a description of the person taking the oath and, in appropriate

instances, their Confederate military organization.

The series of amnesty papers, in Records of the Adjutant General’s Office,

1780s–1917, RG 94, are dated primarily 1865–67. President Andrew Johnson’s

1865 proclamation of amnesty excluded most people who had held high civilian

or military rank under the Confederacy, as well as all Southerners with taxable

property exceeding $20,000 in value. These persons were required to petition the

President directly for special pardons. The application files of 14,000 such indi-

viduals are in this series. The files, which include oaths of allegiance and other

supporting documents, are arranged by state, thereunder alphabetically by name

of applicant. A general name index to the series has been prepared by National

Archives staff members. An application file gives the name, age, occupation, and

place of residence of the applicant, together with biographic data. The files and

index are available on M1003, Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates

for Presidential Pardons (“Amnesty Papers”), 1865–1867.

53

The series of pardons in RG 59 consist of copies of Presidential pardons

for Confederates, 1865–66, arranged chronologically. Also available are lists

of persons accepting amnesty pardons, 1865–67. There is a consolidated

name index to the pardons, as well as indexes in the separate volumes.

Copies of pardons show the name and address of the person pardoned

and the date of the pardon. Lists of acceptances include name and, in some

cases, addresses. The consolidated index entries give the name and county

for each person pardoned. Lists of the names of most individuals who

received pardons in the years 1865–67 were published in various congres-

sional documents:

Message of the President … [May 4, 1866] (39th Cong., 1st Sess., H. Doc. 99,

serial 1263)

Message of the President … [January 8, 1867] (39th Cong., 2nd Sess., H.

Doc. 31, serial 1289)

Message of the President … [March 2, 1867] (39th Cong., 2nd Sess., H. Doc.

116, serial 1293)

Message of the President … [July 8, 1867] (40th Cong., 1st Sess., H. Ex.Doc.

32, serial 1311)

Impeachment of the President [November 25, 1867] (40th Cong., 1st Sess.,

H. Rept. 7, serial 1314)

Final Report of the Names of Persons Engaged in Rebellion Who Have Been

Pardoned by the President [December 4, 1867] (40th Cong., 2nd Sess.,

H. Ex. Doc. 16, serial 1330).

The first message includes lists showing the names of persons with proper-

ty worth more than $20,000 who were pardoned and others listing the

amount of property seized and returned. The messages of January 8, March

2, and July 8, 1867, responded to a House resolution of December 10, 1866,

which requested the names of all persons engaged in the late rebellion who

had been pardoned between April 15, 1865, and December 10, 1866. House

Report 7, by the House Judiciary Committee, includes a reprint of the list

of March 2, 1867. The message of December 4, 1867, was the final report on

persons pardoned.

54

References to oaths of allegiance and paroles from Confederate soldiers

can often be found referenced in compiled military service records for cap-

tured soldiers/prisoners.

The Union provost marshals’ file of one-name papers relating to civil-

ians, 1861–67, available on M345, contains some loyalty and amnesty oaths,

bonds, and paroles of prisoners. The Union provost marshals’ file of two-

or-more-name papers, 1861–67, available on M416, contains some oaths

and bonds, paroled prisoners; and a file relating to military and civilian per-

sonnel, 1861–65, available on M347, has oaths of allegiance, oaths and

paroles of prisoners of war. There is also a miscellaneous collection of man-

uscripts, 1861–65, which contains some records relating to prisoners’

paroles. These files are cross-referenced in individual Confederate compiled

military service records.

Confederate Pensions

Confederate pensions are not at the National Archives. The Federal

Government did not authorize pensions for former Confederates until

1959. Pension records for 1959 and later have not yet been transferred to

the National Archives. Pensions based on military service to the Con-

federate States of America were granted by the States of Alabama, Arkansas,

Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North

Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. To

search these records, contact the state listed above where the veteran lived

after the war. Descriptions of state pension laws and addresses and tele-

phone numbers of state archives that hold these records are available on the

National Archives web site www.archives.gov.

The agencies listed below are repositories for Confederate pension rec-

ords. Note: The veteran was eligible to apply for a pension to the state in

which he lived, even if he served in a unit from a different state. Generally,

an applicant was eligible for a pension only if he was indigent or disabled. In

your letter to the repository, state the Confederate veteran’s name, his widow’s

name, the unit(s) in which he served, and the counties in which he and his

widow lived after the Civil War. Some repositories also have records of

55

Confederate Homes (for veterans, widows, etc.), muster rolls of state

Confederate militia, and other records related to the war. For information on

procedures and fees for requesting copies of records, contact the appropri-

ate repository.

ALABAMA

Alabama Department of Archives and History

624 Washington Avenue

Montgomery, AL 36130-0100

334-242-4363

In 1867 Alabama began granting pensions to Confederate veterans

who had lost arms or legs. In 1886 the state began granting pensions

to veterans’ widows. In 1891 the law was amended to grant pensions

to indigent veterans or their widows.

ARKANSAS

Arkansas History Commission

1 Capitol Mall

Little Rock, AR 72201

501-682-6900

In 1891 Arkansas began granting pensions to indigent Confederate

veterans. In 1915 the state began granting pensions to their widows

and mothers. Two published indexes are available in many libraries:

Allen, Desmond Walls. Index to Confederate Pension Applications.

Conway, Ark.: Arkansas Research, 1991.

Ingmire, Frances Terry. Arkansas Confederate Veterans and Widows

Pensions Applications. St. Louis, MO: F.T. Ingmire, 1985.

56

FLORIDA

Florida State Archives

R. A. Gray Building

500 South Bronough Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250

850-487-2073

In 1885 Florida began granting pensions to Confederate veterans. In

1889 the state began granting pensions to their widows. A published

index, which provides each veteran’s pension number, is available in

many libraries:

White, Virgil. Register of Florida CSA Pension Applications.

Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1989.

GEORGIA

Georgia State Archives

Archives and History Division

5800 Jonesboro Road

Morrow, GA 30260

678-364-3700

In 1870 Georgia began granting pensions to soldiers with artificial

limbs. In 1879 the state began granting pensions to other disabled

Confederate veterans or their widows who then resided in Georgia.

By 1894 eligible disabilities had been expanded to include old age and

poverty. A published index is available in many libraries:

White, Virgil D. Index to Georgia Civil War Confederate Pension

Files. Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1996.

57

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Research Room

300 Coffee Tree Road

Frankfort, KY 40601

502-564-8704

In 1912 Kentucky began granting pensions to Confederate veterans or

their widows. The records are on microfilm. A published index is

available in many libraries:

Simpson, Alicia. Index of Confederate Pension Applications,

Commonwealth of Kentucky. Frankfort, KY: Division of Archives and

Records Management, Department of Library and Archives, 1978.

LOUISIANA

Louisiana State Archives

3851 Essen Lane

Baton Rouge, LA 70809-2137

504-922-1208

In 1898 Louisiana began granting pensions to indigent Confederate

veterans or their widows.

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Department of Archives and History

P.O. Box 571

Jackson, MS 39205

601-359-6876

In 1888 Mississippi began granting pensions to indigent Confederate

veterans or their widows. A published index is available in many

libraries:

Wiltshire, Betty C. Mississippi Confederate Pension Applications.

Carrollton, MS: Pioneer Publishing Co., 1994.

58

MISSOURI

Missouri State Archives

600 W. Main

P.O. Box 1747

Jefferson City, MO 65102

573-751-3280

In 1911 Missouri began granting pensions to indigent Confederate

veterans only; none were granted to widows. Missouri also had a

home for disabled Confederate veterans. The pension and veterans’

home applications are interfiled and arranged alphabetically.

Typically, the pension file is small, perhaps four to eight pages, con-

taining a standard application form and may include letters of recom-

mendation from family members or others.

NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina State Archives

109 East Jones Street

Raleigh, NC 27601-2807

919-733-7305

Mailing Address:

North Carolina State Archives

Public Services Branch

4614 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC 27699-4614

In 1867 North Carolina began granting pensions to Confederate vet-

erans who were blinded or lost an arm or leg during their service. In

1885 the state began granting pensions to all other disabled indigent

Confederate veterans or widows.

59

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma Department of Libraries

Archives and Records Management Divisions

200 Northeast 18th Street

Oklahoma City, OK 73105

1-800-522-8116, ext. 209 (nationwide)

In 1915 Oklahoma began granting pensions to Confederate veterans

or their widows. This published index is available in many libraries:

Oklahoma Genealogical Society. Index to Applications for Pensions

from the State of Oklahoma, Submitted by Confederate Soldiers, Sailors,

and Their Widows. Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma Genealogical

Society Projects Committee, 1969.

SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina Department of Archives and History

8301 Parkland Road

Columbia, SC 29223

803-896-6100

A state law enacted December 24, 1887, permitted financially needy

Confederate veterans and widows to apply for a pension; however,

few applications survive from the 1888–1918 era. Beginning in 1889,

the South Carolina Comptroller began publishing lists of such veter-

ans receiving pensions in his Annual Report. From 1919 to 1925,

South Carolina granted pensions to Confederate veterans and widows

regardless of financial need. These files are arranged alphabetically.

Pension application files are typically one sheet of paper with writing

on both sides. Also available are Confederate Home applications and

inmate records for veterans (1909–57) and applications of wives, wid-

ows, sisters, and daughters (1925–55).

60

TENNESSEE

Tennessee State Library and Archives

Public Service Division

403 Seventh Avenue North

Nashville, TN 37243-0312

615-741-2764

In 1891 Tennessee began granting pensions to indigent Confederate

veterans. In 1905 the state began granting pensions to their widows.

The records are on microfilm. This published index is available in

many libraries:

Sistler, Samuel. Index to Tennessee Confederate Pension

Applications. Nashville, TN: Sistler & Assoc., 1995.

TEXAS

Texas State Library and Archives Commission

P.O. Box 12927

Austin, TX 78711

512-463-5480

In 1881 Texas set aside 1,280 acres for disabled Confederate veterans.

In 1889 the state began granting pensions to indigent Confederate

veterans and their widows. Muster rolls of state militia in Confederate

service are also available. This published index is available in many

libraries:

White, Virgil D. Index to Texas CSA Pension Files. Waynesboro,

TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1989.

61

VIRGINIA

Library of Virginia

Archives Division

800 East Broad Street

Richmond, VA 23219

804-692-3888

In 1888 Virginia began granting pensions to Confederate veterans or

their widows. The records are on microfilm.

The National Archives continues to add information on these state archives relat-

ing to Confederate pensions including links to online information. Consult our

web site for up-to-date information at www.archives.gov/genealogy/military/civil-

war/confederate/pension.html

Conflicts for Which We Have Compiled Military Service Records:

Revolutionary War, 1775–83

War of 1812, 1812–15

Early Indian Wars, 1815–58:

Includes Compiled Military Service Records (CMSRs) for 1815–58

Seminole or Florida Wars, 1817–18, 1834–42, and 1855–58

Winnebago War, 1827

Sac and Fox War, 1831

Black Hawk War, 1832

Creek War, 1836–37

Indian Wars in Texas, 1849–51

Indian removal, 1835–41

(There are no CMSRs, but bounty land or pensions may have been

granted for service in the Osage War, 1832; Patriot and Aroostock

War, 1838–39; Heatherly War, 1836; and Cayuse War, 1848).

Mexican War, 1846–48

Civil War, 1861–65

Spanish-American War, 1898

Philippine Insurrection, 1899–1902

62

a f r i c a n a m e r i c a n s

In 1863 the U.S. Army began to organize regimental units of African

Americans as the United States Colored Troops (USCT). Both freemen and

former slaves served in these regiments as enlisted men. Some USCT regi-

ments originated as state militia units that formed prior to 1863. A few

Connecticut and Massachusetts African American regiments retained their

state designators and did not assume USCT regimental numbers. Several

Louisiana Native Guard and Corps de Afrique regiments were reorganized or

renamed as USCT regiments and came under the USCT jurisdiction by late

1864. USCT regiments included regiments of cavalry, artillery, and infantry.

Two sets of records that will be most useful to researchers are the com-

piled military service records and pension files. Begin researching soldiers

who served in USCT units by consulting the individual compiled military

service records. The compiled military service records consist of an enve-

lope that may contain card abstracts taken from records such as: muster

rolls, returns, pay vouchers, orders, and other records that relate to the indi-

vidual soldier. Information in the service record may include references to

mustering-in, mustering-out, wounds, hospitalization, absences from the

unit, capture and imprisonment by the enemy, courts-martial, and death.

Eventually all USCT compiled military service records will be available

on National Archives microfilm. Currently, all USCT cavalry and artillery

units are on film as well as many of the lower numbered infantry regiments.

For information on unit activities consult M594, Compiled Records

Showing Service of Military Units in Volunteer Union Organizations, rolls

205–217, which documents the movements of USCT regiments and com-

panies. This series is arranged by unit.

63

During the Civil War approximately 179,000 African Americans served

in U.S. Colored Troops volunteer cavalry, artillery, and infantry units, but

the opportunity to serve as regulars in the Army was not afforded African

Americans until after the Civil War. In 1866, due in large part to the

wartime service of the USCT, Congress authorized the Army to raise six

black regiments: four infantry and two cavalry. This change was part of a

much larger Army reorganization.

On July 28, 1866, Congress passed an act reorganizing the Army by

adding 4 regiments to the already existing 6 regiments of cavalry and expand-

ing the number of infantry regiments from 19 to 45. The reorganization

included the creation of 6 colored regiments designated in November as the

9th and 10th Cavalry and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st Infantry. The new col-

ored regiments were to be composed of black enlisted men and white officers.

Three years later, Congress reorganized the Army again by reducing the num-

ber of infantry units from 45 to 25 regiments. For the African American reg-

ulars, this reorganization changed only the infantry units and not the 9th and

10th Cavalry. The 38th Infantry and 41st Infantry became the 24th Infantry,

while the 39th and 40th were consolidated into the 25th Infantry. These two

new infantry regiments completely replaced the former 24th and 25th.

The place to start researching black regulars is Regular Army

Enlistment Papers, 1798–1912, RG 94, entry 91. This series is arranged

alphabetically by name of soldier and generally shows the soldier’s name,

place of enlistment, date of enlistment, by whom enlisted, age, place of

Soldiers of Company I, 25th U.S. Infantry, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, taken in the 1880s. (111-SC-83638)

64

birth, occupation, personal description, regimental assignment, and certifi-

cations of the examining surgeon and recruiting officer. Soldiers usually

have multiple enlistment papers if they served two or more enlistments.

Researchers should also consult M233, Register of Enlistments in the

U.S. Army, 1798–1914. The register of enlistments is arranged chronologically

and thereunder alphabetically by first letter of surname. The register usually

shows the individual’s name, military organization, physical description, age at

time of enlistment, place of birth, enlistment information, discharge informa-

tion, and remarks. For more detailed information concerning service consult the

unit muster rolls arranged by arm of service, thereunder by regiment number,

then alphabetically by company, troop or battery and thereunder chronological-

ly. The muster rolls are found in RG 94, entry 53, Muster Rolls of Regular Army

Organizations 1784–October 31, 1912.

For medical information, consult carded medical records found in RG 94,

entries 529 and 530, covering the years 1821–85 and 1894–1912 respectively.These

cards relate to Regular Army personnel admitted to hospitals for treatment and

may include information such as name, rank, organization, age, race, birthplace,

date entered service, cause of admission, date of admission, hospital to which

admitted, and disposition of the case. Entry 529 is arranged by the number of the

regiment (cavalry, infantry, and artillery are filed together under the common reg-

iment number) and then by initial letter of surname.For example, the 9th Cavalry

is filed under the number “9” along with the 9th Infantry and 9th Artillery. Entry

530 is arranged by arm of service, and thereunder by regiment number. For infor-

mation on other records related to RegularArmy enlisted men consult the sections

on returns, Army courts-martial, and pension files. For service in the Navy, con-

sult pages 20–22 for records related to enlisted men.

Additional Sources of Information

Reidy, Joseph P. “Black Men in Navy Blue during the Civil War,” Prologue,

Fall 2001, Vol. 33, No. 3.

Plante, Trevor K. “Researching African Americans in the U.S. Army,

1866–1890: Buffalo Soldiers and Black Infantrymen,” Prologue, Spring

2001, Vol. 33, No. 1.

65

w o m e n

Recent scholarship has started to explore in greater detail women who served

as men in various armed conflicts. For example, in the compiled service

record of Cpl. Samuel Gay, who served in the First Massachusetts Regiment

during the Revolutionary War, there is a card noting that he was “discharged,

being a woman, dressed in Mens cloths Aug. 1777.” There are several hundred

women who reportedly served as men during the Civil War for both the

Union and Confederacy. Compiled military service records for these individ-

uals are filed under the male aliases that the women took on while they

served. For example, the Civil War compiled military service record for Sarah

Edmonds Seelye is filed with the 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry under the

name Franklin Thompson. You need to know the woman’s alias that she used

while serving as a soldier to search these records. In some cases the compiled

military service records and pension files identify soldiers as women serving

as men but in many cases they do not.

In some cases, the National Archives also has records relating to women

hired as civilians by the War Department or Army Quartermaster Depart -

ment. There are also several Civil War–era series relating to Union and Con-

federate regimental and hospital laundresses, nurses, and spies. Post-Civil

War records include various series on nurses, Quartermaster Department

employees, and regimental and fort laundresses.

There are several series related to women who served as contract nurses

during the Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, and later in the

Nurse Corps. The Nurse Corps was formed in the Regular Army in 1901.

Prior to 1901, nurses in the Spanish-American War and Philippine

66

Insurrection worked under contract with the U.S. Army. Personal Data Cards

of Spanish-American War Contract Nurses, 1898–1939, RG 112, Records of

the Office of the Surgeon General (Army), entry 149, include contract nurs-

es who served during the Spanish-American War and Philippine

Insurrection. The personal data cards provide information such as full name,

address, education, hospital experience, age, date, and place of birth, and

marital status. The files also include a brief history of service with the Army

and in many cases cross-references to files found in the Surgeon General’s

general correspondence file found in RG 112, entry 26. For additional records

in the general correspondence file consult the name and subject index (RG

112, entry 23) under “contract nurses.” Other records related to nurses in the

Army Nurse Corps during the Spanish-American War and Philippine

Insurrection can be found in RG 112, entries 104 and 105, case files of candi-

dates seeking appointments as Army nurses and the register of military serv-

ice of members of the Army Nurse Corps, 1901–02.

Additional Sources of Information

Blanton, DeAnne. “Women Soldiers of the Civil War,” Prologue, Spring

1993, Vol. 25, No. 1.

Blanton, DeAnne and Lauren M. Cook. They Fought Like Demons: Women

Soldiers in the American Civil War. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State

University Press, 2002.

Palmer Seeley, Charlotte, comp. American Women and the U.S. Armed

Forces: A Guide to the Records of Military Agencies in the National

Archives Relating to American Women. National Archives Trust Fund:

Washington, DC, 1992.

67

d r a f t r e c o r d s a n d

s e l e c t i v e s e r v i c e

Draft

Civil War

The Enrollment Act, enacted by the 37th Congress to enlarge the ranks of

the Union Army, subjected all males between the ages of 20 and 45 to the

draft. Men who were mentally or physically impaired, the only son of a

widow, the son of infirm parents, or a widower with dependent children

were exempt. The act divided the United States into enrollment districts

along the same lines of congressional districts.

Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau, 1863–65, RG 110, are

the principal records that relate to the 1863 draft. Enrollees had their names

placed on consolidated lists. The consolidated lists are the most useful of the

Washington, DC, office of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau that relate to

individual men. Most are bound volumes arranged by state, thereunder by

enrollment or congressional district, and thereunder by class. The three class-

es established by the draft acts were Class I: men between the ages of 20 and

35 subject to military duty and unmarried men above 35 and under 45 sub-

ject to military duty; Class II: married men above 35 and under 45; and Class

III: veterans or those who were currently in the service. Entries in each class

are arranged roughly in alphabetical order by initial letter of surname. Each

entry shows name; place of residence; age on July 1, 1863; occupation; mari-

tal status; state, territory, or country of birth; and if Class III, the military

organization. The lists do not include information about the men’s families.

68

World War I draft registration card for Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. (RG 163)

Many consolidated lists are not complete, a fact some researchers find

frustrating because a draft enrollment is one of the few places an individual

may be located if he does not have a military service record.

Descriptive rolls or lists are the principal records of the enrollment dis-

tricts that relate to individual men. They are arranged by state, thereunder

by number of enrollment or congressional district. The rolls are chiefly in

bound volumes, and their arrangement varies from district to district.

Some are not indexed; some are indexed by initial letter of surname; and

some are by place of residence.

An entry often shows, in addition to information in the corresponding

consolidated list, the physical description, place of birth, and whether

accepted or rejected for military service. Entries in many volumes, howev-

er, are not complete.

It is difficult to find a particular individual in either the consolidated

lists or the descriptive rolls unless the congressional district in which he

lived during the Civil War is known. If the researcher knows the county in

which the individual lived in 1863, the number of the congressional district

can be ascertained from the Congressional Directory for the Second Session of

the Thirty-Eighth Congress of the United States of America (Washington: U.S.

House of Representatives, 1865).

Before using the consolidated lists and descriptive rolls, researchers

should know the congressional district in which the individual lived. If the

person lived in a major urban area, a city directory of the period is an effec-

tive way of discovering the person’s place of residence. A map of the city,

usually used in conjunction with census files, will help determine the con-

gressional district as well as the subdistrict encountered in urban demogra-

phy. In addition, it helps to know when the person was enrolled. Almost all

the enrollment districts generated registers of enrolled men, lists of substi-

tutes, and records relating to exemptions.

Researchers should take certain steps before attempting to find answers

about any individual in the records of the provost marshal. Consulting the

service records and pension files should be the first step. If the individual is

located in these files, there is no need to check the draft records, for there

70

won’t be any additional information. If, on the other hand, the individual

has neither a service record nor a pension file, and the researcher knows his

age and place of residence, then a look at the records of the provost marshal

may pay off. Researchers should keep in mind, though, that consolidated

lists, corrections to enrollment, and other obscure records in RG 110 are

not complete and are quite fragile.

Records of district level offices, such as correspondence, descriptive

books, medical registers, and records relating to enrolled men, drafted men,

recruits, substitutes, and deserters, are located at various National Archives

regional facilities depending on the state where the draft took place.

Under terms of the Conscription Act, the President on May 8, 1863,

issued a proclamation announcing that aliens who had declared their inten-

tion to become citizens and were in the United States 65 days after that date

would not be allowed to avoid the draft on the plea of alien status. The State

Department became involved in the release from military service of aliens

who were drafted from 1862 onward.

General Records of the Department of State, RG 59, contains case files

relating to aliens drafted into the U.S. Army and released, 1862–64.

Included are draft notices, depositions, and correspondence relating to

releases. These files are arranged alphabetically by surname of alien. Each

file contains the alien’s name, district from which drafted, country of citi-

zenship, and occasionally, date of release. Some files provide age, length of

time in the United States, and physical description of the alien.

Selective Service

World War I

The National Archives and Records Administration–Southeast Region in

Atlanta maintains World War I draft records, which are part of RG 163,

Records of the Selective Service System (World War I). For records relat-

ing to the World War I draft, consult M1509, World War I Selective Service

System Draft Registration Cards. This series is arranged alphabetically by

state or territory; thereunder by county or city. The Selective Service

System established local boards for each county or city with populations

71

of 30,000 or more. Within the county, city, or local board, the cards are

arranged alphabetically by surname of registrant. On May 17, 1917,

Congress passed the Selective Service Act authorizing the President to

draft men into military service. The Selective Service System registered

men between the ages of 21 and 31 for the draft. During World War I

there were three registrations: the first was on June 5, 1917; the second on

June 5, 1918 (with a supplemental registration on August 24, 1918); and

the third on September 12, 1918 (which included men between the ages

of 18 and 45).

The draft registration cards contain information supplied by each reg-

istrant, including name, address, date of birth, age, race, citizenship status,

birthplace, occupation and employer, dependant relative, marital status,

father’s birthplace, and name and address of nearest relative.

For help in establishing what geographic areas to search in the above

series, especially if the person you are researching lived in a heavily popu-

lated area, you may wish to consult M1860 Boundary Maps of Selected Cities

and Counties of World War I Selective Draft Registration Boards, 1917–1918.

The maps are arranged geographically.

World War II

On April 27, 1942, the Selective Service conducted the fourth of six draft

registrations. Also called the “Old Man’s Registration” or “Old Man’s

Draft,” this registration collected information on the industrial capacity

and skills of men born between April 27, 1877, and February 16, 1897

(ages 45 to 64). This draft registration was not intended to be used for

military service but to provide a complete inventory of manpower

resources in the United States that could be used for national service

during World War II.

The draft cards are arranged by state and then alphabetically by the

registrant’s surname. The fourth registration draft cards contain the follow-

ing information on the registrant: name, serial number, residence, mailing

address, telephone number, date and place of birth, name and address of

employer, height, weight, race, hair color, eye color, distinguishing marks,

72

signature, and the name and address of a person who would know the reg-

istrant’s address.

For copies of the fourth registration draft cards, contact the National

Archives and Records Administration, ATTN: Archival Programs, P.O. Box

28989, St. Louis, MO 63132-0989. There are no fourth registration draft

cards for the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maine,

Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

To obtain copies of draft cards for the other World War II registrations,

contact the National Archives and Records Administration, ATTN: Archival

Programs, P.O. Box 28989, St. Louis, MO 63132-0989. Provide the regis-

trant’s full name, date of birth, and address (including county, if known) at

the time of registration. The registration card shows a registrant’s name,

date of birth, home address, Selective Service registration number, name

and address of family member or close friend to contact, and may include

additional information like the registrant’s occupation, phone number

and/or marital status. See below for information on World War II classifi-

cation ledgers.

Korea and Vietnam

The National Archives and Records Administration has Selective Service

records for men born before 1960. NOTE: Men born from March 29, 1957,

through December 31, 1959, were not required to register with Selective

Service because the registration program was suspended when they would

have reached age 18. To obtain copies of registration cards, contact the

National Archives and Records Administration, ATTN: Archival Programs,

P.O. Box 28989, St. Louis, MO 63132-0989. Provide the registrant’s full name,

date of birth, and address (including county, if known) at the time of registra-

tion. The registration card shows a registrant’s full name, date of birth, home

address, Selective Service registration number, name and address of family

member or close friend to contact, and may include additional information

like the registrant’s occupation, phone number and/or marital status.

Classification ledgers, 1940–75, cover World War II, Korea, and

Vietnam. The ledgers provide registrant’s name, their classification history,

73

and a basic service history, such as service in and out dates including type

of discharge. To obtain copies of ledger entries for individual registrants,

contact the National Archives and Records Administration, ATTN:

Archival Programs, P.O. Box 28989, St. Louis, MO 63132-0989.

Additional Sources of Information

Meier, Michael T. “Civil War Draft Records: Exemptions and Enrollments,”

Prologue, Winter 1994, Vol. 26, No. 4.

Yockelson, Mitchell. “They Answered the Call: Military Service in the

United States Army during World War I, 1917–1919,” Prologue, Fall

1998, Vo. 30, No. 3.

74

p r i s o n e r s o f wa r

Revolutionary War

For information relating to Revolutionary War prisoners of war consult

M247, Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789. This microfilm pub-

lication reproduces the Records of the Continental and Confederate

Congresses, 1774–89, and documents the activities of these pre-Federal

Congresses in a wide range of areas, including military, foreign, fiscal, and

naval affairs. The records are arranged in a numerical sequence of 196 series

referred to as item numbers.

There is information on prisoners scattered throughout the papers.

They include a printed report that provides a list of British officers taken at

Trenton, New Jersey, to a detailed accounting of several dozen American

prisoners of war detained on a ship in Charleston Harbor. The Papers of the

Continental Congress include records relating to American prisoners of

war as well as British and loyalist prisoners.

Another good source relating to Revolutionary War prisoners is M246,

Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775–1783. Roll number 135 of this publication

contains about 30 pages of names of American prisoners of war. There are

several lists containing name, rank, colony of residence, and regiment.

These lists are mainly centered around 1780, but the dates cover most of the

war. There is also a short catalog of files containing names of British,

Loyalist, and American prisoners of war during the American Revolution.

In some cases prisoners of war may be found on M847, Special Index to

Numbered Records in the War Department Collection of Revolutionary War

Records, 1775–1783. This microfilm publication reproduces an alphabetical

75

card index to names that appear in numbered record books or numbered

unbound documents relating to the Revolutionary War. If the index cites a

manuscript number consult M859, Miscellaneous Numbered Records (the

Miscellaneous File) in the War Department Collection of Revolutionary War

Records, 1775–1790s. If the index cites a volume number consult M853,

Numbered Books Concerning Military Operations and Service, Pay and

Settlement of Accounts, and Supplies in the War Department Collection of

Revolutionary War Records.

War of 1812

To begin research on War of 1812 prisoners of war consult M1747, Index to

Records Relating to War of 1812 Prisoners of War. The index indicates the man-

uscript number and, within a multipage manuscript, it also contains the page

number where you can find information concerning the indexed person. If

available, it also notes the soldier’s rank and the regiment and company in

which he served. The index is arranged alphabetically by soldier’s name and

is the key to accessing M2019, Records Relating to War of 1812 Prisoners of

War. The Adjutant General’s Office arranged, numbered, and indexed these

records. The office assigned the records manuscript number ranging from 1

to 94. Some are oddly numbered such as 10 1/2 and 92 1/3, apparently these

records were similar topics to the whole number (e.g. 10 and 92) and were

later inserted into the sequence. The manuscript number usually appears on

the reverse side of the document, along with a number written in a circle

which refers to the number of names for which an index card was created.

The records are arranged numerically by manuscript number.

Civil War

Most information taken from records relating to Union prisoners of war

can be found in the individual’s compiled military service record. More

detailed records may be found in Records of the Office of the Commissary

General of Prisoners, RG 249. This record group contains a variety of series

of registers, rolls, lists, and reports relating to Federal prisoners of war

including information on paroled and exchanged Federal prisoners.

76

Confederate prisoners standing along a fence in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (200-CC-2288)

If you are researching a Confederate soldier, sailor, or marine who was

captured during the war consult prisoner-of-war records found on M598,

Selected Records of the War Department Relating to Confederate Prisoners of

War, 1861–1865. This microfilm publication contains lists and registers of

prisoners of war and records related to individual prisons or stations. Records

related to all prisoners include: registers of prisoners; registers of deaths of

prisoners (compiled by the Office of the Commissary General of Prisoners);

registers of prisoners’ applications for release and decisions; registers related

to release of prisoners; registers relating to prisoners’ possessions; and regis-

ters of deaths of prisoners (compiled by the Surgeon General’s Office). These

records are followed by the records of individual prisons or stations includ-

ing Alton, Illinois; Bowling Green, Virginia; Camp Butler, Illinois; Camp

Chase, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; Fort Columbus, New York; Department of

the Cumberland; Fort Delaware, Delaware; Camp Douglas, Illinois; Elmira,

New York; Gratiot and Myrtle Streets Prisons, St. Louis, Missouri;

Department of the Gulf; Hart Island, New York; Hilton Head, South

77

Carolina; Johnson’s Island, Ohio; Knoxville, Tennessee; Fort Lafayette, New

York; Little Rock, Arkansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Fort McHenry, Maryland;

McLean Barracks, Cincinnati, Ohio; Memphis, Tennessee; Department of the

Missouri; Camp Morton, Indiana; New Orleans, Louisiana; Newport News,

Virginia; Department of the Ohio; Old Capitol Prison, Washington, DC;

Point Lookout, Maryland; Richmond,Virginia; Rock Island Barracks, Illinois;

Ship Island, Mississippi; Fort Warren, Massachusetts; Division of West

Mississippi; and District of West Tennessee. Also consult M918, Register of

Confederate Soldiers, Sailors, and Citizens Who Died in Federal Prisons and

Military Hospitals in the North 1861–1865. It contains individual burial infor-

mation, generally arranged alphabetically by name of prison camp or other

location where the deaths of Confederate prisoners occurred, and thereunder

alphabetically by name of deceased. The register provides name, company,

regiment, date of death, and number and location of grave of each individual

interred. Some of the information is incomplete.

Some information can be found in Confederate compiled military

service records (see the appropriate microfilm for the regiment you are

researching) as well as in M260, Records Relating to Confederate Naval and

Marine Personnel.

The U.S. Navy collected a variety of records after the war including some

fragmentary Confederate muster rolls, shipping articles, clothing receipts,

descriptive rolls, and payrolls related to confederate sailors and marines. These

records are located in RG 45, Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval

Records and Library. Many of these records can be found in the Subject File,

1775–1910, RG 45, entry 464, and are reproduced as M1091, Subject File of the

Confederate States Navy, 1861–1865. This series is arranged by primary and

secondary subjects. The primary subjects include: naval ships (design, con-

structions, etc.); ordnance; communications; engineering; battles and casual-

ties to ships; instructions; nautical technology and science; medical; personnel;

operations of Naval ships and fleet units; bases (naval bases—including navy

yards and stations); prisoners and prisons; merchant ships and commerce;

governmental relationships; supplies; and pensions.

Of particular interest to those researching Confederate marines are

78

subjects: “M” Medical (see MV Marine Corps–Miscellaneous); “N”

Personnel (NV Marine Corps–Miscellaneous); “R” Prisoners and Prisons;

“H” Engagements and Casualties to Ships; and “O” Operations of Naval

Ships and Fleet Units. Subject file NA contains muster rolls, pay rolls, and

lists of naval and marine personnel. Most of these records are related to ves-

sels, stations, squadrons, and naval shore batteries. Subject file OV contains

bills, vouchers, correspondence, certificates of deposit, invoices, abstracts of

expenditures, accounts, receipts, special orders relating to provisions, cloth-

ing, equipment for marine detachments, returns of ordnance and ordnance

stores, returns of clothing and equipment, and transportation requests.

The publication contains a series of records relating to the Confederate

Navy that was originally part of a larger collection of naval documents

known as the Subject File of the United States Navy, 1775–1910. The Con-

federate records were removed and consolidated into a separate record

series in 1963 to facilitate research on the Confederate States Navy. Related

official records of the Union Navy that dealt with Confederate prisoners of

war and Confederate vessels were integrated into the new Confederate

record series as well. Rolls 43–44 contain category “R” (Prisoners and

Prisons) of the Subject File. The R category is further divided into the fol-

lowing subtopics: RB, Prisoner-of-War Rolls and Lists (Persons Captured

by Union Forces); RE, Release and Exchange; RL, Paroles; and RV,

Miscellaneous. Subtopic RB is arranged alphabetically by name of vessel

and contains lists of captured Confederate naval personnel as well as for-

eign civilians and crewmen of captured blockade runners. Other subtopics

are arranged by name of ship, naval station, or individual.

Also in RG 45, entry 464, Old Subject File and New Subject File under “R”

contains two series with records relating to U.S. Navy and Marine Corps prisoners.

79

d i s c h a r g e s

Prior to 1944, Army regulations allowed for the preparation of only an

original discharge certificate, which was given to the soldier. The National

Archives would not have the certificate on file unless it was later submitted

by the veteran in support of a claim such as a pension or bounty land appli-

cation, nor does it have the authority to prepare another.

Likewise the National Archives does not have discharge papers for most

Navy and Marine Corps enlisted personnel. A few were submitted by veterans

in support of pension claims, and these can be found in select pension files.

M1856, Discharge Certificates and Miscellaneous Records Relating to the

Discharge of Soldiers from the Regular Army, 1792–1815, reproduces dis-

charge certificates and miscellaneous other records relating to the discharge

of soldiers from the Regular Army, 1792–1815. These records are part of the

Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780s–1917, RG 94, and are part

of entry 19, Post Revolutionary War Papers, 1784–1815. This is not a com-

plete set of discharges for soldiers who served from 1792 to 1815. Many of

these discharges were submitted by veterans to the War Department as

proof of service in order to collect back pay.

80

n at i o n a l h o m e f o r

d i s a b l e d vo lu n t e e r s o l d i e r s

Originally designated the National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers

to serve Union volunteers from the Civil War, the first asylum opened in

Togus Springs, Maine, in 1866 as the Eastern Branch. The next year, two

more asylums opened, the Central Branch in Dayton, Ohio, and the

Northwestern Branch in Wood, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee. Eventually

other branches followed: the Southern Branch in Hampton, Virginia; the

Western Branch at Leavenworth, Kansas; the Pacific Branch at Sawtelle,

California, near Los Angeles; the Marion Branch at Marion, Indiana; the

Danville Branch, at Danville, Illinois; the Mountain Branch at Johnson City,

Tennessee; the Battle Mountain Sanitarium at Hot Springs, South Dakota;

the Bath Branch at Bath, New York; the Roseburg Branch in Oregon; the St.

Petersburg Home in St. Petersburg, Florida; the Biloxi Home in Biloxi,

Mississippi; and the Tuskegee Home in Tuskegee, Alabama.

A record of veterans admitted to the homes as members is contained in

“Historical Registers” that were maintained at the various branches. These

registers are now found at the National Archives in RG 15, Records of the

Department of Veterans Affairs. A home number was assigned to each indi-

vidual upon admission. The member retained his original number even if he

was discharged and was later readmitted to the branch. Each page of the reg-

ister is divided into four sections as follows: military history, domestic histo-

ry, home history, and general remarks. The veteran’s military history gives

the time and place of each enlistment, rank, company, regiment, time and

place of discharge, reason for discharge, and nature of disabilities when

admitted to the home. The domestic history provides information about

81

the veteran such as: birthplace, age, height, various physical features, reli-

gion, occupation, residence, marital status, and name and address of near-

est relative. The home history provides the rate of pension, date or dates of

admission, conditions of readmission, date of discharge, cause of discharge,

date and cause of death, and place of burial. Entered under general remarks

is information about papers relating to the veteran, such as admission

papers, Army discharge certificate, and pension certificate. Information was

also entered concerning money and personal effects if the member died

while in residence at the branch.

The home registers have been reproduced as M1749, Historical

Registers of National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866–1938. This

microfilm publication is available at the National Archives Building in

Washington, DC, and many of the National Archives regional facilities.

Some of the regional sites have all of the microfilm rolls covered under

Veterans in the dining hall of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Marion, Indiana, in

the late 1890s. (Trevor K. Plante Collection)

82

M1749, while others maintain only the rolls for the soldiers’ home that

operated in their geographic region. For example, the NARA region in

Waltham, Massachusetts, maintains microfilm rolls only relating to the

Eastern Branch of the National Soldiers Home that operated in Togus,

Maine. In addition to the historical registers some other records relating to

soldiers homes have also been reproduced as part of M1749. The microfilm

publication also contains registers of death for Bath and Roseburg; funeral

records for Bath and Danville; and burial registers and hospital registers for

Togus. Please note that the National Archives does not have Historical

Registers for the St. Petersburg Home, the Biloxi Home, or the Tuskegee

Home.

The regional archives maintain only a select number of member case

files for the homes that operated in their regions. The majority of the orig-

inal case files for individual members were disposed of decades ago.

Additional Sources of Information

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, third ed., pages

191–192.

Plante, Trevor K. “The National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers,”

Prologue, Spring 2004, Vol. 36, No. 1.

83

h e a d s t o n e s a n d b u r i a l s

National Cemeteries

If you are researching a veteran you believe may be buried in a National

Cemetery you should first consult the Department of Veterans Affairs

National Cemetery Administration web site www.cem.va.gov and use their

“Nationwide Gravesite Locator.” You can access the page directly at

http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1.

The site allows researchers to search for burial locations of veterans and

their dependents who are buried in Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries, state

veterans cemeteries, and various other Department of Interior and military

cemeteries. The search can be conducted with as little information as a first and

last name, and you can choose between a basic search versus an advanced

search. With the advanced search you can provide the veteran’s last name, first

name, middle name, date of birth, date of death, and name of cemetery. If you

cannot locate the person you are searching for, please provide the following

information on each individual: full name, including any alternate spellings;

date and place of birth; date and place of death; state from which the individ-

ual entered active duty; and military service branch. Most requests take approx-

imately four weeks for a reply. Be sure to include your return mailing address,

phone number, and e-mail address with your request and send it to: U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, (41C1),

Burial Location Request, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420.

National Archives Building

Early headstone applications are found in RG 92, entry 628, Card Records

84

Headstone application, dated July 21, 1921, for four veterans buried in Silver Lake Cemetery located in Athol,

Massachusetts. (RG 92)

of Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, ca.

1879–1903. These records have been reproduced on M1845, Card Records of

Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, ca. 1879–1903.

The Quartermaster General’s office created three-by-four-inch cards to

keep track of headstones ordered for private cemeteries, mostly for soldiers

who died between 1861 and 1903. Because some cemetery superintendents

and relatives of veterans of previous wars applied for and received head-

stones, records of headstones for veterans of earlier wars, including the

Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Mexican War, are scattered through-

out the collection of the 166,000 cards as well as a few relating to the

Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection. The cards record the

name, rank, company, and regiment or vessel of the veteran (both Army

and Navy), the name and location of the cemetery, the date of death, the

company that supplied the headstone, and the date of contract. The cards

are arranged alphabetically.

85

Burying the dead at Fredericksburg, Virginia. (111-B-71)

Another good series to consult is the Applications of Headstones in

Private Cemeteries, 1909–1924, found in RG 92, entry 592. The headstone

applications were often completed by superintendents of cemeteries and

therefore do not contain next-of-kin information. Although the starting

date of the series is 1909, many applications were submitted for veterans

already buried in cemeteries prior to 1909. Like the card records of head-

stones, applications can also be found for veterans of earlier conflicts.

The basic information on the applications is similar to the headstone

card records and provides the name of veteran, rank, company, regiment or

vessel, date of death, the name and location of the cemetery, and the date of

application. Applications for headstones in private cemeteries are arranged

by state and thereunder by county.

National Archives at College Park, Maryland

Additional records relating to headstones and burials can be found at the

National Archives at College Park, Maryland. In 1925 the quartermaster

86

revised the look of the headstone application, although the information

requested did not substantially change. The full sheets of paper were

exchanged for eight-by-five-inch cards and are found in RG 92, entry

2110C, Applications for Headstones, 1925–1963. The cards ask for name,

rank, branch of service, company, regiment or ship, years of birth and

death, date of application, name of honorably discharged veteran, if the vet-

eran died while on active duty, dates of enlistment and discharge, address

of cemetery, religious emblem (if designated), and the name and address of

applicant and relationship to deceased. As on the older applications, some

handwritten notations by the quartermaster clerks may be found, but the

frequency and value of the markings diminish as the date of the applica-

tions grows more recent. Later applications also include the service num-

ber. These cards are organized roughly by year, thereunder alphabetically.

The key to finding the desired application is by knowing the date it was sub-

mitted. The first set within this entry encompass the years 1925–41. This

segment has been reproduced as M1916, Applications for Headstones for

U.S. Military Veterans, 1925–1941. The second segment covers the years

1942–48, thus a rough estimate of the year is all that is necessary to find an

application. Segments thereafter are confined to two- or three-year spans.

The applications for 1964–70 found in RG 92, entry 1942A, are organized

strictly by government fiscal year and thereunder alphabetically. The infor-

mation and organization reflect the earlier series. However, unlike the

headstone applications for private cemeteries, the headstone applications

for this series reflect burials in national cemeteries.

Headstone applications after 1970 provide the same information and are

similarly organized to the headstone applications described above. Although

the series is dated 1965–1985, the bulk of the collection begins in 1970. In 1972

the national cemetery system and the responsibility of providing headstones

was transferred to the U.S. Veterans Administration. Divided annually by fis-

cal year and thereunder alphabetically, these records are found in the Records

of the Department of Veterans Affairs, RG 15, entry 52) and include headstone

applications for private cemeteries. Please note that the applications are filed

by fiscal year of application, which may differ from the fiscal year of death.

87

Because the records are contemporaneous and provide information regarding

the next-of-kin of the deceased, access to these records is limited to those who

ordered the headstone. However, reference staff can make copies of such appli-

cations for researchers, redacting the sensitive information. Researchers

should provide name of decedent and date of application to the reference staff

of the Modern Military, Attn: Military Headstone Applications, 8601 Adelphi

Road, College Park, MD 20740. If the date of application is unknown, the staff

will search the application based on date of death. Please keep in mind that

due to limited resources only one search per request can be conducted.

One such series is the Interment Control Forms, ca. 1928–62, RG 92, entry

2110B. Arranged alphabetically by the name of the decedent, these forms were

used as records of control over burial lots in national cemeteries. The forms

contain name of decedent; rank; units served; serial number; war of service;

dates of birth, death, interment; service, including enlistment; and discharge or

retirement, if applicable; the place of burial and location of gravesite; next of

kin; and sometimes burial location of spouse if in the same cemetery. Much of

the information on these forms is similar to that found on headstone applica-

tions, but because these records are organized alphabetically, researchers unsure

of a date of application should find these records easier to use.

Record Group 92 contains burial case files, 1915–39, which may include

correspondence, reports, telegrams, applications, and other papers relating to

burials of service personnel during and after World War I. In some cases, the

files show the initial burial location and the name and place of reburial in a

cemetery overseas or if the body was returned to the United States. The burial

files are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the deceased.

Researchers looking for interment information for World War II veter-

ans buried overseas should consult Headstone Inscriptions and Interment

Records in the Records of the American Battle Monument Commission

(AMBC), RG 117, entry 43. The records cover 1946 to 1949, but they are

easier to use than the headstone applications because they are arranged

alphabetically, regardless of year. Established in 1923, the American Battle

Monument Commission was founded to honor the American armed forces

where they served by monitoring and advising the construction of military

88

monuments and markers on foreign soil by other nations. After World War

II, American soldiers were exhumed from their temporary burial place and

moved to one of 14 sites selected by the Secretary of the Army and the

ABMC, with the permission of the host country, to become eternal shrines

to those who gave their lives in the course of the war.

Although not as extensive in information as the interment records and

headstone applications, the ABMC headstone inscription and interment

records offer name of decedent, rank, unit of service, state of residence, date

of death, cemetery, and grave location. They also provide information

about the next of kin and any awards earned by the deceased.

Confederates

More than 40 years after the end of the Civil War, permanent, uniform markers

were authorized for the graves of Confederate soldiers buried in national

Civil War view of Arlington National Cemetery. (111-B-5304)

89

cemeteries. In accordance with an act of March 9, 1906, Congress adopted the

same size and material for Confederate headstones as for Union deceased but

altered the design to omit the shield and give the stones a pointed rather than

rounded top. In 1929 the authorization was extended to graves in private ceme-

teries. On May 26, 1930, the War Department implemented regulations for

Confederate headstones that also authorized the inscription of the Confederate

Cross of Honor in a small circle on the front face of the stone above the standard

inscription of the soldier’s name, rank, company, and regiment. Consult head-

stone application records described above at the National Archives at College

Park, Maryland.

Researchers looking for burial locations of Confederates should con-

sult M918, Register of Confederate Soldiers, Sailors, and Citizens Who Died in

Federal Prisons and Military Hospitals in the North, 1861–1865. Completed

in 1912, the register shows the location and number of the known grave of

each deceased Confederate soldier and sailor and was compiled to assist the

effort to mark Confederate graves. Arranged alphabetically by the name of

prison or other location where the death occurred, the burial lists general-

ly offer an individual’s name, rank, company, regiment or vessel, date of

death, and number and location of grave. Some entries do not provide

complete information. Researchers may consult the microfilmed records in

the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and several of NARA’s

regional archives.

Additional Sources of Information

Mollan, Mark C. “Honoring Our War Dead: The Evolution of the

Government Policy on Headstones for Fallen Soldiers and Sailors,”

Prologue, Spring 2003, Vol. 35, No. 1.

Quartermaster General’s Office, Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers Who Died

in Defense of the American Union, (27 vols.), Washington, DC:

Government Printing Office, 1865–1871.

Reamy, Martha and William Reamy, comp. Index to the Roll of Honor,

Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1995.

90

m e d a l s

Army

The only medal officially awarded during the Civil War, Indian Wars,

Spanish-American War, and Philippine Insurrection was the Medal of

Honor. Between 1905 and 1919, the War Department authorized several

campaign medals for service between 1861 and 1902. The National

Archives, however, is not authorized to issue or determine eligibility for

medals or awards. That function comes under the jurisdiction of the

Commander, U.S. Total Army Personnel Command, ATTN: TAPC-PDO-

PA, 200 Stovall Street, Alexandria, VA 22332-0471. For more information,

call 703-325-8700 or visit www.Perscom.army.mil/tagd/awards/index.htm.

The Army no longer manufactures, stocks, or issues the Civil War,

Indian War, Spanish-American War, or Philippine Insurrection Campaign

Medals. As there are no known living veterans who qualify for this award,

there are no plans to manufacture more medals.

There are select files relating to soldiers who received medals of honor,

but the term “Medal of Honor file” may be misleading. There is no series

solely designated within the Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, RG

94, similar to compiled service records or pension files that documents the

awarding of the Army Medal of Honor. Instead, files of correspondence

relating to the Medal of Honor awards are scattered throughout several files

of the AGO. The location of a honoree’s file within the AGO records

depends largely on the rank of the individual and the date of application,

as well as a myriad of other factors.

91

Many of the files are found in Letters Received, 1862–1889, Enlisted

Branch of the AGO, RG 94, entry 409, where much of the correspondence

regarding enlisted soldiers for 1862–1889 is located. Other record series

that hold correspondence of Medal of Honor recipients include the Record

and Pension Office (R&P) Document File, 1889–1904, RG 94, entry 501;

Volunteer Service (VS) Letters Received, 1861–1889, RG 94, entry 496; AGO

Document File, 1890–1917, RG 94, Entry 25; and Letters Received by the

Office of the Adjutant General (LR) (available on several microfilm publi-

cations depending upon the year). Of particular interest to researchers of

Medal of Honor recipients in the U.S. Colored troops is the Letters

Received, 1863–1888, of the Colored Troops Division, RG 94, entry 360.

An unpublished finding aid, “19th-Century Army Medals of Honor,”

available to researchers at the National Archives Building in Washington,

DC, lists alphabetically Army Medal of Honor recipients between 1863 and

1904, along with their rank, the unit they served in at the time of their hon-

ored action, and the file number.

For the years 1904–17, researchers should consult M698, Index to

General Correspondence of the Office of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1890–

1917, and search for the name of the honoree. After locating the file num-

ber(s) from the index, order the corresponding paper files. Although sever-

al file entries may be found for one individual in the index, they are often

consolidated into one file.

Visitors to the National Archives Building may consult the “19th-

Century Army Medals of Honor” finding aid for recipients between 1862 to

1904, or consult M698, Index to General Correspondence of the Office of the

Adjutant General’s Office, 1890–1917, for recipients from 1904 to 1917.

There are two National Archives microfilm publications relating specifical-

ly to the Medal of Honor, M929, Documents Relating to the Military and

Naval Service of Blacks Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor From the

Civil War to the Spanish American War, and T732, Records Relating to

Military Service in the Civil War of Medal of Honor Winners From Michigan.

Medal of Honor case files after 1917 are much more difficult to locate

among the Army records at the National Archives. The War Department

92

did not consolidate recommendation papers and statements of witnesses

into one file, and in many cases, the information is no longer extant or was

transferred to an individual’s military personnel file. The personnel files are

among the holdings of the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis,

Missouri. If these documents do exist elsewhere, they may be included in

the organizational files contained in several different record groups and

may be among unit records housed in the Modern Military Records unit of

the National Archives in College Park, Maryland.

Information on other Army medals can be found in RG 92, Records of

the Office of the Quartermaster General. Entry 256 provides name index

cards for various series relating to the application or issuance of the follow-

ing Army medals: Civil War Medal, Indian Wars Medal, Spanish War

Campaign Medal, China Campaign Medal (China Relief Expedition),

Philippine Campaign Medal, Philippine Congressional Medal, Mexican

Service Medal, Mexican Border Service Medal, Army of Cuban Occupation

Medal, Army of Puerto Rican Occupation Medal, and Cuban Pacification

Medal. Later medals are listed in military personnel files at the National

Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Navy

There are several series in RG 24, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel,

that may or may not contain information relating to service men request-

ing or receiving the following Navy medals: Civil War Medal, West Indies

Naval Campaign Medal, West Indies Campaign Medal, Spanish Campaign

Medal, Philippine Campaign Medal, China Relief Expedition Medal, Cuban

Pacification Medal, Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1912), Mexican Service

Medal, Haiti Campaign Medal (1915), Dominican Campaign Medal

(1916), and the Haitian Campaign Medal (1919–20).

For correspondence files relating to the issuance of various medals

consult RG 24, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, entry 88,

General Correspondence, 1889–1913, and entry 89, General Corr -

espondence, 1913–25. Both series are arranged chronologically and there-

under by file number.

93

For records relating to Navy Spanish-American War Medals consult RG

24, entry 99, Correspondence Relating to the Award of Spanish-American

War Medals, 1905–07. This series consists mainly of memorandums, many

of which were prepared for the Secretary of the Navy by the Chief of the

Bureau, relating to claims made by officers and men regarding their eligi-

bility for medals. This unarranged series also includes extracts from logs

and muster rolls bearing on these claims, a few press copies of letters sent

to the claimants by the Bureau, and letters received from the claimants.

Record Group 24, entry 67, Miscellaneous Letters Sent to or Relating to

Navy Service Personnel, (“Miscel. Navy”), February 10, 1896–February 22,

1903, contains press copies of letters, including form letters and endorse-

ments, sent to men either in or formerly in the Navy, mainly enlisted men and

warrant officers seeking return to the service. The series includes some copies

of letters of commendation for acts of heroism, such as rescues at sea; and

copies of letters concerning medals. The series is arranged chronologically.

Record Group 24, entry 70, Letters Sent Relating to Navy Medals and

Badges (“Medals and Badges”), November 3, 1908–December 27, 1911,

includes press copies of letters relating mainly to awards made for partici-

pation in the Spanish, Philippine, China, and West Indian Campaigns and

the Civil War. Most of this series consists of form letters used for transmit-

ting free medals and badges to recipients, either directly or through their

commanding officers. Also included are letters requesting proof of identity

or granting permission to purchase badges and medals from commercial

firms, letters refusing awards, and letters to manufacturing firms that

sought contracts to manufacture medals and badges. The series is arranged

chronologically.

Also of interest to researchers working on medals is RG 24, entry 20,

Letters Sent to the Superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint, May 14,

1906–March 27, 1909. This series has press copies of letters sent concerning

the ordering, alteration, and return of medals and the accompanying addi-

tional service bars that were awarded to Navy men for service in the West

Indian Campaign of the Spanish-American War. The letters are arranged

chronologically.

94

For records relating to Navy Medals of Honor consult RG 24, entry 85,

Letters Received Relating to Medals of Honor, January 1, 1862–December

31, 1866. This series contains letters received from commanders of vessels

and other officers on board ship and ashore and from the men to whom

medals were awarded. The letters relate to transmittal of the medals or

acknowledge their receipt. The series is arranged chronologically. For an

index to this series consult entry 103, Registers of Letters Sent and Received

(“Index to Correspondence”), July 1862–December 1890.

Also, the “NH” file in RG 45, entry 464, Old Subject File and New

Subject File, contains two series with records relating to Navy and Marine

Corps medals.

Additional Sources of Information

Army, Department of the, Public Information Division. The Medal of

Honor of the United States Army. Washington, DC: Government

Printing Office, 1948.

Kerrigan, Evans E. American War Medals and Decorations, New York: The

Viking Press, 1964.

Lang, George, Raymond L. Collins, Gerard F. White, comps., Medal of

Honor Recipients, 1863–1994, (2 Vols.), New York: Facts on File, 1995.

Mollan, Mark C. “The Army Medal of Honor: The First Fifty-five Years,”

Prologue, Summer 2001, Vol. 33, No. 2.

Internet Source

Medal of Honor citations for all services are available at www.history.army.mil/

moh.html.

95

m o d e r n m i l i ta r y r e c o r d s

National Archives at College Park, Maryland

T

he Modern Military Records unit has custody of records relating to World

War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Please note that the records vary

by conflict and by branch of service.

air force

Unit histories and supporting documents, which may include historical

reports, of Army Air Force and Air Force units are in the custody of the Air

Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 36112. For

information on records relating to Army Air Forces, see page 99.

army

Army Courts-Martial

Records related to the proceedings of U.S. Army courts-martial, courts of inquiry,

and military commissions covering the years 1917 to 1938 are found in entry 15B,

RG 153, Records of the Judge Advocate General (Army). These records are filed by

case file number. The index covering the years 1917 to 1938 is still in the legal cus-

tody of the Army JAG office. Staff at the National Archives can contact the Army

JAG office to obtain the necessary file number information needed to access the file.

World War I

The National Archives does not have duplicates of the World War I military per-

sonnel files that were destroyed in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records

Center. We do, however, have several different types of records for divisions, reg-

96

iments, and other units of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I.

These include war diaries, historical files and organizational records, and unit

strength returns found in Records of the American Expeditionary Forces in

(World War I),RG 120.It should be understood that these records seldom,if ever,

contain information on individuals. Strength returns will usually show the num-

ber of men in a unit, but will not list their names; occasionally there will be a ros-

ter of officers. There is usually a brief “record of events” for the month of the

return and strength returns at the company level for most units. War diaries and

historical files were created at the divisional and regimental levels. War diaries

consist of brief entries on forms prepared daily.Historical files are working papers

which may include manuscript histories although these are generally less com-

plete than available published unit histories.

Casualty lists of the American Expeditionary Forces, World War I, are

found in Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1917–, RG 407, and are

arranged by state. They include the decedent’s name, serial number, rank,

organization at time of death, date of death, and race

Soldiers of the Great War (Washington: Soldiers Record Publishing

Association, 1920) is a three-volume publication. Entries are arranged alpha-

betically by state from which the soldier served. Within each state, the entries

are arranged under type of casualty: Killed in Action, Died of Disease, Died of

Wounds, and Died of Accident. Under each type of casualty, the entries are

arranged according to rank: commissioned officers, non-commissioned offi-

cers, miscellaneous ranks, and privates. The entries include only the names of

the casualties and their hometowns. These volumes also include miniature

photographs of many of the persons named in the lists. These volumes have

been filmed on a single reel of 35mm microfilm. You can request copies of this

film by writing to archives2reference@nara.gov.

Navy and Marine Corps casualty lists for World War I are arranged

alphabetically by individual surname. A listing by state is not available.

Officers and Enlisted Men of the United States Navy Who Lost Their Lives

During the World War From April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918

(Washington: Government Printing Office, 1920), is subdivided into three

parts: Officers, Regular and Reserve; Enlisted Men; and Navy Enlisted Men

97

Not in Active Service. Each entry includes: name and rank of deceased;

date, place, and cause of death; and the name and address of next of kin.

The Marine Corps casualty list in the Records of the U.S. Marine

Corps, RG 127, consists of mimeographed listings of names of officers and

names of enlisted men. Each part is arranged alphabetically by name of

deceased. Entries include name, rank, and unit of deceased; date, place, and

cause of death; and name and address, and relationship of next of kin.

These two listings are preceded by a statistical summary of the number of

officers and the number of enlisted men from each state who died overseas.

A portion of the page of this summary is missing: therefore, there are no

figures of enlisted casualties from Alabama through Louisiana. These two

lists have been combined on a single reel of 35mm microfilm. You can

request copies of this film by writing to [email protected].

Burial Case Files, 1915–39, found in Record Group 92, may contain corre-

spondence, reports, telegrams, applications, and other papers relating to buri-

als of service personnel during World War I. The burial files are arranged alpha-

betically by the surname of the deceased.

For information on U.S. soldiers being transported to and from Europe dur-

ing World War I, there are several series in RG 92, Records of the Office of the

Quartermaster General, relating to troop transports: entry 2060, Lists of Incoming

Passengers, 1917–23, and entry 2061, Lists of Outgoing Passengers, 1917–26. Both

series are arranged alphabetically by name of vessel and thereunder chronological-

ly. If your search is limited by the name or number of the organization, consult

entry 2043, List of Vessels Leaving the United States to Transport Troops to Europe,

1917–1919. This series is arranged alphabetically by organization and thereunder

numerically by unit number. There are also two series containing card lists: entry

2051, Card List of Vessels Transporting Organizations Overseas and Back to the

United States,1918–1919,and entry 2053,Card List of Vessels Transporting Troops

Back to the United States, 1918–20. Both series are arranged alphabetically by type

of organization and thereunder numerically by unit number.

Please note that, unlike World War I, there are no troop manifests or

troop transport lists for Army personnel transported during World War II

in the custody of the National Archives.

98

World War II

For unit information consult U.S. Army Command Reports, 1940–54,

found in Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1917–, RG 407. These

records consist chiefly of narrative historical and after action reports as well

as unit journals and other supporting documents. Because the files are

arranged hierarchically, identification of the specific unit (i.e., division, reg-

iment, and battalion) is necessary before a search can be conducted. They

do not include personnel or medical information.

Modern Military also maintains custody of unit histories and supporting

documents for Army units for the period 1917 through 1954. However, records

for Army units active during the inter-war periods (1920–39 and 1945–50) are

incomplete. Most of the unit records dating after 1954 (except units which

served in Vietnam), if they still exist, remain in the custody of the Department

of the Army. For information concerning these records, you should write to the

Department of the Army, Freedom of Information Act Office, 7701 Telegraph

Road, Casey Building, Suite 144, Alexandria, VA 22315-3905.

Army Air Forces combat mission reports for the World War II period are

among the textual records held in the custody of Modern Military Records. This

series consists of the original mission reports pertaining to specific targets. These

reports were filed by the units and include some encounter reports by

pilots, aerial photographs, and loading lists.The reports found in Records of the

Army Air Forces, RG 18, are arranged by units, and identification of the group

or squadron is necessary before a search can be conducted. They do not contain

individual combat records of missions flown or a record of flying times.

Modern Military Records has custody of three indices to the missing

aircrew reports. These indices are by name of individual crew member, by

date of loss, and by plane tail number. The name index from Records of the

Office of the Quartermaster General, RG 92, has been microfilmed and is

available on M1420, Name Index to the Missing Air Crew Reports of the

United States Army Air Forces, 1942–1947. The reports, also from RG 92, are

found on National Archives microfiche, M1380, Missing Air Crew Reports

(MACRs) of the U.S. Army Air Forces, 1920–1939 and 1945–50.

The latter two indices also are available on microfilm. These indices were

99

created by the Air Force for their use and include the missing aircrew report

number, the country where the plane was lost, the Air Force number, the group

or squadron number, the plane type, tail number and date the plane was lost.

The copy in the custody of Modern Military Records, provided by the Air Force,

is in extremely poor condition and does not copy well. We suggest you obtain a

copy of this microfilm from the Air Force Historical Research Agency, 600

Chennault Circle, Building 1405, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 36112-6424.

Korea

The National Archives does not have histories for the Korean War. The princi-

pal unit records for the period 1949–54 are found in monthly compiled U.S.

Army Command Reports, Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1917–,

RG 407. These reports consist of narrative historical after action reports as well

as unit journals and other supporting documents. They are filed at both the

regimental and divisional levels on a monthly basis and often include several

hundred pages, per month, of documentation.

Vietnam

For records relating to U.S. Army units in Vietnam consult the Records of

the United States Forces in Southeast Asia, 1950–75, RG 472. These records

consist mostly of unit organizational histories, after action reports, unit

daily staff journals, and general orders. The files are arranged by unit, and

identification of the unit is necessary before a search can be conducted.

They do not include personnel or medical information.

navy

Modern Military Records has custody of U.S. Navy deck logs from 1941

through 1973 as part of Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, RG 24.

A deck log is a brief record of the daily administrative and operational

activities of a ship. It includes journal-style entries of the ship’s administra-

tive activities; location and course of travel; disciplinary procedures; and

any unusual events. Deck logs are not detailed journals describing a ship’s

100

mission and all events transpiring in and around the ship. Also, for the peri-

od of 1941 to 1956, deck logs generally include monthly rosters of officers.

Beginning in March 1957, officers are included in the Navy muster rolls/per-

sonnel diaries found in Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, RG 24.

Therefore, lists of officers may be obtained from the ship’s muster rolls/personnel

diaries from 1957 onward. To access deck logs from 1941 through 1973, you need

to know the name, designation, or hull number of the ship and dates of interest.

Navy muster rolls/personnel diaries for World War II through 1970 are

found in RG 24. Muster rolls consist of quarterly reports of a ship/unit’s

enlisted personnel with monthly updates of personnel changes. For the peri-

od of World War II through 1956, they list only the names of enlisted person-

nel who were officially attached to a particular ship/unit, not officers. Muster

rolls typically contain the names, ranks/ratings, and service numbers of the

individual servicemen. They do not contain current addresses of former

naval personnel or their survivors. Some of the rolls do include the original

place of enlistment. They are arranged by name of ship/unit for World War

II through January 1, 1949. For 1949 through 1970, they are arranged by the

ship/unit’s activity number. These records are preserved in the form of 16mm

positive microfilm copies of the original muster rolls/personnel diaries. To

access these records you need to know the name or destination of ship/unit

and dates of interest.

If you decide to order copies of the microfilm from the period of 1949–70,

the records of more than one Navy unit or ship will appear on each reel.You can

request copies of this film by writing to archives2reference@nara.gov. Prior to

1949, the Navy filmed each ship/unit’s record on separate reels. The records are

arranged on the microfilm by the ship/unit’s activity number. For example, the

activity number for Composite Squadron 33, or VC-33, is 6716-0033; the activ-

ity number for USS Wisconsin is 0356-0064. The Modern Military Records staff

can provide researchers with the ship/unit’s activity number. To find the records,

simply scroll through the microfilm until you come to records bearing this num-

ber near the top of the pages (usually next to the name of the ship/unit). Once

you find the records for the unit in question, they are arranged chronologically.

101

Navy casualty reports from World War II through the late 1950s are found

in Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, RG 24. The Modern Military

Records unit maintains several series of casualty reports that may include casu-

alty lists, reports of incidents resulting in casualties, statements of witnesses or

survivors, and other documents relating to casualties. The content of casualty

reports for specific ships, units, or operations may vary widely in quantity and

quality. To access these records you need to know the name of ship, unit, or com-

mand; date of incident; name of the operation, battle, or campaign; and dates.

Navy Armed Guard Logbooks for the World War II period are found in

Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, RG 24. These records are the daily

logbooks of U.S. Navy Armed Guard detachments aboard non-Navy (usually

merchant) ships during the Second World War. These logs were prepared

under the direction of the Armed Guard commander aboard each ship, and

comprise a brief daily account of events of the Armed Guard crew. These log-

books vary widely in quality. The collection––as transferred to the National

Archives by the Navy––is not complete, including occasional gaps in coverage

for some ships. It is possible that the logbooks of certain ships may not be avail-

able for a particular time period. To access these records you need to know the

name of ship to which the Armed Guard unit was attached and the dates.

Navy Action Reports for the World War II period are found in Records of

the Chief of Naval Operations, RG 38. These materials represent the basic

source of reports for naval actions and operations during World War II. Navy

regulations required naval units to submit reports of combat engagements and

other operations. The reports include materials on special operations during

the pre-war period, some training reports, routine operations that occurred

during the war, reports of the participation of commands in battles and

engagements with the enemy, submarine special mission reports, and other

war-related actions. To access these records you need to know the date of the

action or date of report; name of ship, unit, or Navy command involved in the

action or making report. If unknown, then you need the geographic location,

name of the battle, engagement, action, operation, and the date.

Navy war diaries for the World War II period are in RG 38. These doc-

uments are daily journals of events submitted by all but the most minor of

102

naval commands during the Second World War. The operational informa-

tion they contain is complementary to information provided by the action

reports. If certain information cannot be located in one series, it may some-

times appear in the other. The structure and style of information presented

in the war diaries is analogous to that found in the deck logs of Navy ships.

In some cases, the Navy filed handwritten deck logs that ship commands

submitted in lieu of war diaries. To access these records you need to know

the name or destination of the ship, unit, or command and dates.

Navy Armed Guard Reports for the World War II period, in RG 38, con-

tain reports of U.S. Navy Armed Guard detachments aboard non-Navy ships

during World War II. The reports usually include Armed Guard crew lists, voy-

age reports, data relating to armaments and supplies provided by the U.S.

Navy, correspondence relating to recommendations for medals for members

of the Armed Guard crew, orders, and miscellaneous correspondence. To

access these records you need to know the name of the ship to which the unit

was attached and the dates of interest.

Submarine War Patrol Reports for the World War II period, in RG 38,

include daily narrative summaries of the vessel’s location and activities, weather

conditions, mechanical issues, attacks against the enemy, and other information.

Reports submitted from late 1943 through 1945 tend to be more detailed than

earlier reports. In addition to the information listed above, reports for this peri-

od may also include information about tides, ship contacts, aircraft, mines, anti-

sub measures or evasive tactics, radio, radar, sound gear, conditions, health, food,

and habitability, personnel, fuel, communications, and other information. These

records are available on M1752, U.S. Submarine War Patrol Reports, 1941–1945.

Records of Individual Convoys (Records of the 10th Fleet) for the World

War II period, in RG 38, relate to the operations of convoys and the routing of

independent ships during the war. They include detailed records of each convoy

and of the activities of individual U.S. and Allied merchant ships that participat-

ed in them. To access these records you need to know the convoy designation or

name of the ship participating in convoy; and the dates of the convoy.

Movement Report Cards (Records of the 10th Fleet) for the World War II

period, in RG 38, consist of file cards for Navy ships, merchant marine vessels

103

having Navy armed guard crews on board,someArmy troop transport ships,and

other ships. Movement report cards detail the travel information of ships

throughout the Second World War. They list ports of arrival, due dates, dates of

actual arrival,and the dates of setting sail to the next port. If a ship sailed in a con-

voy,the cards also list the respective convoy designations in the route column.You

need to know the name of the ship and dates of interest to access these records.

For general information on U.S. Navy vessels consult the Dictionary of

American Naval Fighting Ships, a multivolume publication of the Department

of the Navy. The publication contains brief histories of officially commissioned

U.S. Navy ships. Typical entries may include name of ship; hull number; class;

sites/dates of construction and launch; dates of commissioning/decommis-

sioning; narrative of major activities; and information about purchase/sale and

scrapping.

As a publication of the Government Printing Office, this eight-volume

set should be available at most college, university, and large public libraries.

Also, many of the dictionary’s ship histories have been made available on

the Internet at www.uss-salem.org/danfs/.

Note: Due to the availability of the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting

Ships on the Internet and at many large libraries, the Modern Military Records

unit no longer provides copy orders of entries from this resource. If you

require additional information about ship histories, we suggest that you con-

tact the Ships’ Histories Branch, Naval Historical Center, Washington Navy

Yard, Washington, DC 20374, which produced the dictionary.

marine corps

The Modern Military Records unit maintains records relating to Marines

who served overseas during World War I in Records of the American

Expeditionary Forces (World War I), RG 120. There are several series that

relate to the Second Division to which the Marine Corps units were assigned.

Please note that the Marine Corps Muster Rolls for World War I are not locat-

ed in the Modern Military Records Unit at the National Archives in College

Park, Maryland, but rather are located at the Old Military Records Unit at the

National Archives Building in Washington, DC.

104

The three main record series relating to U.S. Marine Corps participation in

World War II are war diaries, action reports, and muster rolls. The war diaries

are arranged by unit designation and the action reports are arranged geograph-

ically, primarily by battle location such as Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, etc.

U.S. Marine Corps muster rolls are available from 1940 through 1975. There are

variations to format and access as there are three distinct time periods for the

muster rolls: 1940–45,1946–58, and 1959–75. Please note that when they appear

on the muster rolls, social security numbers are withheld for privacy reasons.

coast guard

World War II merchant marine vessel logbooks are found in Records of the

U.S. Coast Guard, RG 26. The logs document the names and assignments

of crew members, drills conducted during the voyage, brief descriptions of

situations and events and some personnel-related information. Some of the

National Archives regional locations hold merchant marine logbooks for

ports served by that region. Some have declassified merchant marine “secret

logbooks” from 1942–45, that may contain more specific information than

the merchant marine logbooks. Also, a national regional database, available

at most of our regional archives, provides vessel names and voyage dates for

various ports. Records of merchant vessels operating with navy convoys

during World War II are found in Records of Individual Convoys (Records

of the 10th Fleet), RG 38, located at the National Archives at College Park,

see page 103 for more information.

Records of U.S. Navy ships crewed by Coast Guard personnel and serving

as part of U.S. Navy task organizations are also among the holdings of Modern

Military Records. Logs, muster rolls, and other records of Coast Guard vessels

and stations, operated solely as a Coast Guard function, are at the National

Archives Building in Washington, DC. Muster rolls for Coast Guard–manned

Navy and Army vessels can be found there in RG 26 as well.

A merchant marine casualty file can be found in RG 26, Deceased and

War Casualty Seaman’s Records, 1937–50, located at the National Archives

Building in Washington, DC. This series is arranged alphabetically and may

provide death date, name of vessel, application of seaman’s certificates,

105

copy of telegram announcing death, certificates of discharge from vessels,

next-of-kin information, and photograph of the seaman.

Internet Source

Access to Archival Databases

The Access to Archival Databases (AAD) System gives you online access to elec-

tronic records that are highly structured, such as databases. AAD allows you to

search for and retrieve specific records from selected series and data files over the

Internet. Using AAD, first select a series of electronic records, then select a spe-

cific data file within a series, and search for pertinent records by entering unique

values, such as personal names, dates, cities, and states. AAD displays the records

that match the search criteria. You may then view the records, print the records,

or copy the records to your own computer and save them as an electronic file.

World War II Army Enlistment records are available on AAD. The series

contains records of approximately 9 million men and women who enlisted in

the United States Army between 1938 and 1946, including the Women’s Army

Auxiliary Corps and the Enlisted Reserve Corps. The series does not include

records for Army officers, members of other military services, or enlistments

from other time periods.

Records of World War II Prisoners of War are also available on AAD. This

series has information about U.S. military officers and soldiers and U.S. and

some Allied civilians who were prisoners of war and internees held by

Japanese or German powers.

For example, if you are looking for information on individuals who died

during the Korean War and Vietnam Conflict you now have the ability to search

online for his or her record. Select examples of databases available on AAD on

this subject are: Records of Military Personnel Who Died as a Result of Hostilities

During the Korean War, ca. 1977–November 1979; Records on Korean War Dead

and Wounded Army Casualties, 1950–1970; Records on Military Personnel Who

Died, Were Missing in Action, or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam

Conflict, January 20,1967–December 1998; Records of Awards and Decorations

of Honor During the Vietnam Conflict, May 1969–March 1973. The AAD sys-

tem is available on the NARA web site at www.archives.gov/aad/index.html.

106

n at i o n a l p e r s o n n e l

r e c o r d s c e n t e r

St. Louis, Missouri

T

he National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) is the repository for millions

of military personnel, health, and medical records of discharged and deceased

veterans of all services during the 20th century. NPRC also stores medical treat-

ment records of retirees from all services, as well as records for dependents and

other persons treated at military medical facilities. In addition, the Center hous-

es select unit records for Army and Air Force organizations for the 20th century

and for Navy organizations through the World War II era. Information from the

records is made available upon written request to the extent allowed by law.

20th-Century Military Personnel Files Open to the Public at NPRC

Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs) for personnel from all branches

of the Armed Forces (Army, Army Air Corps, Army Air Forces, Navy,

Marine Corps and Coast Guard) who served and were discharged, died in

service or were retired more than 62 years ago have been accessioned by the

National Archives and are available to the public. NPRC will continue to

open to the public its OMPF holdings of over 57 million individual files

progressively until the entire collection has been accessioned in 2067.

These archived records are treasured by family members, historians,

researchers, and genealogists alike. Contained in a typical OMPF are docu-

ments outlining all elements of military service, including assignments,

evaluations, awards and decorations, education and training, demographic

information, some medical information and documented disciplinary

107

actions. Some records also contain photographs of the individual and offi-

cial correspondence concerning military service.

A selection of military personnel records of prominent individuals who have

been deceased for 10 years or more is also now open to the public. For a current

list of these “Persons of Exceptional Prominence” visit the NARA web site at

www.archives.gov/st.louis/militarypersonnel/public/persons-of-prominence.html.

To review accessioned OMPFs at NPRC, visit NPRCs Archival

Research Room in St. Louis, Missouri:

National Personnel Records Center

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Telephone: 314-801-0850

E-mail: stlarr.archives@nara.gov

NOTE: Military service records recovered after the 1973 NPRC fire

that are requested for review by a visitor are always diverted to NPRC’s

Preservation Branch for condition assessment prior to delivery to the

Research Room. Any preservation treatment required must be completed

before a visit can be scheduled. Patrons are encouraged to call well in

advance of a planned visit in order to check the status of the record(s) they

hope to access at NPRC. Available research space and self-service photo-

copiers for public use are limited in the current NPRC facility, and advance

appointments enable staff to ensure that everyone can be accommodated.

To obtain photocopies of accessioned OMPFs from NPRC by mail, send a

written request or a completed Standard Form 180 (SF 180), Request

Pertaining to Military Records to:

National Personnel Records Center

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Fax: 314-801-9195

108

Please submit a separate request for each individual whose records you

wish to obtain. The SF 180 may be photocopied as needed. Information

about the SF 180 and the download of the form can be found at www.archives.gov/

st-louis/military-personnel/standard-form-180.html.

Veterans and/or next-of-kin of deceased veterans may use

www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs to order copies of military personnel

records. EVetRecs is an online military personnel records request system

that can be used by a military veteran or his/her next-of-kin. The next-of-

kin can be any of the following: spouse of deceased veteran (who has not

remarried), father, mother, son, daughter, sister, or brother of the veteran.

For users who prefer to submit a request on paper, SF 180 may be complet-

ed and mailed or faxed to the appropriate address on the form.

Please Note: Veterans who completed their military service obligation

less than 62 years ago and request records from NPRC must be sure to sign

and date their written request for records.

E-mail Access: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Department of

Defense directives pertaining to military personnel records that remain in that

agency’s legal custody (records documenting service within the last 62 years)

require a written request, signed and dated, to access information from the

records. Thus, if the veteran’s military service obligation ended less than 62 years

ago, an e-mail request cannot be accepted by NPRC.

For additional information regarding records at NPRC for veterans who

ended their service less than 62 years ago, please visit this NPRC web site:

www.archives.gov/facilities/mo/st_louis/military_personnel_ records.html.

What happens next?

If a service record is located and determined to be among NPRC’s acces-

sioned holdings:

Requester is sent a response letter and order form regarding fees

payable to NARA for a photocopy of the record. NARA reproduction fees

apply. (A waiver of applicable fees may be granted to living veterans who

request copies of their own records in order to establish entitlement to

benefits.)

109

If a service record is located but it is NOT among NPRC’s accessioned

holdings:

When requester is NOT the veteran or the next-of-kin of a deceased

veteran:

Information deemed releasable under the Freedom of Information Act

(FOIA) will be sent and the response will include the date the individual

completed his/her service obligation. Adding 62 years to that date will

determine when the record will be accessioned by the National Archives

and open to the public.

When requester IS the veteran or the next-of-kin of a deceased veteran:

Copies of requested documents on file are sent at no charge courtesy of

the Department of Defense, the legal custodian of the service record.

Important Note: On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at the National

Personnel Records Center destroyed approximately 16–18 million Official

Military Personnel Files. The fire consumed approximately 80 percent of

the personnel records of Army officers and enlisted personnel discharged

from November 1, 1912, to January 1, 1960. About 75 percent of the records

of Air Force personnel discharged from September 25, 1947, to January 1,

1964 (with surnames identified alphabetically from Hubbard, James E.

through Z), were destroyed. Duplicate copies of the records were not creat-

ed by the military service departments, nor had they created indexes to the

files prior to the fire. In addition, millions of documents had been lent to

the Department of Veterans Affairs before the fire occurred. Therefore, a

complete listing of the records that were lost is not available. In the years

since the fire, NPRC has used many alternate records sources (including

dozens of series of Auxiliary Records collected and stored at the Center) in

its efforts to reconstruct basic military service information on individual

veterans and respond to requests.

In responding to requests for fire-related records that document serv-

ice ending 62 years or more ago, NPRC will only attempt to reconstruct

lost/destroyed record data when service verification is needed to establish

entitlement to benefits. However, auxiliary records among NPRC’s acces-

110

sioned holdings are made available to the public in the Archival Research

Room and photocopies of these records may be purchased. Furthermore,

visitors to the research room can pursue research in NPRC’s accessioned

auxiliary records holdings and other alternate record sources to locate and

reconstruct for themselves service data that would have been included in an

OMPF lost/destroyed in the fire. Archivists and archives specialists in the

research room provide guidance to all visiting researchers, whether they are

family members wishing to find a relative’s military service history or gen-

eral researchers seeking information on persons of interest to them. NPRC

is also the repository of unit records created by the Army and Air Force dur-

ing the 20th century. Portions of these records have been accessioned and

are open to the public for research. Unit Records created by Army, Army Air

Corps, and Army Air Force units active more than 62 years ago include:

morning reports, rosters (with some exceptions), and sick reports. Unit

records created by the Navy include muster rolls 1939–46 (primarily ship

rosters). Unit records may be accessed by patrons who visit to the Archival

Research Room. Please contact the research room staff to schedule a visit.

Other Military and Military-Related Records at NPRC

NPRC stores medical and dental treatment records pertaining to members

of all military services, as well as records for military dependents and other

persons treated at military and contract medical facilities. These series are

temporary records and therefore have not been accessioned by the National

Archives.

Included are: health, dental, and mental health treatment records cre-

ated for military personnel on active duty; Clinical records (inpatient hos-

pitalizations) created for active duty, active reserve, and retired military

personnel, military dependents, civilians, and others treated at military and

contract medical facilities; and outpatient treatment records of military

retirees, military dependents; and others. None of these are public records,

and access to them is restricted by provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974.

Requests for medical and dental records received by NPRC from

authorized parties are handled most effectively when prepared and submit-

111

ted on NA Form 13042, Request for Information Needed to Locate Medical

Records. (See www.archives.gov, or use eVetRecs)

Military Awards and Decorations

Requests for the issuance or replacement of military service medals, deco-

rations, and awards for living veterans must be signed by the veteran and

directed to the specific branch of the military in which the veteran served.

For Air Force (including Army Air Corps) and Army personnel, the

National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) will verify the awards to which

a veteran is entitled and forward the request with the verification to the

appropriate service department for issuance of the medals.

EVetRecs is preferred for requesting medals and awards. Provide as

much information as possible and send the form to the appropriate address

from the following tables:

Army

Where to write for medals:

National Personnel Records Center

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Medals are mailed from:

U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command, IMMC

Soldier Systems Directorate

700 Robbins Avenue

P.O. Box 57997

Philadelphia, PA 19111-7997

Where to write in case of a problem or an appeal:

Commander PERSCOM

Attn: TAPC-PDO-PA

200 Stovall Street

Alexandria, VA 22332-0471

112

Air Force (including Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces)

Where to write for medals:

National Personnel Records Center

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Medals are mailed from:

Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center AFPC/DPPPR

550 C Street West, Suite 12

Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4714

Where to write in case of a problem or an appeal:

Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center AFPC/DPPPR

550 C Street West, Suite 12

Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4714

Navy

Where to write for medals:

Bureau of Naval Personnel Liaison Office

Room 5409

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Medals are mailed from:

Bureau of Naval Personnel Liaison Office

Room 5409

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Where to write in case of a problem or an appeal:

Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV 09B33)

Awards and Special Projects

Washington, DC 20350-2000

113

Marine Corps

Where to write for medals:

Bureau of Naval Personnel Liaison Office

Room 5409

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Medals are mailed from:

Bureau of Naval Personnel Liaison Office, Room 5409

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Where to write in case of a problem or an appeal:

Commandant of the Marine Corps

Military Awards Branch (MMMA)

3280 Russell Road

Quantico, VA 22134-5100

Coast Guard

Where to write for medals: Bureau of Naval Personnel

Liaison Office, Room 5409

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Medals are mailed from: Bureau of Naval Personnel

Liaison Office, Room 5409

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Where to write in case of a problem or an appeal:

Commandant U.S. Coast Guard

Medals and Awards Branch (PMP-4)

Washington, DC 20593-0001

114

r e s e a r c h e r s f o r h i r e

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) staff is available

to provide reference assistance to researchers. However, if you find that you

cannot conduct research in person and require extensive research assistance

at a NARA facility, we offer a list of independent researchers who are avail-

able for hire. The listing is available on the National Archives web site and is

sorted by topic.You can also find a researcher for hire based on: research topic

specialty, media type specialty, and region and facility location.

Please Note: Researchers for hire are not NARA employees. Any indi-

vidual or company that does research in our holdings on behalf of others is

free to join the listing. Inclusion on the independent researcher lists should

not be viewed as an endorsement of the quality of the researcher-for-hire’s

work, and NARA will not be responsible for any arrangement made with

independent researchers. Such arrangements, including the character,

extent, and cost of the work, are purely private, contractual matters be -

tween the independent researcher for hire and the researcher. It is also up

to the researcher to determine whether or not the researcher-for-hire’s

experience and qualifications meet their needs. Comments or complaints

received by NARA regarding any individual independent researcher for hire

on the list will be forwarded to that researcher for hire for resolution.

115

c o n t a c t i n g t h e

n at i o n a l a r c h i v e s

Old Military Records:

Old Military and Civil Records

National Archives and Records Administration

700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20408-0001

[email protected]ov

Modern Military Records:

Modern Military Records

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road

College Park, MD 20740-6001

[email protected]ov

National Personnel Records Center:

National Personnel Records Center

Military Personnel Records

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Web Site

www.archives.gov

116

To Purchase NARA Publications

By Credit Card: Orders for publications can be placed at http://estore.

archives.gov using a VISA, MasterCard, Discover or AMEX credit card.

International customers can place their publication order by calling the

customer service number at 1-800-234-8861.

By Check: To pay by check, please call 1-800-234-8861.

By Purchase Order: Purchase orders are handled on a limited basis.

Government agencies, educational institutions, and businesses may call the

customer service number at 1-800-234-8861 for further information.

To Obtain Free NARA Publications

Research Support Branch (NWCC1)

700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20408-0001

202-357-5400

Fax: 202-501-7170

117

Chow is served to American infantrymen on their way to

LaRoche, Belgium, January 1945. (111-SC-198849)

a p p e n d i x

Additional Sources

Guides

Eales, Anne Bruner and Robert M. Kvasnicka, eds. Guide to Genealogical Research in the

National Archives of the United States. Third edition, Washington, DC: National

Archives and Records Administration, 2000.

Mulligan, Timothy, comp. Guide to Records Relating to U.S. Military Participation in

World War II. Two volumes. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records

Administration, 2008.

Palmer Seeley, Charlotte, comp. American Women and the U.S. Armed Forces: A Guide to

the Records of Military Agencies in the National Archives Relating to American

Women. National Archives Trust Fund: Washington, DC, 1992.

Prologue Articles

Revolutionary War

Schultz, Constance B. “Revolutionary War Pension Applications: A Neglected

Source for Social and Family History,” Prologue, Summer 1983, Vol. 15, No. 2.

War of 1812

Butler, Stuart L. “Genealogical Records of the War of 1812,” Prologue, Winter 1991,

Vol. 23, No. 4.

Dixon, Ruth Priest, “Genealogical Fallout from the War of 1812,” Prologue, Spring

1992, Vol. 24, No. 1.

Mexican War

Oberly, James W. “Military Bounty Land Warrants of the Mexican-American War,”

Prologue, Spring 1982, No. 14, Vol. 1.

Civil War

Blanton, DeAnne.“Women Soldiers of the Civil War,” Prologue, Spring 1993,Vol. 25, No. 1.

119

Blanton, DeAnne.“Confederate Medical Personnel,” Prologue, Spring 1994,Vol. 26, No. 1.

Meier, Michael T. “Civil War Draft Records: Exemptions and Enrollments,”

Prologue, Winter 1994, Vol. 26, No. 4.

Musick, Michael P. “Civil War Records: An Introduction and Invitation,” Prologue,

Summer 1995, Vol. 27, No. 2.

Musick, Michael P. “The Little Regiment: Civil War Units and Commands,”

Prologue, Summer 1995, Vol. 27, No. 2.

Musick, Michael P. “Honorable Reports: Battles, Campaigns, and Skirmishes—Civil

War Records and Research,” Prologue, Fall 1995, Vol. 27, No. 3.

Musick, Michael P. “War In an Age of Wonder: Civil War Arms and Equipment,”

Prologue, Winter 1995, Vol. 27, No. 4.

Allen, Desmond Walls. “Which Henry Cook? A Methodology for Searching

Confederate Ancestors,” Prologue, Fall 1995, Vol. 27, No. 3.

Plante, Trevor K. “The Shady Side of the Family Tree: Civil War Union Court-

Martial Case Files,” Prologue, Winter 1998, Vol. 30, No. 4.

Plante, Trevor K. “Researching Confederate Marines in the Civil War,” Prologue,

Winter 2001, Vol. 33, No. 4.

Plante, Trevor K. “Enhancing Your Family Tree with Civil War Maps,” Prologue,

Summer 2003, Vol. 35, No. 2.

Spanish-American War

Livingston, Rebecca. “Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines of the Spanish-American War:

The Legacy of the USS Maine,” Prologue, Spring 1998, Vol. 30, No. 1.

Boxer Rebellion

Plante, Trevor K. “U.S. Marines in the Boxer Rebellion,” Prologue, Winter 1999, Vol.

31, No. 4.

Philippine Insurrection

Plante, Trevor K. “Researching Service in the U.S. Army during the Philippine

Insurrection,” Prologue, Summer 2000, Vol. 32, No. 2.

Mexican Punitive Expedition

Yockelson, Mitchell. “The United States Armed Forces and the Mexican Punitive

Expedition,” Prologue, Fall & Winter 1997, Vol. 29, Nos. 3 & 4.

World War I

Yockelson, Mitchell. “They Answered the Call: Military Service in the United

States Army during World War I, 1917-1919,” Prologue, Fall 1998, Vol. 30,

No. 3.

120

World War II

Hull, Theodore J. “The World War II Army Enlistment Records File and Access to

Archival Databases,” Prologue (Spring 2006).

Korea

Hull, Theodore J. “Electronic Records of Korean and Vietnam Conflict Casualties,”

Prologue, Spring 2000, Vol. 32, No. 1.

Vietnam

Hull, Theodore J. “Electronic Records of Korean and Vietnam Conflict Casualties,”

Prologue, Spring 2000, Vol. 32, No. 1.

Reference Information Papers (RIPs)

RIP 70, Audiovisual Records in the National Archives of the United States Relating to

World War II, compiled by Barbara Burger, William Cunliffe, Jonathan Heller,

William T. Murphy, and Les Waffen.

RIP 78, Records Relating to Personal Participation in World War II: “The American

Soldier” Surveys, compiled by Ben DeWhitt and Heidi Ziemer.

RIP 79, World War II Records in the Cartographic and Architectural Branch of the

National Archives, compiled by Daryl Bottoms.

RIP 80, Records Relating to Personal Participation in World War II: American

Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees, compiled by Ben DeWhitt and Jennifer

Davis Heaps.

RIP 82, Records Relating to Personal Participation in World War II: American Military

Casualties and Burials, compiled by Ben DeWhitt.

RIP 90, Records Relating to American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from the

Vietnam War Era, 1960–1994, compiled by Charles E. Schamel.

RIP 92, Records Relating to Personal Participation in World War II: Military Awards

and Decorations, compiled by Benjamin L. DeWhitt.

RIP 102, Records Relating to American Prisoners of War and Missing-in-Action

Personnel from the Korean Conflict and During the Cold War Era, compiled by

Tim Wehrkamp.

RIP 103,National Archives Records Relating toThe KoreanWar,compiled by Rebecca L.Collier.

RIP 104, Presidential Libraries Holdings Relating to Prisoners of War and Missing in

Action, compiled by Dale C. Mayer.

RIP 105, Records of Military Agencies Relating to African Americans from the Post-

World War I Period to the Korean War, compiled by Lisha B. Penn.

121

i n d e x

Access to Archival Databases (AAD)

System, 106

action reports, 99, 100, 102, 105

Adjutant General’s Office, 1780s–1917,

Records of the (RG 94)

African Americans, 64–65, 92

amnesties and pardons, 53

awards and decorations, 91–92

correspondence, 15, 92

discharges, 80

enlistment, 12, 13, 64, 92

medical information, 10–12, 13–14,

43, 65

muster rolls, 13, 65

officers, 15

prisoners of war, 76

Record and Pension Office, 92

Volunteer Service, 92

Adjutant General’s Office, 1917–, Records

of (RG 407), 97, 99, 100

African Americans, 63–65, 92

Air Force, U.S.

awards and decorations, 112–113

personnel records, 1, 7, 107–111