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U.S. MILITARY RECORDS

I. General Information

Military records of the U.S. may not provide a solution to every genealogical problem, but they often contain excellent supplemental pedigree information.

Records relating to conflicts prior to the Revolutionary War are mainly historical accounts and contain little genealogical data. Records created since the Revolution often contain facts relating to birth, marriage, death, parentage, migration as well as other important genealogical events.

Military records of major genealogical importance consist mainly of service and pension files. Service files contain documents relating to events which affect personnel during their tour of duty from enlistment or induction to separation or discharge. Pension files often include more genealogical information than service files and relate to the individual after he was released from service.

With the exception of a few record groups which were destroyed in 1800 and 1812-15, most service and pension files have been preserved. Most records in existence which related to early wars, and in peacetime during the same periods, are in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Most Confederate veterans' records are not in the National Archives but are mainly located in their respective states. A majority of existing records relating to World War I have been centralized at a Federal Records Center in East Point, GA. Records relating to personnel who served during World War II and in later conflicts have been centralized at a Federal Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Personnel currently in the service, whether on active duty or in the Reserves, usually are of record in Headquarters Unit of their parent organization. Duplicate and supplemental records relating to service personnel who have served since the beginning of World War II may also be found in regional offices of the Veterans Administration.


II. Revolutionary War Records

Service files relating to the Revolution were destroyed when the British burned Washington during the War of 1812.

Pension records relating to service in the Revolutionary War were created under various Congressional acts beginning in 1776 and continuing to the 20th century. The burden to provide the actual benefits rested first with the states and applied mainly to officers. Important pensions acts in 1818, 1828, and 1832 liberalized pension requirements allowing the enlisted man, his widow, and his orphans certain benefits. Under acts beginning in 1776 and continuing to 1855, "Bounty Lands" were granted to veterans of U.S. service or of State Militia.

Documents relating to a particular soldier, his widow, or to his children, have been combined in a single packet or file in the National Archives and are available to the genealogist. Xerox or microfilm copies of existing documents can be obtained from the National Archives at a reasonable cost. The files have also been microfilmed and are available through the LDS Genealogical Society in Salt Lake City. The microfilmed files are alphabetically arranged by the name of the soldier and a published index also exists.


III. American Loyalists Records and Regular Army Records

After the peace treaty of 1783, both the U.S. and Great Britain provided means whereby "Loyalists" could be compensated for property losses and records pertaining to these claims have been preserved. Microfilmed copies of "American Loyalist's" Claims, Series "I" are in the Genealogical Society in Salt Lake City and are indexed on microfilm GS #62,010. Several volumes of published material relating to Loyalists can also be found at the Society in Salt Lake City.

The Regular Army also known as "The United States Army" was created as a permanent establishment in 1789 and records relating to its personnel have been preserved. Records of both officers and enlisted men are reflected in registers of enlistment which were prepared from various original documents created during the actual period of service. Registers are in the National Archives arranged in two major groups; those for the period 1789-1821-1912.


IV. Pension Files of other Early Wars

The "Old Wars" series of pension application files relate to claims for service rendered between the end of the Revolution (11 April 1782) and the beginning of the Civil War (4 March 1861). The files are currently in the National Archives. An alphabetical name index has been reproduced on seven rolls of microfilm and is available at Salt Lake City and Brigham Young University.

The War of 1812 Pension Records are also in the National Archives. The records relate to service between 1812 and 1815 and are similar to those of the Revolutionary War. The face side of each jacket or envelope has been reproduced on 102 rolls of microfilm.

Indian Wars Pension Records and Mexican War Pension Records are also in the National Archives. Indians War Pension Records relate to service between 1817 and 1898 and are indexed on 12 rolls of microfilm. Mexican War Pension records relate to service between 1846-48 and are indexed also.


V. Civil War Records

Service and pension files relating to Union forces are in the National Archives and are well indexed.

Service and Pension files relating to Confederate forces are in their respective states though "A Consolidated Index to Confederate Veteran's Compiled Military Service Records" has been created.

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