Military Records from the Revolution to World War II
Service records, pension files, draft cards and bounty land: which records exist for each war, what they contain, and where to find them.
If your ancestor served in the military, or even just registered for a draft, there's likely a federal record of it. Military records are among the richest sources in American genealogy. The best of them, pension files, can hold dozens of pages of family testimony. Here is what to look for, war by war.
The three main record types
- Service records show enlistment, unit, rank, and events like illness, capture or discharge. They're useful, but usually short.
- Pension files are often far better. To get a pension, a veteran or widow had to prove service, and a widow had to prove the marriage. Files can include marriage certificates, Bible pages, affidavits from neighbors, and lists of children.
- Bounty land warrants were land granted for service in wars up to 1855. The application files can be as detailed as pensions.
Revolutionary War (1775–1783)
Pension and bounty land application files are held by the National Archives. They're digitized on Fold3, and free to browse on FamilySearch. Many pensions were granted under an 1832 act, so applicants were elderly and gave long accounts of their service and life. Also check lineage society records, like the DAR's free Genealogical Research System.
War of 1812 (1812–1815)
War of 1812 pension files have been digitized through a volunteer fundraising project and are free on Fold3. Bounty land files from this era are also valuable.
Civil War (1861–1865)
- Union soldiers: pensions were federal and are held by the National Archives. Index cards are online, and the full files can be ordered from NARA. Some widows' files are digitized on Fold3.
- Confederate soldiers: the federal government didn't pay Confederate pensions. Southern states did, and the veteran applied in the state where he lived later, which may not be where he served. Look in that state's archives.
- The free NPS Soldiers and Sailors Database covers 6.3 million soldiers from both sides.
- The 1890 Veterans Schedule lists Union veterans and widows and survived the fire that destroyed most of the 1890 census.
World War I draft cards (1917–1918)
About 24 million men, nearly every man in the U.S. born between about 1872 and 1900, filled out a draft registration card, whether or not they served. Cards give exact birth date, birthplace (often the town for immigrants), address, employer, nearest relative and a physical description. They're free on FamilySearch.
World War II
The 1942 "Old Man's Registration" covered men born from 1877 to 1897, many of whom were too old to serve, so it's useful for grandparents and great-grandparents. Younger men's draft cards are also widely online. NARA's free Access to Archival Databases includes WWII Army enlistment records.
Our Military Records directory links to every collection mentioned here.
Next: Wills and Probate: Proving Who Belonged to Whom →