The National Personnel Records Center suffered a fire in 1973 that destroyed millions of military service records from 1916 to 1964. Here's what happened.
Search Results For - Military Records
A Closer Look at Military Records #4
A source of military records that is unorthodox but interesting, and potentially extremely rewarding, is old newspaper records. It was not uncommon during times of war for local newspapers to publish...
A Closer Look at Military Records #3
Draft cards are excellent sources of information on your military-aged ancestor. Drafts were used in most US wars and military conflicts until the end of the Vietnam War. Digitized draft cards from...
A Closer Look at Military Records #2
The Civil War presents a unique case in military records for the United States. This is because only Union records were kept by the federal government for decades. It was the early twentieth century...
A Closer Look at Military Records #1
Military service is built into this country’s history. The service of hundreds of thousands of people over the past two and a half centuries has generated records that can be used to improve one’s...
Maryland and Delaware Revolutionary Patriots, 1775-1783 Military Records
Within the index, you can find approximately 104,000 individuals from Maryland and Delaware who contributed in some fashion as patriots to support the freedom of the American colonies from the rule...
Massachusetts Civil War Soldiers and Sailors, 1861-1865 Military Records
The materials date from 1861 to 1865 and follow the military careers of Massachusetts servicemen and their commanding officers. Together, the military records in these volumes reference approximately...
Using Military Records to Construct Family Trees
Military records can be excellent sources for breaking down genealogy brick walls. Here's how to find and use military records to solve genealogy mysteries.
Military Records: U.S. Soldiers, 1784-1811
This card index is a resource to the compiled service records of 21,000 volunteer soldiers who served from twenty-two states and territories of the United States between 1784 and 1811. Listings...
Revolutionary War Pension Lists Military Records
Military pension records are among the most authoritative sources of genealogical information because they were granted on the basis of approved applications. Pension applications had to be supported...
New York in the Revolution and War of 1812 Military Records
In records ranging from military diaries and muster rolls to historical essays, this collection of books details New York’s participation in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812...
Ohio Soldiers in World War I Military Records
Investigate your Ohio family’s participation in the Great War. Because genealogical records for this time period are somewhat limited, the excellent coverage provided in this database can be...
Roll of Honor: Civil War Union Soldiers Military Records
Virginia in the Revolution and War of 1812 Military Records
The index records collected within these eleven books were extracted from sources ranging from local courthouses to national archives. Original sources include bounty land applications, militia...
Connecticut Officers and Soldiers, 1700s-1800s Military Records
Reach further into your family tree’s Connecticut branches! This unique and comprehensive collection of Connecticut military records from the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War...
Military Records: Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865
This resource contains the complete index of the National Archives microfilm roll number M918, Register of Confederate Soldiers, Sailors, and Citizens Who Died in Federal Prisons and Military...
Searching Through Military Pension Records | Genealogy Clips #67
Military pension records are a good source of first and maiden names for female ancestors.
What Information Can You Find in Tax Records?
Have you started using tax records to research the lives of your ancestors? If not, you should. Tax records offer a lot of information you never imagined.
A Closer Look at Immigration Records #1
People from Europe have been coming to North America for a thousand years. The more permanent European settlements, however, did not start being established until the late 16th and early 17th...
Old Newspaper Records: A Closer Look at Family History Research #4
One of the best sources of intimate genealogical information is old newspaper records. These records are much more accessible than they used to be, thanks to the Internet. Both beginning and...
Vital Records: A Closer Look at Family History Research #2
The next logical place for you to continue your beginning family history research is with vital records. These are typically birth, death, and marriage records. These are super important records to...
Alternative Records: A Closer Look at Birth Records #4
There are times when you will not find an official birth record for a person. This could be because one never existed, or that it was lost to time. If you cannot find a birth record, there are...
Pension Records: A Closer Look at Civil War Records #3
Civil War pension records are excellent sources of information on both the personal lives and military service of Civil War soldiers and their dependents. Veterans could apply for government pensions...
Service Records: A Closer Look at Civil War Records #2
The service records of your Civil War ancestors have a lot of information in them. This information can be put together to give you a pretty accurate and often quite detailed story of what they did...
Where to Find Them: A Closer Look at Civil War Records #1
The American Civil War generated a lot of records of different types. These are records that can often add many beautiful layers of personal detail to your genealogy research, and bring ancestors on...
Death Record Alternatives: A Closer Look at Death Records #4
If you looked everywhere you knew to look, and still couldn’t find a death record for your ancestor, you should be hopeful. There are several worthy alternatives for death records that you might not...
Death Indexes: A Closer Look at Death Records #3
If you are not able to locate a death certificate or an obituary for an ancestor, you may be able to find a date of death for them (as well as some other information) in a death index. There are...
New York Revolutionary War Records, 1775-1840
This lookup request includes information gathered from a great variety of sources including muster and payrolls, historical essays, biographies, meeting minutes, correspondence, land records, and...
Using Freedmen’s Records in Genealogical Research
The Freedmen’s Bureau records are an invaluable resource for the descendants of formerly enslaved people in the United States. They provide information that isn’t found anywhere else and can bring...
Tips for Using Birth Records to Ensure Success in Your Genealogy
Do you have birth records of your ancestors? If you've been doing genealogy even a short time, you likely do. Here's how to use them to enhance your genealogy.