Military Records

For more than 350 years, millions of Americans have been involved in military service, both at home and abroad. Consequently, military records are one of the most fruitful resources for biographical and genealogical research.

In order to facilitate your investigation, it is necessary to become familiar with the various types of military records in existence (such as muster rolls, bounty-land warrants, pensions, etc.) and the information they contain. It is equally important to understand what resources exist on the county, state, and federal levels, and where such documents can be found.

The Library has a major collection of military unit histories, bibliographies, indexes, memoirs, and related publications. Only a portion of them can be included here. Please consult the online catalog for the details on our military history collection.

General and Biographical Military Works

Callahan, Edward W., ed. Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from 1775 to 1900. (Ref  V 11 .U7 C2 1901)

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives [See "Section B: Military Records," chaps. 4-10, pp. 72-156]. (Ref Z 5313 .U5 U54 1985)

Hamersly, Thomas H. S., ed. Army Register of the United States for One Hundred Years 1779-1879. (Ref E 255 H3 1880)

__________. United States Navy and Marine Corps Register 1782-1882. (Ref V 11 .U7 H2 1882)

Moebs, Thomas T. Black Soldiers, Black Sailors, Black Ink [2 vols.]. (Index E 185.63 .M64 1994)

Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. (Index CD 3033 .U55 1985)

Pappas, George S. United States Army Military History Research Collections: Special Bibliographic Series No. 4, United States Army Unit Histories. (Index Z 6725 .U5 U415 1971)

Roberts, Robert B. Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military Pioneer and Trading Posts of the United States. (Ref UA 26 .A45 1988)

Spiller, Roger J., ed. Dictionary of American Military Biography. (Ref U 52 .D53 1984)

United States Naval Academy: Register of Alumni 1845-1973. (Ref V 415 .H5)

Colonial Wars (Pre-Revolutionary)

Bodge, George M. Soldiers in King Phillip's War. (Ref E 83.67 .B662 1906)

Clark, Murtie J. Colonial Soldiers of the South 1732-1774. (USouth E 255 .C594 1983)

Sandel, Edward, ed. Black Soldiers in the Colonial Militia. (Index E 185.63 .S3 1994)

Revolutionary War

American State Papers: Military Affairs [7 vols.]. (Ref J 33 .A48 FOLIO)

Berg, Fred A. Encyclopedia of Continental Army Units: Battalions, Regiments and Independent Corps. (Ref E 259 .B47 1972)

Blair, John, et al, eds. Pennsylvania in the Revolution: Battalions and Line: 1775-1793. (Ref E 263 .P4 L75 1880)

Bunnel, Paul J. The New Loyalist Index. (Index E 277 .B86 1989)

__________. Research Guide to Loyalist Ancestors. (Ref E 277 .B85 1990)

A Census of Pensioners For Revolutionary or Military Service 1840. (Ref E 255 .U42 1989)

Clark, David Sanders. Index to Maps of the American Revolution in Books and Periodicals. (Index E 203 .C58 1974)

Coldham, Peter Wilson. American Loyalist Claims. (Ref E 277 .C6 1980)

 DAR Patriot Index [3 vols.]. (Ref E 202.5 .D38 1990)

Gephart, Ronald M. Revolutionary America 1763-1789: A Bibliography. (Index E 208 .G43 1984)

Greene, Robert E. Black Courage 1775-1783. (Ref E 269 .N3 G74 1987)

Hatcher, Patricia Law. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots [4 vols.]. (Ref E 255 .H39)

Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution. (Ref E 255 .H48 1967)

Hessiche Truppen [or the Hetrina List in 5 vols.]. (Ref E 268 .M37 1972 FOLIO)

Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications in the National Archives. (CS 63 .N38 1987)

Index of the Rolls of Honor (Ancestor's Index) in the Lineage Books of the NSDAR [4 vols. in two]. (Ref E 202.5 .A15 Index 2)

Katcher, Philip R.N. Encyclopedia of British Provincial and German Army Units 1775-1783. (Ref E 267 .K37 1973)

Minority Military Service 1776-1783 [New England]. (Ref E 263 .C5 M56 1988)

Nebenzahl, Kenneth. A Bibliography of Printed Battle Plans of the American Revolution 1775-1795. (Index E 230 .N43 1975)

Pennsylvania Archives, 3rd Series, Vol. XXII: 475-607; 5th Series, Vol. IV:  499-596 [Pension applications]. (UPA F 146 .P41)

Pennsylvania in the Revolution: Associated Battalions and Militia 1775-1783 [2 vols.]. (Ref E 263 .P4 E34 1890)

Pension Roll of 1820. (Ref E 255 .U53 1991)

Pension Roll of 1835, Indexed Edition [4 vols.]. (Ref E 255 .P385 1992x)

Quarles, Benjamin. The Negro in the American Revolution. (E 269 .N3 Q3 1961)

Sabine, Lorenzo. Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution. (Ref E 277 .S23 1984)

Trussell, John B. B. The Pennsylvania Line: Regimental Organization and Operations 1775-1783. (Ref E 263 .P4 T78 1993)

Valley Forge . . . In Search of That Winter Patriot: 19 December 1777 to 19 June 1778. (Ref E 255 .W84 1979)

White, J. Todd and Lesser, Charles H. Fighters For Independence: A Guide to Sources of Biographical Information on Soldiers and Sailors of the American Revolution. (Index Z 1238 .W45 1977)

White, Virgil. Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files [4 vols.]. (Ref E 255 .W55 1990)

Frontier War, War of 1812, Mexican-American War

Clark, Murtie June. Colonial Soldiers of the South 1732-1777. (USouth E 255 .C594 1983)

Hackenburg, Randy W. Pennsylvania in the War with Mexico: The Volunteer Regiments. (Ref E 409.5 .P3 H33 1992)

Muster Rolls of the Pennsylvania Volunteers in the War of 1812-1814. (UPA E 359.5 .P3 M8 1967)

Schweitzer, George K. War of 1812 Genealogy. (Ref E 354 .S38 1983)

White, Virgil D. Index to Indian Wars Pension Files 1892-1926 [2 vols.]. (Ref E 359.4 .W477 1987b)

__________. Index to Mexican War Pension Files. (Ref E 409.4 .W45)

__________. Index to Old Wars Pension Files: 1815-1926 [2 vols.]. (Ref E 359.4 .W477 1987)

__________. Index to War of 1812 Pension Files [3 vols.]. (Ref E 359.4 .W45 1989)

Civil War: Sources and Methodology

Aimone, Alan C. and Barbara A. A User's Guide to the Official Records of the American Civil War. (Index E 464 .A35 1993)

Ainsworth, Fred, and Kirkley, Joseph W. War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, General Index. (Index E 464 .U6 Index)

Amann, William F. Personnel of the American Civil War: Vol. I, The Confederate Armies; Vol. II, The Union Armies. (Ref E 494 .A5 1964)

Bates, Samuel P. History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers [10 vols., indexed]. (UPA E 527 .B32)

Berlin, Ira, ed. The Black Military Experience. ( E 185.2 .F88 Ser.2)

Boatner, Mark M., III. The Civil War Dictionary. (Ref E 468 .B7 1959)

Confederate Military History, Extended Edition [General history and individual state histories, biographical sketches]. (Ref E 545 .E92 1987)

Crute, Joseph H., Jr. Confederate Staff Officers 1861-1865. (Ref E 548 .C83 1982)

Davis, George B. The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War [Atlas to accompany the Official Records of the Union & Confederate Armies]. (RDesk G 1201 .S1 N3 1988) 

Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. (Ref E 491 .D99 1908 FOLIO)

Groene, Bertram H. Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor. (Ref CD 3047 .G76 1973)

Hargrove, Hondon B. Black Union Soldiers in the Civil War. (Ref E 540 .N3 H35 1988)

Hamersly, T. H. S. Army Register of the U.S. for One Hundred Years 1779-1879. (Ref E 255 .H3 1880)

Jordan, Ervin L., Jr. Black Confederates and Afro-Yankees in Civil War Virginia. (E 585 .A35 J67 1995)

Lloyd, Mark. Combat Uniforms of the Civil War. (Ref UC 483 .L5 1990 FOLIO)

Long, E. B. The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac 1861-65. (Ref  E 468.3 .L6 1971)

Manarin, Louis H., ed. Cumulative Index: The Confederate Veteran Magazine 1893-1932 [3 vols.]. (Index E 482 .C743 1990)

Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of the Congresses of the Confederate States of America 1861-1865. (G 1281 .F8 M3 1994 FOLIO)

McPherson, James M., ed. Battle Chronicles of the Civil War 1861-1865. (Ref E 480 .B29 1989)

Mills, Gary B. Southern Loyalists in the Civil War: The Southern Claims Commission. (Ref E 480.5 .M56 1994)

Moebs, Thomas T. Confederate States Navy Research Guide. (Ref Z 1242.5 .M63 1991)

Neagles, James C. Confederate Research Sources: A Guide to Archive Collections. (Ref E 487 .N3 1986)

Nine, William G., and Ronald G. Wilson. The Appomattox Paroles: April 9-15, 1865. (Ref E 477.67 .N56 1989)

Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force of the United States Army for the Years 1861-1865. (Ref E 494 .U538 1965)

Powell, William H., ed. Officers of the Army and Navy (Regular and Volunteer) Who Served in the Civil War. (Ref E 467 .O32 1894 FOLIO)

Prisoners Who Died at Andersonville Prison. (Ref E 612 .A5 A84 1981)

Register of Officers of the Confederate States Navy 1861-65. (Ref V 11 .U8 U6 1931)

Roll of Honor, U.S. Quartermaster's Department: Names of Soldiers Who Died in Defense of the American Union, Interred in the National Cemeteries. (Ref E 494 .U57 1994)

The Roster of Confederate Soldiers 1861-65. (Ref E 548 .H4 1995)

Southern Bivouac [September 1882 to December 1886, in 6 vols.]. (Ref E 482 .S68 1992)

Spiller, Roger J. Dictionary of American Military Biography [3 vols.]. (Ref U 52 .D53 1984)

Taylor, Frank H. Philadelphia in the Civil War 1861-1865. (UPA/Ph F 158.5 .T25 1913)

Wakelyn, Jon L. Biographical Dictionary of the Confederacy. (Ref E 467 .W2 1977)

Post-Civil War

Stewart, Thomas J. Record of Pennsylvania Volunteers in the Spanish-American War. (Ref E 726 .P4 P4 1901)

Veterans' Service Records

To obtain copies of federal military files prior to World War I use form "NATF Form 80" available at the Library Reference Desk.

To obtain service records for World War I to the present write to:

Military Records
National Personnel Records Center
General Services Administration
9700 Page Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63132

Other Area Repositories

Civil War Library
and Museum
1805 Pine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-735-8196 or 215-545-2425

U.S. Army History Institute
Upton Hall
Carlisle Barracks, PA 17013-5008
717-245-3611

David Library of the American Revolution
River Road, Route 32
Washington Crossing, PA 18977
215-493-6776

Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)
Civil War Museum & Library
4278 Griscom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
215-289-6484

National Archives
Mid-Atlantic Region
9th and Market Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-606-0112

4/26/04