Presented by:
Elaine Jones Hayes
Laramie County Library System
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Record what you already know. Start with yourself and work backwards. Fill out a ancestry chart or acquire a genealogy
computer program.
Read a genealogy how-to book and/or attend a class. LCLS has basic classes in February, June and October. Handouts online at laramiecountylibrary.org.
Begin your research at home.
Start with the 1940 census and information from vital records (birth, marriage & death).
Clues may be found: Family stories
Photographs
Census records
Newspaper clipping
Journals, diaries and correspondence
Death records and obituaries
Local histories
Grave markers
“Completed” family genealogies
Registration/draft rules for that particular war
Draft records
Service records
Pension documents
Prison rolls
Casualty lists
Unit histories
Etc. (anything with information about service)
In general the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (archives.gov) in Washington D.C.has service records for those serving in the United States military from 1775 to ~1917.
The National Personal Records Center in St. Louis, MO has service records from ~1912 to the present day.
Pre WWI military records are also available on microfilm at the regional branches of the National Archives including the one in Denver.
The facility is located in buildings 46 and 48 of the Denver Federal Center at West 6th Avenue & Kipling Street.
Hours are: 7:30 – 4:00 PM
Closed weekends and federal holidays
archives.gov/rocky-mountain
Individual’s official military records are generally NOT online.
A few “sample” military records are digitized in Archival Research Catalog (ARC) or Access to Archival Database (AAD) on the National Archives website at archives.gov.
Some military service information can be found online at Ancestry.com, Ancestry Library, Heritage Quest, Footnote.com or other subscription databases.
You may find family history information relating to military ancestors or historical military information by doing a general Internet search (just Google it).
Military service records and discharge records
Compiled military service records
Pension records or veteran’s claims
Draft registration cards
Bounty Land records
Colonial wars (1675-1763). More historical than genealogical. Most rosters and rolls have been published and are
available in genealogy libraries and/or on the Internet.
Revolutionary and Post Revolutionary (1774-1848). Records not destroyed by fire are at the National
Archives. Mostly are rosters and rolls of soldiers serving in the
Continental Army and militias.
Revolutionary war records. Contain more genealogical data than colonial records. Indexed and microfilmed.
Available at the National Archives and regional branches. There is a branch in Denver.
And at the LDS Family History Library. Also check the Internet and computer databases like
Ancestry Library Edition and Heritage Quest.
Three types of records. Pensions. Bounty-land warrant applications. Military service records.
Revolutionary War pension application files have been microfilmed by the National Archives and are available at the LDS Family History Library (familysearch.org) in Salt Lake City and the National Archives in D.C. and their branch locations (including Denver).
Also see Heritage Quest and Ancestry Library Edition for Revolutionary War Pension File information.
Given in lieu of monetary compensation for military service.
Given to entice enlistments during military conflicts.
Citizenship not a requirement for military bounty land.
Primarily granted to soldiers serving in the Revolutionary War , War of 1812, early Indian Wars and the Mexican War.
All federal military bounty-land records are housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Records were created by two different agencies:Pension bureau handled the
application.
General Land Office fulfilled the warrant.
Laramie County Library System (LCLS) has several indexes for the revolutionary war bounty land including: Virgil D. White’s Genealogical Abstracts of
Revolutionary War Pension Files. Hoyt’s Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications
in the National Archives.
Also check Ancestry Library and Heritage Quest and glorecords.blm.gov.
Pension Applications
Muster Rolls
Pay Rolls
Militia Lists
Material Aid Claims
Civil Service
Oaths of Allegiance
Oaths of Fidelity
Association Lists
Signers of the Declaration of Independence
U.S. National Archives www.archives.gov
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) www.dar.org
National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) www.sar.org
Also try the state libraries and/or state archives in the 13 original states.
Subscription Databases:
Ancestry.com or Ancestry Library (available at Wyoming county, academic and special libraries)
www.fold3.com
Some 2.8 million men served the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War (1861-65):
The Civil War Pension Index is available at Ancestry.com and Ancestry Library, and is one of the best places to start looking for Union soldiers.
The Family History Library (familysearch.org) in Salt Lake City also has the complete collection of index cards on microfilm. They are adding more scanned digital records on their website every day.
NARA does not have pension files for
Confederate soldiers. Pensions were
granted to Confederate veterans and
their widows and minor children by the
states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia;
these records are in the state archives or equivalent agency.
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) www.itd.nps.gov/cwss
Confederate Regimental History Index www.tarleton.edu/~kjones/confeds.html
Union Regimental History Index www.tarleton.edu/~kjones/unions.html
Civil War Archive http://www.civilwararchive.com
Civil War Official Records www.ehistory.com/uscw/index.cfm
All men between 18 and 45 were required to register.
Does not mean they actually served in WWI.
These records can be found on Ancestry.com , Ancestry Library, familysearch.org and the U.S. National Archives and possibly other locations online.
WWI Draft Online www.genealogybranches.com/worldwaronedraftcards.html
WWI Draft Registration Abstracts members.aol.com/Rayhbanks/cos.html
WWI Draft Registration Lists www.usigs.org/library/military/links/wwi.htm
WWI Draft Registration www.rootdig.com/draft/worldwaronedraft.html
WWI Draft Search userdb.rootsweb.com/ww1/draft/search.cgi
WWI Draft Cards Samples www.rootdig.com/draft/samples.html
World War I draft registration cards. Required males between 18 and 45 to register.
Are available from the National Archives and the LDS Family History Library , FamilySearch.org, Ancestry Library Edition and Ancestry.com.
Discharge records for World Wars I and II are on file at the local county courthouse. Some have been microfilmed by the Family History
Library (in Salt Lake City) and can be borrowed.
Check websites such as Familysearch.org and Ancestry.com or Ancestry Library.
WWII Draft Registration Cards www.rootdig.com/draft/worldwartwo.html
WWII Records at the U.S. National Archives aad.archives.gov/aad/topic_search_results.jsp
Casualtieswww.abmc.gov/search/wwii.php
Korean War Casualties www.abmc.gov/search-abmc-burials-and-
memorializations National Archives Korean War Casualty Lists Korean War (General Info)
www.koreanwar.org/html/korean_war_databases.html
Vietnam War Casualties http://thewall-usa.com National Archives Korean War Casualty Lists Vietnam War (General Info)
www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war
World War I to present (1917 – 2011) WWII and later service records restricted to
immediate family.Right-to-privacy laws (62+ years).
Housed at the National Personnel Records Center St. Louis, MO. Fire in 1973 destroyed millions (75 -80%)
of service records for those serving in the Army and Air Force between 1912 and 1964. But some records have been reconstructed from other sources.
For recent records (WWII –present), veterans and next-of-kin can obtain FREE copies of their DD Form 214 (Report of Separation) and other military and medical forms by: Using the eVetRecs system to create a request
Mail or fax a Standard Form SF-180
For military personnel records prior to WWI: Service Records: order online or use NATF Form 86
Pension claim files or Bounty land warrant application files: order online or use NATF form 85.
Downloadable forms at archives.gov/forms.
gravelocator.cem.va.gov Veterans Affairs –Veteran Grave Locator
www.interment.net/us/nat/veterans.htmInterment.net listing of National Veterans Cemeteries
www.abmc.gov American Battle Monuments Commission
Unit histories (books and online) Military Branch histories Histories of the Specific Conflict Cemetery records Diaries Letters Memoirs Family Stories Photographs Medals, Uniforms, etc.
Helpful for “fleshing out” the story (making it more interesting, lively or compelling). Also gives you ideas of where to look for official records.
www.history.army.mil U.S. Army
www.history.navy.mil U.S. Navy
www.mcu.usmc.mil U.S. Marine Corps
www.afhra.af.mil U.S. Air Force
www.uscg.mil/history U.S. Coast Guard
history.defense.gov/ Department of Defense
www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/military/american-military-history.html National Archives Military History Page
Contact the National Archives, NPRC, VA, hire a genealogy researcher, read a how-to book and/or visit the Laramie County Library System’s Special Collections Department on the 3rd floor at 2200 Pioneer Avenue in Cheyenne.
Library Hours are:
Mon-Thurs 10am – 9pm
Fri-Sat 10am – 6pm
Sun 12-5pm