The Best Sources For Researching Ancestors Who Fought In The Wars
December 1st, 2008

Did your ancestors ever serve in the war? If they did, you could be overlooking a valuable resource leading to vital statistics about them and their family members that exist as a result of their military service. By figuring out what conflicts, if any, that your ancestor served in, you can proceed in researching the variety of military records at your fingertips.

Military pensions are one avenue of research. Not only veterans but also their widows or minor children may have received benefits. Information from family and friends may also be available in the file, making it a source for genealogical information on the family as a whole, not just the veteran himself. Due to the information supplied by family members and acquaintances in pension files, you should seek them for not only direct ancestors but their relatives and friends as well who were veterans.

When searching for your male ancestors who were veterans don't forget to look for female relatives who may have somehow been involved in the military. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) provides information on female patriots who assisted soldiers during the Revolution. Also look for both ancestors you know are veterans and ancestors who could possibly be veterans. If you believe an ancestor went to a military academy, get a copy of his school records even if he did not graduate and go into the military. School records provide interesting familial information. Finally, don't forget to look for ancestors who served in the military but not during a war. These people still have valuable records that you can access.

Approximately eleven armed conflicts occurred in American History between 1775 and 1975. Each conflict can be researched using different resources. The census, however, particularly the 1930 census, is a good place to start. In 1930, your ancestor would have indicated he was a veteran if he had served in the Boxer Rebellion, Civil War, Mexican Expedition, Philippine Insurrection, Spanish-American war, or World War.

Veterans of the Colonial Wars, which included various battles fought before 1775, may be listed in state or county records. The Society of Colonial Wars also provides information in the form of books and other documents relating to the battles. Many men, young and old, participated in the American Revolution, which lasted from 1775 to 1783. The D.A.R. and the S.A.R., the Sons of the American Revolution, possess a large amount of information on veterans of the Revolution. Veterans with pensions are also listed on microfilm in numerous libraries. Soldiers, who served their individual states, rather than the federal government, would be included in state or county records, and soldiers who fought in single battles may be listed in battle records that could be available on the Internet.

The twentieth century was a turbulent time for Americans, consisting of numerous conflicts beginning with the War of 1812. Veterans of the War of 1812, which lasted until 1815, can be found in indexed records in the National Archives. They may also be listed in county or state records, in pension records, or in land records after receiving land grants. The Indian Wars lasted between 1817 and 1898 and included a variety of conflicts, such as the Seminole Wars and the Black Hawk War, which can be researched in local and federal archives. Other armed conflicts that occurred between the Indian Wars were the Mexican War and the Civil War. The Mexican War lasted between 1846 and 1848. Pension files and service records have been indexed on microfilm, and many soldiers received land grants for their service. Some veterans of the Mexican War also served in the Civil War. Many American men, both young boys and older veterans of the Mexican war, served in the Civil War. Residence in a Union or Confederate State does not guarantee that your ancestor served on the same side of the war as his neighbors. Pension records for Union Soldiers are located in the National Archives and some are also online. Many confederate soldiers did not receive pensions, and if they did, they received them from the state. Records can be found in state archives and/or adjutant general's offices. The Allen County Public Library and the National Park Service battlefields, cemeteries, obituaries, and census records also serve as good resources for information on Civil War Veterans. Finally, three more conflicts occurred before World War I at the end of the twentieth century. Veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898-1899), the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902), and the Boxer Rebellion (1900-1901) have pension or service records, some of which are indexed and available in the National Archives.

Veterans of World War I, which lasted from 1917-1918, can be found through draft cards (easily found if you know where your ancestor lived), Internet sites and archives of service records, discharge papers, and, if you have your ancestor's service number, through the National Military Personnel Records. Some World War II records, including National Military Personnel Records are available. Online databases list soldiers who died in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC also lists deceased soldiers

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