Tennessee Military Records: Difference between revisions

Military records identify the millions who served in the military or who were eligible for service. Evidence that an ancestor actually served may be found in family traditions, census records, naturalization records, biographies, cemetery records, and records of veterans’ organizations.  

Many useful military records are at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The [[United States Military Records|U.S. Military Records Research Outline]] provides more information on federal military records and search strategies. The Tennessee State Library and Archives Internet site listed in the “[[Tennessee Archives and Libraries|Archives and Libraries]]” section of this outline has many military records, including indexes to soldiers of the state who served in various conflicts.  

=== Forts ===

Fort Caswell, Fort Laudoun (1756-1760), Fort Marr, Fort Patrick Henry, Fort San Fernando

=== Colonial Period (1600–1775) ===

Kegley, Mary B. ''Soldiers of Fincastle County, Virginia, 1774''. Dublin, Virginia: M. B. Kegley, 1974 (FHL book 975.5 A1 no. 12). The record is arranged by companies and gives name, number of days served, rate, and amount paid. The record may include men living in the territory that later became the State of Tennessee. This record includes an index.  

*'''Patriots.''' Service and pension records and indexes for patriots are on film at the National Archives and the Family History Library. See the [[United States Military Records|U.S. Military Records Research Outline for]] sources.  

*'''Loyalists.''' For Loyalist records, see the “Military Records” section of the [[Canada Military Records|Canada Research Outline]].

Some good general sources to search include:  

Armstrong, Zella. ''Twenty-four Hundred Tennessee Pensioners: Revolution–War of 1812.'' Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1987. (FHL book 976.8 M2az 1987). This lists pensioners, their ages, where they served, and where their pension was drawn.  

Bates, Lucy Womack. ''Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Tennessee''. Brentwood, Tennessee: Tennessee Society, NSDAR, 1979. (FHL book 976.8 V3b). The record is arranged alphabetically by surname, then given name. Most entries give name, birth date and place, marriage date and place, death date and place, rank, and unit; and spouse’s name, birth date and place, and death date and place.  

''Some Tennessee Heroes of the Revolution''. 1933. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1975. (FHL book 976.8 M2so nos.1–5 1975; film 1036620 item 2). This contains abstracts of pension applications.  

See also [[Tennessee Census|Tennessee Census]], which lists other sources for the 1840 Revolutionary War veterans’ schedules.  

=== War of 1812 (1812–1815) ===

McCown, Mary Hardin. ''Soldiers of the War of 1812 Buried in Tennessee.'' 1959. (FHL book 976.8 M23m). The record is arranged alphabetically by surname. Most of the entries give name, birth and death dates, home county, rank, and unit; and spouse’s name, birth and death dates.  

Sistler, Byron. ''Tennesseans in the War of 1812''. Nashville, Tennessee: Byron Sistler and Associates, 1992. (FHL book 976.8 M22s; film 1697905 item 3). The names are arranged in alphabetical order. It includes officers and enlisted men, giving each name, rank, regiment, and residence.  

''War of 1812 Pensioners Living in Tennessee during the 1880's''. Cullman, Alabama: Gregath, 1983. (FHL book 976.8 M2wa). The record is arranged alphabetically by county.

Most of the entries give the pensioner’s name, address, cause for pension, and date of original allowance. The record includes an index. The index to War of 1812 pensions listed in the [[United States Military Records|U.S. Military Records Research Outline is]] a better index.  

=== Cherokee Wars (Removal) (1836–1839) ===

Douthat, James L. ''Volunteer Soldiers in the Cherokee War, 1836–39''. Signal Mountain, Tennessee: Mountain Press, 1995. (FHL book 970.3 C424dj; fiche 6038272 [set of three].) This record contains a listing of the volunteer soldiers from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

 

 

United States. Adjutant General’s Office. ''Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served during the Mexican War in Organizations from the State of Tennessee.'' Washington D.C.: National Archives, 1965. (FHL films 882797–811). This includes regimental returns, a record of events during the war, and company muster rolls.  

Tennessee units are listed on pages 75–80. The library has the large microfiche collection described in this guide. Use the library catalog to find individual items, including correspondence, diaries, memoirs, and regimental histories published before 1920. The guide shows the unit name, counties where it was raised, author, title, publication information, number of pages, and source repository. It also includes an author index and a major engagements index. <!-- Tidy found serious XHTML errors --><!-- Tidy found serious XHTML errors --><!-- Tidy found serious XHTML errors --><!-- Tidy found serious XHTML errors --><!-- Tidy found serious XHTML errors -->

=== State Soldier Homes ===

For national old soldier homes, including those in Johnson City and Nashville, Tennessee, see:  

United States. Veterans Administration. ''Registers of Veterans at National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866–1937.'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988. (On 282 FHL films.) This includes general indexes for each of 12 homes, including the Johnson City home. These records may list a soldier’s name, date and place of enlistment, rank, military unit, length of service, date and place of discharge, birthplace, age, physical description, marital status, religion, occupation, previous residence, nearest relative, pension, soldier home admission and discharge dates, disability, death date, and cause of death.  

Tennessee. Confederate Soldiers’ Home. ''Soldiers’ Applications for Admission, 1889–ca. 1965.'' Nashville, Tennessee: State Library and Archives. (FHL films 969840–42.) This record has Confederate soldiers’ applications to the soldiers’ home in Nashville. A list of the applicants is also on the Tennessee Library and Archives Internet web site listed in the “[[Tennessee Archives and Libraries|Archives and Libraries]]” section of this outline.  

=== World War I (1917–1918) ===

For a published roster of soldiers who died in the war see:  

Haulsee, W. M. comp. ''Soldiers of the Great War.'' Three Volumes. Washington, D.C.: Soldiers Record Publication Association, 1920. (FHL book 973 M23s; fiche 6051244 [set of 18].) Tennessee soldiers are listed in Volume Three, pages 207–44. It gives the soldier’s name, residence, rank, cause of death, and includes pictures.  

World War I draft registration cards for men ages 18–45 may list address, birth date, birthplace, race, nationality, citizenship, and next of kin. Not all registrants served in the war. For registration cards for Tennessee, see:  

United States. Selective Service System. ''Tennessee, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918.'' National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington D.C.: National Archives, 1987–1988. (On 82 FHL films beginning with 1852852.)  

To find an individual’s draft card, you need to know his name and residence at the time of registration.  

The cards are arranged alphabetically by county, within the county by draft board, and then alphabetically by surname within each draft board. Most counties had only one draft board; large cities had several.  

The Tennessee Library and Archives Internet web site at http://www.state.tn.us/tsla/&nbsp;has an index of World War I Veterans arranged by county. The index lists the soldier’s name, birth date and place, and any notes.  

=== World War II (1941–1945) ===

''Combat Connected Naval Casualties, World War II, by States.'' Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946. Compiled and revised by Casualty Department. (FHL book 973 M23un.) This book lists soldiers alphabetically by state, then within the state by status: dead, missing, wounded, died or killed while a Prisoner of War (POW), and released POW's.  

=== Other Military Records ===

A published list of militia officers of 1796–1815 is:  

Moore, Mrs. John Trotwood. ''Record of Commissions of Officers in the Tennessee Militia, 1796–1815''. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1977. (FHL book 976.8 M2m.) Commissions are listed in chronological order and include the officer’s name, regiment, and rank.  

For a comprehensive description of both federal and Tennessee state military records, see:  

Neagles, James C. ''U. S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State Sources, Colonial America to the Present''. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, 1994. (FHL book 973 M23nu.) This book describes federal military records, then discusses each state individually. Pages 339–343 provide details of military records housed in various archives in Tennessee, many of which are not microfilmed.  

The [[United States Military Records|U.S. Military Records Research Outline provides]] more information on federal military records and search strategies. Additional military information and sources can be found in the&nbsp;Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:  

TENNESSEE - MILITARY HISTORY  

TENNESSEE - MILITARY RECORDS  

TENNESSEE, [COUNTY] - MILITARY RECORDS  

TENNESSEE, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - MILITARY RECORDS  

=== Web Sites ===

http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/military.html