Tennessee Military Records

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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 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 “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

Post of Chattanooga -- Textual records of this fort, 1864-1879, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).

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 (Family History Library 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.

Revolutionary War
(1775–1783)

Those who supported the Revolution may be mentioned in records as rebels, patriots, or Whigs. Those who opposed the Revolution were Loyalists or Tories.

• Patriots. Service and pension records and indexes for patriots are on film at the National Archives and the Family History Library. See the U.S. Military Records Research Outline for sources.
• Loyalists. For Loyalist records, see the “Military Records” section of the 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. (Family History Library 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. (Family History Library 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. (Family History Library book 976.8 M2so nos.1–5 1975; film 1036620 item 2). This contains abstracts of pension applications.

Information varies for each person listed. It may contain the veteran’s name and age, where he served, and where his pension was drawn.

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

War of 1812 (1812–1815)

• Brief History of Tennessee in the War of 1812
• Regimental Histories of Tennessee Units During the War of 1812

McCown, Mary Hardin. Soldiers of the War of 1812 Buried in Tennessee. 1959. (Family History Library book 976.8 M2mh). 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. Family History Library 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. (Family History Library 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 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. (Family History Library 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. Indexes to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served during the Cherokee Disturbances and Removal in Organizations from the State of Tennessee, and the Field and Staff of the Army of the Cherokee Nation. Washington D.C.: National Archives, 1972. (Family History Library film 1205384). The record is in alphabetical order by surname. Entries include the soldier’s name, rank, regiment, and company.

Mexican War (1846–1848)

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. (Family History Library films 882797–811). This includes regimental returns, a record of events during the war, and company muster rolls.

Civil War (1861–1865)

Tennessee joined the Confederacy in 1861, but Tennessee soldiers served in both the Union and Confederate armies. Indexes to the service records are at the Family History Library and the National Archives. The service records are available at the National Archives in Washington, D.C..

• Bibliography of Tennessee Civil War Unit Histories is at Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Union Records. The following records of Union veterans are available from the Family History Library:

• United States. Record and Pension Office. Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Tennessee. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1962. (Family History Library film 1482042–261). This includes regimental returns and a detailed record of events of the war.
• United States. Record and Pension Office. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations From the State of Tennessee. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1962. (Family History Library film 821889–904). Individual index cards are alphabetical and include the soldier’s company and regiment.
• United States. Quartermaster’s Department. Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers Who Died in Defence of the American Union, interred in. . . Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1981 (Family History Library film 1311589–91). Records contain the name, rank, regiment, company, death date, and burial place of Union soldiers. Names are arranged alphabetically.

A special census was taken in 1890 of Union veterans of the Civil War:

• United States. Census Office. 11th census, 1890. Schedules Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1948. The films for Tennessee are: (Family History Library films 338254–57.) Each entry lists the veteran’s name (or if he did not survive, both the widow’s and the veteran’s names) and may contain the following: the veteran’s rank, company, and regiment or vessel; dates of enlistment and discharge; length of service in years, months, and days; post office and address; disability incurred; and remarks necessary to a complete statement of the term of service.  In Tennessee, this schedule included both Union and Confederate soliders.  An online index is available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

See also Tennessee Census, which lists other sources for the 1890 Civil War veterans’ schedules.

Confederate Records. The Board of Pension examiners was established for Tennessee in 1891.  Widows were allowed to file for a pension beginning in 1905.  For a Confederate veteran to qualify for a pension, he was required to prove that he was unable to support himself, that he was honorably discharged from the service, and that he was a resident of the state for at least one year.  It is important to note that Confederate veterans applied to the pension board in the state where they currently resided, not the state from which they served.  Records may contain the applicant's name, age, address, county of residence, company, battles fought in, and marriage information.

• An online index for  veteran,widow's and African-American Confederate pension applications is found at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. This index is searchable by the applicant's name as well as by county.  A county search is helpful when trying to determine which veterans served together from a paticular unit.  Use care when limiting your search of this index by county.  Veterans may have moved from the county where they were born or the county where they enlisted in their unit.  "S" indicates that the application is a soldier's application.  "W" indicates that it is a widow's application.  A "C" indicates that the applicant is African-American. Pension application numbers access the following films at the Family History Library:
• Tennessee. Board of Pension Examiners. Confederate Pension Applications: Soldiers and Widows, 1891–ca. 1965. Nashville, Tennessee: State Library and Archives. (On 181 Family History Library films beginning with 978497.)
• A book-form index to pension applications is, Sistler, Samuel D. Index to Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications. Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler, 1995. (Family History Library book 976.8 M22s index; fiche 6125500 [set of 5].) This book includes entries from all three pension files:  soldiers, widows and colored men's applications.  An "S", "W", or "C" before the application number designates the file where the application originated.  The county where the application was filed is listed as well as the applicant's unit in which he served.  Again, use care when limiting your search of this index by county.  Veterans may have moved from the county where they were born or the county where they enlisted in their unit.

Other records available through the Family History Library are:

• United States. Record and Pension Office. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Tennessee. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1959. (370 Family History Library films beginning with 1499671.) This record is indexed in volume 2 of Tennesseans in the Civil War listed below; it is also in:
• United States. Adjutant General’s Office. Index to Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Tennessee. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1959. (Family History Library films 880055–102.)
• Wiefering, Edna. Tennessee’s Confederate Widows and Their Families: Abstracts of 11,190 Confederate Widows Pension Applications.Cleveland Public Staff and Volunteers, 1992. (Family History Library book 976.8 M28w.) These records include widow's maiden name, widow's residence at time of application, year and place of widow's birth, name of soldier with his year and place of birth, year and place of marriage, and year and place of soldier's death.
• List of Officers of Tennessee Regiments With the Name, Rank, Company, Regiment and P.O. Address. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1990. (Family History Library fiche 6082657.) This list is alphabetical.

Military data from the application forms of the United Daughters of the Confederacy are in:

• United Daughters of the Confederacy. Tennessee Division. Confederate Patriot Index. N.p., 1976–1978. (Family History Library book 976.8 M2u; Fiche 6046695 [set of 17].) Soldiers are listed alphabetically with their death dates, regiments, and names of living relatives.
• Joint Union and Confederate Records. Tennessee. State Library and Archives (Nashville, Tennessee). Civil War Veterans Biographical and Genealogical Questionnaires, 1914–1922. Nashville, Tennessee: State Library and Archives, 1974. (Family History Library films 975591–99.) The record contains responses of both Union and Confederate veterans in Tennessee.
• Index to Questionnaires of Civil War Veterans. Nashville, Tennessee: The Archives, 1962. (Family History Library book 976.8 A1 no. 57; 982038 item 22.) This alphabetical list includes the veteran’s company, regiment, and county of residence.
• Tennessee. Adjutant General’s Office. Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Tennessee, of the Military Forces of the State, from 1861 to 1866. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1990. (Family History Library fiche 6082658 [set of eight.)] This alphabetical list includes each soldier’s rank, age, enlistment date, and muster date.

The Tennessee Civil War Home Page created by Jeff Weaver is a central repository for information about Tennessee in the Civil War:

www.members.aol.com/jweaver303/tn/tncwhp.htm

• Tennesseans in the Civil War: A Military History of Confederate and Union Units with Available Rosters of Personnel. Nashville, Tennessee: Civil War Centennial Commission, 1964. (Family History Library book 976.8 M2t; fiche 6046966 [set of 13].) Volume 1 contains brief unit histories. Volume 2 is an alphabetical list of Confederate and Union troops.

Unit Histories. An important inventory for finding Civil War military histories is:

• A Guide to the Microfiche Edition of Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives. Part 1, Confederate States of America and Border States. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1992. (Family History Library book 973 M2cwu pt. 1.)

Tennessee units are listed on pages 75–80. The Family History 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.

Confederate Physicians.  The Tennessee State Library and Archives compiled an index to Tennessee Confederate Physicans. This list was compiled from several different sources.  The database inidicates the source record and usually the unit with which the physician served.

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 Family History Library 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. (Family History Library films 969840–42.) This record has Confederate soldiers’ applications to the soldiers’ home in Nashville.

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. (Family History Library 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 Family History Library 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/ 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. (Family History Library book 973M3dc v 1-2; Film 1440393 Items 1-2.) 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. (Family History Library 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. (Family History Library 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 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 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

http://www.tngenweb.org/records/military/

References

Tennessee Research Outline. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Family History Department, 1998, 2001.