Ohio Military Records

United States U.S. Military Ohio Military Records

The U.S. Military Records Research Page provides more information on federal military records and search strategies.

Forts

Forts dotted Ohio as settlers, Native Americans and Europeans each struggled for their place on Ohio’s lands. These log forts played an instrumental part of Ohio’s early development and each has it’s own unique tale to tell.

Fort Adams 1794-95 Fort Alliance Fort Amanda (1812) Fort Ancient Fort Ball (1812) Columbus Barrracks 1875- Fort Defiance (1794) Fort Deposit (1794) Fort Edward Augustus Fort Fincastle Fort Findlay (1812) Fort Finney Fort Gower (1774)

Fort Greenville (1793) Fort Hamilton (1790) Fort Harmer (1785) Fort Henry (1777) Fort Industry Fort Jefferson (1791) Fort Junandat (1754) Fort Laurens (1778) Laramie's Fort (1750) Fort McArthur (1812) Fort McIntosh Fort Meigs (1802-1813) Fort Miami 1794-97 Fort Necessity

Newport Barracks 1803-94 Fort Presque Isle Fort Piqua Fort Recovery (1793) Fort St. Clair (1791) Fort St Joseph Fort Mary's (1794) Fort Sandusky (1730) Fort Seneca (1812) Fort Shawnee Fort Steuben (1789) Fort Stephenson (1812) Fort Washington (1790)

Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

Although Ohio did not exist as a state during the time of the Revolutionary War, a man born between 1730 and 1765 who lived in Ohio later may have been granted Ohio land for his service for another state or for the Continental Army.

Service Records

• United States, Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783. Fold3 provided the free index for this collection on FamilySearch. Fees may apply for the links to Fold3's images.

Pension Files

• White, Virgil D. Genealogical Abstracts of the Revolutionary War Pension Files. Four Volumes. (Waynesboro, Tennessee: National Historical Publishing, 1990.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 973 M28g.May give a veteran's name, age, birth date, marriage date, residence, names of relatives, unit, and service dates and places.

• United States, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications. The FamilySearch index is free but fees may apply to view images on Fold3. Also available on FHL film 970001 (first of 2670 films) and Ancestry.com ($)
• Revolutionary War Pensions (Access Genealogy)
• [.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4691 Revolutionary War Pension Index] at Ancestry.com ($)

The 1813 Pension List:

• 1813 Pension List (New Horizons Genealogy)

The 1818 Pensioners of the United States:

• 1818 Pensioners of the United States (New Horizons Genealogy)

The 1820 Pension List:

• 1820 Pension List (New Horizons Genealogy)

The 1835 Pension Roll

On June 5, 1834, the U.S. Senate required the Secretary of War to submit a statement showing the names of pensioners who were on the pension rolls or had previously been on the pension rolls. For more information on the 1835 Pension Roll see Revolutionary War Pension Records. The 1835 Pension Roll for Ohio, which includes Revolutionary War pensioners and heirs of War of 1812 casualties is available online:

• Report from the Secretary of War... Vol. III (Google Books)
• The Pension Roll of 1835, Vol. IV (Ancestry) ($)

Land Warrants

• United States, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications
• Bounty Land Warrants for the U.S. Military District of Ohio
• Ohio Land and Property page is a good source for this information.

Rosters Specific to Ohio

• Daughters of the American Revolution, Ohio, Official Roster of the Soldiers of the American Revolution Buried in the State of Ohio. Three Volumes (Columbus, Ohio: F.J. Heer Printing, 1929-59.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL films 385013 and 928143 items 7–8; fiche 6046713; book 977.1 M23ad Digital version for all three volumes available through FamilySearch Catalog entry.
• Dailey, Mrs. Orville D. The Official Roster of the Soldiers of the American Revolution Who Lived in the State of Ohio: Volume 2, A-Z. (Columbus, Ohio: State Society DAR, State of Ohio, 1938?.) FHL film 195451.
• Daughters of the American Revolution of the State of Ohio, comp. Official Roster III, Soldiers of the American Revolution Who Lived in the State of Ohio. (Painesville, Ohio: Painesville Publishing, 1959.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL film 213051; book 977.1 M2of
• Ohio Roster Commission, Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 - 1866. Cincinnati, Wilstach, Baldwin, 1886-1895. This multi-volumed set gives a short history of each regiment as well as rosters of the field and staff and those who served in each company, along with rank, age, date of entering service, period of service, and remarks. Volume 1, Regiments 1st-22nd, sharpshooters, Calvary and Artillery,  Volume 4,  37th-53rd Regiments, Infantry, Volume 8, 110th-140th Regiments, Infantry
  

War of 1812 (1812-1815)

The War of 1812 between Britain and the United States confirmed the separate existence of the United States and the future Canada.

See the Wiki article, Ohio in the War of 1812, for information concerning military records, histories, links to relevant web sites, etc. for Ohio.

There are helpful nationwide records for soldiers of the War of 1812. For more information, see United States in the War of 1812.

Mexican War (1846-1848)

The Mexican War was caused by the annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845. Most volunteer regiments were from southern states. Records of Mexican War veterans might exist in a state where the veteran later resided.

• Mexican War Index to Pension Files, 1887–1926. (NARA T317). FHL films 0537000–13 Alphabetically arranged and includes the veteran’s name, rank, and unit; names of dependents; date of filing and application; certificate numbers; act filed under; and state from which application was made. Also available at:
  

• United States, Mexican War Pension Index, 1887-1926 (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. (Learn more.)
  

• Robarts, William Hugh. Mexican War Veterans : A Complete Roster of the Regular and Volunteer Troops in the War Between the United States and Mexico, from 1846-1848… Washington, D.C. : Brentano’s, 1887. FHL book 973 M2rwh Digital version available at Internet Archive.

• Broglin, Jana Sloan and Ohio Genealogical Society, Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War with Mexico, 1846-1848. (Mansfield, Ohio: Ohio Genealogical Society, 1991.) Reprint of 1897 publication. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 977.1 M2or.
• WPA, Alphabetical index to Ohio official roster, Mexican War 1845, vol. 12 of Civil War edition Volume 12. (Akron, Ohio: Werner, 1886-1895.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL film 195488
• Index to Mexican War (1846) Records at the Ohio State Archives. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1959.) FHL film 223771. Consists of microfilm of a card file at the Ohio State Archives which gives the name of each soldier's military unit.
• Ryan, Daniel J. "Ohio in the Mexican War." Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications. 1912, Volume 21, pages 277-295. Includes a section that tells when and where a company was raised and lists many of the officers in those companies. Digitized version available at Internet Archive.

Click on these links to learn more about the Mexican War and about Mexican War pension records.

Civil War (1861-1865)

127th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

See Ohio in the Civil War for information about Ohio Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the Ohio regiments involved in the Civil War. The regimental pages often include lists of the companies with links to the counties where the companies started. Men in the companies often lived in the counties where the companies were raised. Knowing a county can help when researching more about the soldiers and their families.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System allows name searching for soldiers. The result set gives the regiments for the soldiers. Then you can check the Wiki regiment pages to determine counties. Often knowing the counties that had men in a regiment will help you determine if a soldier was your ancestor.

By 1890, about 40 percent of the Civil War veterans were members of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). The descriptive books of each GAR post usually indicate each member's name, age, rank, birthplace, residence, occupation, and enlistment and discharge information. Records of GAR posts and of other veteran organizations may be found in various libraries and archives throughout Ohio.

Rosters

• Ohio Department of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Graves Registration website. Ohio Grave Registrations Top 50,000
• Ohio Civil War Medals - Extensive list of Veterans, their units and dates of service. Many entries have personal information.
• Whitelaw Reid. Ohio in the War; Her Statesmen, Generals and Soldiers  Volume 11 (Digital Copy Hathi Trust-published Cincinnati, Moore, Wilstach & Baldwin, 1868.) Includes Rosters and FHL book 977.1 H2re and (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993), FHL Fiche 6118088 and Fiche 6118089
• Compiled under the direction of the Roster Commission Official roster of the soldiers of the state of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866 (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993), FHL fiche 6118075
• Ohio Roster Commission. Official roster of the soldiers of the state of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866. (Akron [Ohio] : Werner Co., 1886-1895), FHL book 977.1 M2 digital

Spanish-American War (1898)

The Spanish-American War was largely fought in Cuba and the Philippines. Spanish-American War records might exist in the state from which the soldier served or in a state where the veteran later resided.

Indexes

• United States, General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 (NARA T288). (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. The index covers veterans of the Civil War, Spanish‑American War, Philippine Insurrection, Boxer Rebellion (1900 to 1901), and the regular Army, Navy, and Marine forces. (Learn more.)

• United States, Index to Service Records, War with Spain, 1898 (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. (Learn more.)

Rosters

Muster-in and muster-out rolls are on 31 microfilms at the Family History Library.

• WPA The Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War with Spain, 1898-1899. (Columbus, Ohio: Edward T. Miller, 1916.) FHL film 195489.
• Broglin, Jana Sloan. Index to Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War with Spain, 1898-1899. (Mansfield, Ohio: Ohio Genealogical Society, 1989.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 977.1 M22b.
• Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio. Muster In and Muster Out Rolls in the Spanish American War: . . . (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1959, 1962.) FHL film 223766 (first film)
• Graden, Debra, comp. Ohio Soldiers in the War with Spain, 1898-99 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Ancestry.com ($) Original data: Compiled under the direction of Frank B. Willis, Governor, Charles Q. Hildebrant, Secretary of State, and Benson W. Hough, Adjutant General. The Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War with Spain, 1898-99. Ft. Leavenworth, KS, USA: C.A.R.L. Library, 1916.

Click on the link to learn more about the Spanish American War.

World War I (1917-1918)

World War I was a global war fought on multiple continents with several nations involved. Over four million men and women served from the United States.

Draft Registration Cards

• United States, Selective Service System. Ohio, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On 239 Family History Library films beginning with 1819504) Also available at:

• United States, World War One Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (FamilySearch) - free

United States World War I Draft Records provides additional information.

Service Records

• Service cards for Navy (eight films), Marine Corps (three films), out-of-state (four films), and regular service (76 films) are on films at the Family History Library.

Ohio Military Records

• Service records for World War I and later wars are at the Adjutant General's Office (State House, Columbus, OH 43215

Roster

• Ohio Adjutant General's Office. The Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the World War, 1917-1918. 22 Volumes. (Columbus, Ohio: F.J. Heer Printing, 1926-29.) FHL films 195413-35.

World War II (1941-1945)

Registration Records

On April 27, 1942, the Selective Service conducted the fourth of six draft registrations related to WWII. The "World War II Selective Service Draft Cards: Fourth Registration, 1942" is often referred to as the “Old Man’s Registration” or the “Old Man’s Draft" because it included men with a date of birth from April 28, 1877 to February 16, 1897. Since there is overlap in the WWI and WWII Selective Service registration, men born in the years 1877 to 1900 may have registered twice and have both WWII and WWI draft records.

• United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 (Image Browse) (FamilySearch) - free
• United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 (images with partial index) (FamilySearch) - free

Also available at:

• Ancestry ($)
• Fold3 ($).

Biographies

• A series of books entitled "Young American Patriots", published shortly after the war, documented the service of soldiers from different states including Ohio. The series of books included photos and a short biography of some of the soldiers from the state.

Prisoners of War

• World War II Prisoners of the Japanese, 1941-1945 at Ancestry.com ($)
• World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1946 at Ancestry.com ($)

Casualties

• United States. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing - State of Ohio, June 1946. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1960.) FHL film 213049. Lists of dead and missing soldiers who served during World War II, arranged alphabetically by county.
• World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from Ohio.
• Adjutant General's Office. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing - State of Ohio. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1958.) FHL films 182702–93. A concerted effort has been made to locate the Ohio gravesites of veterans from all pre-1945 wars. The cards are arranged alphabetically.
• World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, 1941-1943 at Ancestry.com ($)
• World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas

World War II United States Military Records provides additional information.

Korean War (1950–1953)

The Korean War was a conflict between North Korea (and its communist allies) and South Korea (with support of the United Nations, primarily the United States). See the Korean War wiki article for information on records and their availability.

Vietnam War (1964–1972)

The Vietnam War was a conflict between North Vietnam (and its communist allies) and South Vietnam (with support of its anti-communist allies, including the United States). See the Vietnam War wiki article for information on records and their availability.

Additional Records

• Ohio. Adjutant General's Office. Roster of Soldiers of the Ohio National Guard, 1874-1917. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1959.) FHL films 195453–66.

• Edward Wakefield. The History of the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home at Xenia, Ohio. (Ohio: Association of Ex-Pupils, 196?) At various libraries (WorldCat); {{FHL|707990|item|disp=FHL book 977.174/X1 J3h.) This does not include the records.

• Two Hundred Years: The Military History of Ohio. (New York, New York: H.H. Hardesty, 1886-7.) FHL film 874293; book Q 977.1 M25ha or Q 977.1 M2m Information about prominent Ohio veterans and major military actions.

• Military service records are also found in the office of each county auditor and county recorder. The Family History Library has microfilms of discharge papers, dating from the Civil War to 1920 (some to 1970), for about half the counties in Ohio.

• Whitelaw Reid. Ohio in the War; Her Statesmen generals, and Soldiers Volume 1  (Digitized by Google, Original from University of Michigan, published 1895.) The History of Ohio during the Civil War and lives of her Generals
  
• Whitelaw Reid. Ohio in the War; Her Statesmen, Generals, and Soldiers  Volume 1[1](Digital Copy Hathi Trust-published Cincinnati, Moore, Wilstach & Baldwin, 1868) History of Ohio during the Civil and the lives of her generals
• Whitelaw Reid.Ohio in the War; Her Statesmen, Generals and Soldiers  Volume 11 (Digital Copy Hathi Trust-published Cincinnati, Moore, Wilstach & Baldwin, 1868.)

• Many more useful sources are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under:

OHIO - MILITARY RECORDS

OHIO - MILITARY RECORDS - [WAR]

OHIO - MILITARY HISTORY

OHIO - MILITARY HISTORY - [WAR]

OHIO, [COUNTY] - MILITARY RECORDS

Websites

Online Military information for Ohio is located at:

• Revolutionary War Documents from Footnote
• Civil War Documents from Footnote
• Civil War Genealogy
• Civil War Records
• How to Trace Your US Military Ancestors
• Military Abbreviations Found on U.S. Grave Markers
• Military Records
• Military Tombstones
• National Archives
• Ohio Military Men 1917-1918
• Online Searchable Military Records & Databases for the USA.
• Ohio Military Records (Ohio Genealogy)
• The Online Books Page-Ohio -- Civil War, 1861-1865. Extensive online Ohio Civil War books. Includes some Civil War book for Ohio Counties

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)