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Military Records

Online Resources

• See United States Military Online Genealogy Records for more resources.
• 1818-1944 Soldiers & Sailors, Discharge Records, Book 1, Book 2 at Genealogy Trails
  
  
• 1826-1900 Florida Militia Muster Rolls, 1826-1900 at State Library & Archives of Florida
• 1836-1842 Florida War Death List, 1836-42 at Ancestry ($)
• 1837-1970 Florida, Military Discharge Records, ca.1837 - ca.1970 at FamilySearch; index — How to Use this Collection

Revolutionary War 1775-1783

• Revolutionary War Pension Application Records at Genealogy Trails - index
• Rejected Pension Application Records at Genealogy Trails - index
• Pension Records Of Soldiers Who Removed To Florida and Whose Widows Removed To Florida at Genealogy Trails - index
• 1835 1835 Pension Rolls at Genealogy Trails - index
• 1840 1840 Census of Pensioners at Genealogy Trails - index
  
  

Indian Wars, 1780s-1890s

• 1835-1858 Florida, Compiled Service Records, Florida Indian Wars, 1835-1858 at Ancestry - Index & images ($)
• Seminole Wars Casualties at Genealogy Trails - index
• Seminole Wars Navy and Marine Casualties at Genealogy Trails - index
• Seminole Wars Soldier Rosters at Genealogy Trails - index
  
  

Civil War, 1861-1865
Union

• 1861-1865 Florida, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
• 1863-1878 U.S., Freedmen's Bureau Records of Field Offices, 1863-1878 at Ancestry ($) index & images
• 1st Florida Cavalry Roster at Genealogy Trails - index
• 2nd Florida Cavalry Roster at Genealogy Trails - index
• 5th Florida Cavalry Roster at Genealogy Trails - index
• Other Cavalry Rosters at Genealogy Trails - index
• FL Reserves at Genealogy Trails - index
• Coast Guard Rosters at Genealogy Trails - index
• Miscellaneous Rosters at Genealogy Trails - index
• 1st Infantry Roster at Genealogy Trails
• 2nd Infantry Roster at Genealogy Trails
• 3rd Infantry Roster at Genealogy Trails
• 4th Infantry at Genealogy Trails
• 5th Infantry at Genealogy Trails
• 6th Infantry at Genealogy Trails
• 7th Infantry at Genealogy Trails
• 8th Infantry at Genealogy Trails
• 9th Infantry at Genealogy Trails
• 10th Infantry at Genealogy Trails
• 11th Infantry at Genealogy Trails
• Florida Paroles of the Army of Northern Virginia at Genealogy Trails
• Union Pensioners on the Rolls as of January 1, 1883 at Genealogy Trails
  

Confederate

• 1861-1865 Florida, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection, Index and images
• 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1885-1955 Florida, Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1955 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
• 1888-1938 Florida, Old Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Home records, 1888-1938 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection, index & images
• 1908-1929 Florida, US, Confederate Old Soldiers and Sailors Home at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1917-1920 Florida, World War I Navy Card Roster, 1917-1920 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
  
  
• Service Records of Confederate Soldiers at MyHeritage - index
• Biographies of Florida Confederate Soldiers at Genealogy Trails
• Confederate Soldiers Buried in Union-controlled Cemeteries at Genealogy Trails
• Confederate Pension Applications A-C, D-G, H-L, M-Q, R-S, T-Z at Genealogy Trails
  
  

Spanish-American War, 1898

• Spanish American War Rosters at Genealogy Trails - index
  
  

World War I, 1914-1918

• Casualties at Genealogy Trails - index
  
  

World War II, 1941-1945

• 1940-1945 Florida, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
  
  

Korean War, 1950–1953

• Florida Soldiers Killed in Korean War
  
  

Vietnam, 1964–1972

• Florida Soldiers Killed in Vietnam Conflict
  
  

Iraqi War, 2003-2011

• Casualties at Genealogy Trails
  
  

Afghanistan War, 2001-2021

• Casualties at Genealogy Trails

Forts

Forts were established through the authority of the federal government, to house and maintain the military.

• Fort Alabama
• Fort Apalachicola (Blount's fort or Fort Gadsden)
• Fort Barnwell
• Fort Barrancas -- Textual records of this fort, 1866-1940, 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 Basinger
• Fort Brooke 1824-82
• Fort Brooks
• Fort Caroline (French) 1564
• Fort Cooper
• Fort Drum
• Fort Dade
• Fort Dallas 1838-58
• Fort Defiance Presidio La Bahio)
• Fort Denaud
• Fort Drane
• Fort Fraser
• Fort Gadsden 1818-21 (Fort Apalachicola)
• Fort Gardner
• Fort Hamer
• Fort Jefferson -- Textual records of this fort, 1844-1936, 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 Jupiter
• Key West Barracks -- Textual records of this fort, 1850-1910, 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 King 1827-43
• Fort King Trail
• Fort Lauderdale
• Fort Meade -- Textual records of this fort, 1850-1853, 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 Mellon
• Fort Myers -- Textual records of this fort, 1850-1858, 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 Micanopy
• Fort Morgan
• Fort Moultrie
• Fort Payton
• Fort Pierce 1838-42
• Fort San Luis
• Fort Scott
• St. Francis Barracks -- Textual records of this fort, 1871-1904, 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 St. Francis de Pupa
• Fort Taylor -- Textual records of this fort, 1844-1924, 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 Wacahoota
• Fort Walker

Colonial Wars

As a Spanish colony Florida was part of the War of Jenkins' Ear (1739–1748) which took place between Florida and the British colony of Georgia.

Service Records

• Military Service Records of Florida and Louisiana, 1787-1794. Hojas de Servicios Militares de América: Floridas y Luisiana, 1787-1794. FS Library film 1156353 (in Spanish). For a surname index to these records, see Catálogo XXII del Archivo de Simancas, Secretaría de Guerra (Siglo XVIII), Hojas de Servicios de América. FS Catalog book 946 M23e.
  

Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

• Shirley Joiner Thompson, compiled, The people of East Florida during the Revolutionary War-War of 1812 period [Jacksonville, Florida : s.n., 1982 FS Library 975.9 V2tsj]
• edited with an accompanying narrative, by Wilbur Henry Siebert, Loyalists in East Florida, 1774 to 1785 : the most important documents pertaining thereto 2 volumes. DeLand, Florida : Florida State Historical Society, 1929 FS Library 975.9 B4f no. 9]

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 the Territory of Florida is available online:

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

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. Florida was under Spanish rule during the War of 1812. Records are available, however, for War of 1812 soldiers that later settled in Florida.

National Records

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

Land Records

• Ayers, Linda. Florida. Some Military Land Grants For Soldiers of the War of 1812. (Free). (The USGenWeb Archives War of 1812 Project - Pensions, Rosters & Land Grants). Search by county.(Accessed 11 May 2012).

Pension Records

• Florida War of 1812 Pension Files. Fold3 (Free). Some soldiers that settled in Florida after the War are listed in the records. Alphabetical by surname. Incomplete as of 1 Jun 2012.
  

• War of 1812 Pensioners Living in Florida and Louisiana in the 1880's : and Others on the Roll Including Some Civil War Pensioners. (Wyandotte:Gregath, [199-?]). 38 pages.FS Library Book 975.9 A1 no 195

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). FS Library 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 at FamilySearch — (How to use this collection.)

• 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. FS Catalog book 973 M2rwh Digital version available at Internet Archive.
  

• James, Russell D. Too Late for Blood: Florida Volunteers in the Mexican War. (Westminster, Maryland: Heritage Books, c2005). Historical summary of the five volunteer companies raised in Florida for service in the war with Mexico. Includes muster rolls and lists of deaths, discharges, pensions, and bounty land warrants.
  

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

Indian Wars (1780s-1890s)

The library also has an index to Indian Wars pension files, 1892 to 1926 (FS Library microfilms 821610-21). The index includes those soldiers who served between 1817 and 1898. The actual pension files have not been filmed and are only at the National Archives.

Second Seminole War (Florida War) (1835-42) and Third Seminole War (1855-58)

• Register of Soldiers Killed in Action During the Florida War, 1835-1842. NAID 611759. National Archives

Only the service records for soldiers from the state of Florida have been microfilmed:

• Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida during the Florida Indian Wars, 1835–1858 National Archives Microfilm Publication M1086. (FS Library films 6019538;1303446-500;1303296-297;1313918-23) (FS Library 63 films) (Worldcat) (Ancestry)-($)

An index to these records is also available, See Index to Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served during Indian Wars and Disturbances, 1815–58.

• Record of officers and soldiers killed in battle and died in service during the Florida War Washington, D.C. : Government Printing Office (United States), 1882. St. Augustine National Cemetery

• Ann Josberger McFadden, indexed by. Index of Florida militia muster rolls, Seminole Indian Wars, volumes 67 thru 76 : special archives publication of Florida Department of Military Affairs. State Arsenal, St. Francis Barracks, St. Augustine, Florida. Miami, Florida : A.J. McFadden, 1998. FS Library975.9 M22m

Civil War (1861-1865)

See Florida in the Civil War for information about Florida Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the Florida regiments involved in the Civil War. The regimental articles 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 the families of the soldiers.

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

• 1861-1865 Florida Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch; index — How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 United States Confederate Officers Card Index, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch; index & images — How to Use this Collection
• 1885-1955 Florida Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications 1885-1955 at FamilySearch; index & images — How to Use this Collection
• 1871-1880 U.S. Southern Claims Commission Master Index, 1871-1880 at Ancestry, Index only ($)

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) at FamilySearch; 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. How to use this collection.

• United States, Index to Service Records, War with Spain, 1898 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection.)

The compiled military service records of volunteer soldiers who served in the Florida Infantry are at the National Archives and the FamilySearch Library (FS Library microfilms 1314126-38). Published rosters are found in Soldiers of Florida in the Seminole Indian Civil and Spanish-American Wars (Live Oak, Florida: Democrat Book and Job Print, 1909; FamilySearch Library book 975.9 M2s; also on microfilm 988193).

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.

• United States. Selective Service System. Florida, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On FS Library microfilms beginning with film 1556849).

• United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch; index & images — How to Use this Collection

• United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch; index — How to Use this Collection

• United States, YMCA World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch; index & images — How to Use this Collection

• Florida, World War I Navy Card Roster, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch; index & images — How to Use this Collection

See WWI Draft Records for more information.

World War II (1941-1945)

Draft Registration

On 16 September 1940, President Roosevelt signed into law the first peacetime Selective Service Act. During WWII, the Selective Service System conducted six draft registrations; these records are held collectively in two groupings at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO. The registrations are part of Record Group 147 Records of the Selective Service System. From December, 1942 to August, 1945 no enlistments were allowed. The Selective Service became the only way men entered the service for the remainder of the war.

• 1940-1945 Florida, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945

Fourth Registration
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.

• 1942 United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at FamilySearch; index and images — How to Use this Collection also see: Ancestry ($); and Fold3 ($).

Other Records

• United States. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, State of Florida. FS Library film 988193 Item 2

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.

• National Archives. State-Level, Sorted Alphabetically by Last Name Casualty List

National Guard

• Florida state militia, state troops and national guard, 1870-1918 at FamilySearch
• Robert Hawk. Florida's Army: militia/state troops/national guard, 1565-1985.Englewood, Florida : Pineapple Press, c1986. FS Library 975.9 M2hr
• Annual militia returns, 1875-1912. Includes general and staff officer's
• Commissions and oaths of state militia officers. (1846-1874 & 1917-1920)

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

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

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