Kentucky Military Records

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Military Records

Old Fort Harrod State Park.jpg

United States Military Online Genealogy Records

Military records identify millions of individuals 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. Military records can give birth, marriage, and death dates; spouses’ and children’s names; and places of residence throughout the life of the family.

Military records are found at the FamilySearch Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The Kentucky Military History Museum in Frankfort (which is part of the Kentucky Historical Society, listed in the "Societies" section) also has many military records. The United States Military Records Wiki article provides more information about the federal records and search strategies. For Kentucky the following sources are also available.

Online Resources

U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records provides more links for nationwide military record collections.

• Kentucky Land Office Revolutionary War Land Warrants, 1800-1900.
• Kentucky Pension Roll for 1835 Abstract ($); FS Library Book 976.9 M24
• Abstracts of pensions, soldiers of the Revolution, 1812 & Indian wars, who settled on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River.
• Kentucky, Soldiers of the War of 1812 List ($)
• Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812 List ($)
• Revolutionary Soldiers in Kentucky: Also a Roster of the Virginia Navy
• 1865-1872 Kentucky, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
• 1861-1865 Kentucky, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• Service Records of Confederate Soldiers at MyHeritage - index
• U.S., Confederate Service Records, 1861-1865, index & images ($).
• 1861-1865 Kentucky, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1912-1950 Kentucky, Confederate Pension Applications, 1912-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1890 United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• Kentucky Confederate Volunteers List ($)
• Kentucky, Civil War Union Volunteers, 1861-1865 List ($)
• Kentucky, Confederate Pension Records, 1912-1930 Index and images ($)
• Kentucky's German Americans in the Civil War
• Kentucky Civil War Links
• 1917-1940 United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Kentucky
• U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War for Kentucky

Forts

• Fort Boonesboro (1775)
• Fort Jefferson
• Fort Nelson -- French and Indian War (1754–1763)
• Newport Barracks -- Textual records of this post, 1833-1894, 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).

Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

• Taylor, Philip Fall. A Calendar of the Warrants for Land in Kentucky, Granted for Service in the French and Indian War. FS Library fiche 6019959 FS Library book 976.9 R21t 2001 (See Kentucky Land and Property.) This record contains an alphabetical list of soldiers, mostly from Virginia, who received warrants for bounty land in what is now Kentucky from about 1774 to 1789.

If a person supported the Revolution, he may be mentioned in records as a rebel, patriot, or Whig. Those who opposed the Revolution were Loyalists or Tories.

Patriots

Service and pension records and indexes for patriots are available on film at the National Archives and the FamilySearch Library. See the United States Military Records Wiki article for these sources.

The Revolutionary War was fought before Kentucky became a state in 1792. Many veterans came to Kentucky and may be listed in:

• Revolutionary Soldiers in Kentucky: Also a Roster of the Virginia Navy at Ancestry ($)
• Abstracts of pensions, soldiers of the Revolution, 1812 & Indian wars, who settled on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. at Ancestry ($)

• Quisenberry, Anderson Chenault. Revolutionary Soldiers in Kentucky: Containing a Roll of the Officers of Virginia Lines Who Received Land Bounties, a Roll of the Revolutionary Pensioners in Kentucky, a List of the Illinois Regiment Who Served Under George Rogers Clark in the Northwest Campaign, also a Roster of the Virginia Navy. Baltimore, Maryland.: Southern Book, 1959. FS Library film 908017 item 5; fiche 6051503; book 976.9. These lists are arranged by county and alphabetically within each county by the name of the pensioner.
• Virginia State Library. Department of Archives and History. List of the Revolutionary Soldiers of Virginia: Special Report of the Department of Archives and History for 1911 and 1912. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1954. FS Library film 29893. The contents of this record are arranged in alphabetical order by surname.

Revolutionary War Warrants at the Kentucky Land Office. Database of bounty land warrants issued by Virginia to veterans of the Revolutionary War. Warrants can be searched by veteran's name, warrant number and immediate assignee. Includes scanned images from the Warrants Register and the file identification for the patents authorized by the evolutionary War land warrants.

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 of Kentucky, which includes Revolutionary War pensioners and heirs of War of 1812 casualties, is available online:

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

Loyalists

For Loyalist records see the Canada Military Records Wiki article.

• History of the 3d, 7th, 8th and l2th Kentucky C.S.A. at 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.

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

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

• Kentucky, Soldiers of the War of 1812, Report of the Adjutant General. Online at: Internet Archive; Ancestry ($).
• Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812 at Ancestry ($)
• Remember the Raisin: Kentucky and Kentuckians in the Battles and Massacre at Frenchtown, Michigan Territory, in the War of 1812 at Ancestry ($).
• Notes on Kentucky Veterans of the War of 1812 by G. Glenn Clift at Ancestry ($)
• Abstracts of pensions, soldiers of the Revolution, 1812 & Indian wars, who settled on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River at Ancestry ($)
• Kentucky Pension Roll for 1835 at Ancestry ($).
• Kentucky in the War of 1812 at Ancestry ($).

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:
  

*1887-1926 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.
  

• Kentucky. Adjutant General. Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky: Mexican War Veterans (1846–1847). Frankfort, Kentucky.: Historical Society, 1966. FS Library film 551064 item 3. These are arranged by company and regiment and then alphabetically by the name of the soldier. It includes his name and rank, dates and length of service, the places he was mustered in and out of, and the dates this mustering took place.

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

Civil War (1861–1865)

Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky 19 January 1862

See Kentucky in the Civil War for information about Kentucky Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the Kentucky 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.

• 1861-1865 Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
• 1861-1865 Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
• Kentucky, Civil War Union Volunteers, 1861-1866 at Ancestry ($)
• Kentucky, Confederate Pension Records, 1912-1930 at Ancestry ($)
• The Union regiments of Kentucky at Ancestry ($)
• Kentucky Confederate Volunteers at Ancestry ($)
• History of the First Kentucky Brigade at Ancestry ($)
• Report of the adjutant general of Kentucky to His Excellency Governor McCreary for the year 1879 at Ancestry ($)
• Report of the adjutant-general of Kentucky, for the year ending 1889 at Ancestry ($)
• Report of the adjutant general of Kentucky to His Excellency Governor McCreary for the year 1875 at Ancestry ($)
• Report of the adjutant general, state of Kentucky, to the commander-in-chief, for the year 1881 at Ancestry ($)
• 1912-1950 Kentucky Confederate Pension Applications 1912-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• Civil War Governors of Kentucky
• Records of Death and Interment at Camp Nelson, Kentucky - 1864 - 1865 - National Archives Catalog

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.

• Kentucky. Adjutant General. Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky: Kentucky Volunteers, War with Spain, 1898–1899. 1908. Reprint, Frankfort, Kentucky.: Historical Society, 1966.Digital Book. These unindexed records are arranged by company and regiment and then alphabetically by name. They include the soldier’s name, rank, date and place of enrollment, and dates and places of mustering in and out.

• Volunteer Officers and Soldiers of the Spanish American War, 1898–1899. Frankfort, Kentucky.: Kentucky Historical Society, 1966. FS Library film 482881. These are arranged alphabetically by name within the company and regiment. The soldier’s name, rank, and enlistment and muster dates and places are listed.

• James Gordon Cornett and Johnny Dewayne Hammond. Kentuckians in the war with Spain, 1898-1899.Burnside, Kentucky : Jordan Christian Academy, 2000? FS Library 976.9 M2cj

Indexes

• 1861-1934 United States, General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 (NARA T288) at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. 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.

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

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.

• David Bettez, Kentucky and the Great War: World War I on the Home Front. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2016

• United States. Selective Service System. Kentucky, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington DC: National Archives, 1987–1988. FS Library films 1643933 (first of 92 films).See WWI Draft Records for more information.

Also available at:

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

Related Collections

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

• Certificates of Death Completed by Civil Authorities Outside the State of Kentucky for World War I Soldiers from the State of Kentucky, ca. 1917-1920. FS Library film 2241626 item 3
• Haulsee, W. M. Soldiers of the Great War. 3vols. Washington, DC: Soldiers Record Pub. Association, 1920.FS Catalog book 973 M23s. Digital copy Vol 1 Roster of soldiers who died in the war. Kentucky soldiers are listed in volume 1, pages 375 to 408. It gives the soldier’s name, residence, rank, and cause of death, and it includes pictures.

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

Following World War I Kentucky attempted to keep three sets of records by county. They were:

• Scrapbooks.
• Records filled out by soldiers.
• Records from the government with service number.

These records are scattered, though a full set may be found in the Department of Libraries and Archives in Frankfort, Kentucky.

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.

• 1940-1947 Kentucky, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

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 — How to Use this Collection; image browse
• 1942 United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images with partial index

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 Kentucky. The series of books included photos and a short biography of some of the soldiers from the state.

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.

• Register of Vietnam War Casualties from Kentucky. Frankfort, Kentucky: Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, 1988. FS Catalog book 976.9 M28k. This book lists soldiers alphabetically and by county. It includes lists of soldiers who came from other states and those who were missing in action. The soldier’s name, rank, birth date, residence, and casualty date are given.

Militia

• Richard G. Stone, Jr. A brittle Sword : The Kentucky militia, 1776 - 1912.Lexington, Kentucky : University of Kentucky Press, 1977. 976.9 M2sb
• Clift, Garrett Glenn. The Corn Stalk Militia of Kentucky, 1792–1811: A Brief Statutory History of the Militia and Records of Commissions of Officers in the Organization from the Beginning of Statehood to the Commencement of the War of 1812. Frankfort, KY.: Kentucky Historical Society, 1957. FS Library film 1035658 item 4; fiche 6051254; book 976.9 M25c. This book is indexed and includes an alphabetical list of soldiers by year, showing each soldier’s name, regiment, and enlistment date.
• Breathitt County, Register of enrolled militia, 1876
• Butler County, Militia roll, 1860-1863, 1875
• Clay County, Names of the militia of the upper section of Horsecreek, 1853-1855
• List of names of persons in Edmonson County, liable under the military laws to be enrolled in the militia of the state of Kentucky, 1875
• Hickman County, List of county names eligible to be enrolled in the state militia, 1868-1875
• Livingston County, Militia records, 1867-1875
• Lyon County, Militia book, 1874-1875
• Marshall County, Militia books, 1848-1876
• Robertson County, Militia roll, 1870-1874
• Russell County, Militia book, 1860-1866

National Guard

• Kentucky Adjutant General. State national guard roster, 1877-1913
• Historical annual, National Guard of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
• W. R. Schwarz and J. T. Milligan, compiled, History of the First Regiment of Infantry, Kentucky National Guard : from its organization in 1817 to the present day : a story of honorable service in Kentucky and the nation. reprint Lexington, Kentucky : University of Kentucky, 1952 FS Library DGS 9050667

Other Military Records

For a published list of militia officers from 1792 to 1811, see:

• Clift, Garrett Glenn. The Corn Stalk Militia of Kentucky, 1792–1811: A Brief Statutory History of the Militia and Records of Commissions of Officers in the Organization from the Beginning of Statehood to the Commencement of the War of 1812. Frankfort, KY.: Kentucky Historical Society, 1957. FS Library film 1035658 item 4; fiche 6051254; book 976.9 M25c. This book is indexed and includes an alphabetical list of soldiers by year, showing each soldier’s name, regiment, and enlistment date.

For an index to Kentucky veterans from the War of 1812 to World War I, see:

• Kentucky Historical Society (Frankfort, Kentucky). Index to Veterans of American Wars from Kentucky. Frankfort, KY: Kentucky Historical Society, 1966. FS Library films 471728–74. This microfilm is arranged by war and then alphabetically by the name of the veteran. It references published rosters for the various wars.
• For a comprehensive description of both federal and Kentucky state military records, see James C. Neagles’s book U. S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State Sources, Colonial America to the Present. Pages 246 to 254 provide details of military records (many of which are not microfilmed) housed in various archives in Kentucky.

• Report of the adjutant general of the state of Kentucky at Ancestry ($)

Additional military information and sources can be found in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

KENTUCKY- MILITARY HISTORY

KENTUCKY- MILITARY RECORDS

KENTUCKY, [COUNTY]- MILITARY RECORDS

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