Alabama Military Records: Difference between revisions

{{AL-sidebar}}

[[Image:{{FtMorgPic}}]] __TOC__  

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

The [http://www.archives.state.al.us/ Alabama Department of Archives and History] has the most complete collection of Alabama military records. Their collection includes military records and soldiers’ correspondence from all wars in which Alabama has participated. Many federal military records of Alabama are found at the Family History Library, the [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]], and the [[National Archives Southeast Region (Atlanta)]] (Morrow, Georgia).  

Forts were built to house and maintain the military, who were to assist in maintaning peace by enforcing treaties and providing protection to settlers.  

*Fort Tombecbe

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.  

During the war and especially at its close, some Loyalists went to Britain or other colonies, but many fled to Canada. There is no master list of all the names of American Loyalists who came to Canada. Historians do not agree on the total number. Some sources say fewer than 20,000, others say more than 40,000. A head count in peninsular Nova Scotia in 1784 showed about 17,000 members of Loyalist families in that area alone, but some Loyalists had already left there for other places in British North America, and a few hundred more were to arrive in Nova Scotia in 1785.  

The War of 1812 between Britain and the United States confirmed the separate existence of the United States and the future Canada. During the war, Alabama was part of the Mississippi Territory with a small part of West Florida. Few men from that area fought in the war, though American forces captured the area of Mobile from the Spanish and defeated the Creek Indians. After the war, veterans from other states moved to Alabama.&nbsp; Alabama became a territory in 1817.<br><br> There are helpful nationwide records for soldiers of the War of 1812. For more information, see [[United States in the War of 1812|United States in the War of 1812]]''.''  

*''Indian war service, 1812-1814 Alabama'' {{FHL|632744|item|disp=FHL film 1462786 item 3}} Microfilm of originals in Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, Alabama. Alphabetical listing of persons involved in the War of 1812 and the Indian Wars of 1813-1814.

*Alabama. Department of Archives and History. ''Texas War with Mexico, 1835–1836''. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988. {{FHL|632750|item|disp=FHL film 1462788 item 2}} These cards list, in alphabetical order, the names of Alabama soldiers who served in the War of Texas Independence. The cards contain information about rank, company, regiment, and sometimes enlistment place, dates served, wounds, age, death date, and land grant entitlement. They include the source of information.

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.<br>  

Click on these links to learn more about the [[Mexican War, 1846 to 1848|Mexican War]] and about [[US Mexican War Pension Records|Mexican War pension records]].  

*Achee, Benjamin and Margery Wright. ''Index for Compiled Service Records Alabama Units - Florida War.'' Shreveport, La., 1971. Digital version at {{FSbook|87290}} - free.

[[Image:{{BattleMobileAL1864}}]] See [[Alabama in the Civil War|Alabama in the Civil War]] for information about Alabama Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the Alabama 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. <br><br>  

*[[Alabama, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers (FamilySearch Historical Records)|Alabama, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]

*Gandrud, Pauline Jones. ''Alabama Soldiers: Revolution, War of 1812, and Indian Wars''. 20 volumes. Hot Springs, Arkansas: B.J. McLane, 1975–.[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/14357900 Worldcat] and {{FHL|30708|item|disp=FHL book 976.1 M2g}} Volume one starts with surnames beginning with A. Volume 20 ends with the surnames M. The series will continue through surnames with Z. The books often list service, pension, census, land ownership, and probate information, with names of children and sometimes grandchildren.

A card index of Indian War soldiers is:  

:*Battle of Burnt Corn July 27, 1813

*Alabama. Department of Archives and History. ''Indian War, 1836''. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986. {{FHL|632748|item|disp=FHL film 1462787 item 2 (A–L)}} and {{FHL|632748|item|disp=FHL film 1462788 (M–Z)}} These cards list the soldier’s name, rank, and company; information from muster rolls and petitions; letters from authorities, death reports, requisitions, minutes of meetings, accounts of battles, and enrollments. The county of residence also may be mentioned.

*''Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served during the Creek War in Organizations from the State of Alabama'' (NARA M244) [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/9991300 Worldcat] and {{FHL|0880845|item|disp=FHL films 0880845–46}} The records to which the index refers have not been microfilmed.

*"Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Florida War in Organizations From the State of Alabama" (NARA M245)[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1804201 Worldcat]and {{FHL|0880847|item|disp=FHL film 0880847}} A transcription of this index is:

:*Achee, Benjamin. ''Index for Compiled Service Records, Alabama Units—Florida War''. N.p., 1971. {{FHL|186391|item|disp=FHL film 908132 item 2; book 976.1 A1 no. 6}} and [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=26465 Ancestry] ($) This book generally lists the soldier’s name, company, battalion, rank, and Alabama county.

*"Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Cherokee Removal in Organizations From the State of Alabama" (NARA M243) [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/10670603 Worldcat] and {{FHL|331707|item|disp=FHL film 0368685}} The Cherokees were removed to the Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma. The compiled military service records have not been microfilmed.

:*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1267 U.S. Army Indian Campaign Service Records Index] (Ancestry) ($) - browsable only.

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.  

Click on the link to learn more about the [[Spanish-American War, 1898|Spanish American War]].  

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.  

:*Other information

'''Draft Registrations'''  

[[World War II United States Military Records, 1941 to 1945|World War II United States Military Records]] provides additional information.

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 [[United States Korean War 1950 to 1953|Korean War]] wiki article for information on records and their availability.  

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 [[United States Vietnam War 1964 to 1972|Vietnam War]] wiki article for information on records and their availability.