California Military Records

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Online Resources

• United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783 — images
• U.S., Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914 Index and images
• U.S., Old War Pension Index, 1815-1926 Index Only
• U.S., General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 Images
• California, Military Registers, 1858-1923($)
• U.S., National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 Partial index and images
• U.S., Remarried Widows Index to Pension Applications, 1887-1942 Index only
• U.S., Index to General Correspondence of the Pension Office, 1889-1904 Index only
• U.S., Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933 Index and images
  
  

Indian Wars, dates vary

• U.S., Index to Indian Wars Pension Files, 1892-1926 Index only
  
  

War of 1812, 1812-1815

• U.S., War of 1812 Index to Service Records, 1812-1815 Index only
  
  

Mexican War, 1846-1848

• U.S., Mexican War Index and Service Records, 1846-1848 Index only
• U.S., Mexican War Pension Index, 1887-1926 Index only
  
  

Civil War, 1861-1865

• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database
• Records of California men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867($)
• U.S. Civil War Widows and Other Dependents Pension Files, 1861-1934 Index (free) and images ($); INCOMPLETE
• U.S., Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917 Index (free) and images ($)
• U.S., Records of Confederate Prisoners of War, 1861-1865 Images only
• U.S., Remarried Widows Index to Pension Applications, 1887-1942 Index only
  
  

Spanish-American War, 1898

• U.S. Index to Service Records, War with Spain, 1898 Images
  
  

World War I, 1917-1918

• U.S., Remarried Widows Index to Pension Applications, 1887-1942 Index only
• U.S. WW I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Index and images
• California, World War I Death Announcements, 1918-1921 Index and images ($)
• California, World War I Soldier Citations, 1918-1921 Index and images ($)
• California, WWI Soldier Service Cards and Photos, 1917-1918 Index and images ($)
• California, WWI Soldier Photographs, 1917-1918 Index and images ($)
• California, San Francisco, World War I Enemy Alien Registration Affidavits, 1918 Index and images.
  
  

World War II, 1941-1945

• JARDA-Japanese American Relocation Digital Archives
• Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II ($)
• U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 Index only
• 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
• World War II Casualties (Army and Air Force) free
• United States World War II Prisoners of War of the Japanese, 1941-1945 — index
  
  

Many military records are at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The United States Military Records Wiki article provides more information on federal military records and search strategies. For California the following sources are especially helpful:

Forts

800px-Golden Gate Bridge and Fort Point 2009b.jpg

• Alcatraz -- 1850, became a military prison in 1907, federal prison 1934-19
• Fort Anderson -- 1862-1866
• Benicia Barracks (Benicia Arsenal) -- Textual records of this fort, 1849-1908, 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 Bidwell -- Textual records of this fort, 1864-1893, 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 Bragg 1857 -- Textual records of this fort, 1859-1864, 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 Churchill
• Fort Crook -- 1857 -1869
• Fort Gaston -- Textual records of this fort, 1864-1892, 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 Guijarros -- 1795-1838
• Fort Humboldt 1853 -- Textual records of this fort, 1855-1857, 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 Independence -- 1862-1877
• Fort Jones 1852-1858
• Fort Klamath -- in Oregon
• Camp Lincoln -- Textual records of this post, 1857-1870, 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 McDowell -- Textual records of this fort, 1865-1890, 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).  The  Fort McDowell Website describes the activity and history of Fort McDowell during the Spanish American War and subsequent years. Gives numbers of individuals processed during the different time periods, however it does not appear to give the names of those individuals.
• Fort Miller -- 1851-1864
• Fort Moore -- was located in what is now downtown Los Angeles. It was built by the First Iowa Volunteers (Mormon Battalion) in 1847 and was abandoned as a U.S. military installation in 1849.  See Church News for week ending July 19, 2008.
• Fort Point -- Fort Point is located at the southern side of the Golden Gate at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. This fort was completed just before the American Civil War, to defend San Francisco Bay against hostile warships.
• Fort Reading --1852 -1870
• San Diego Barracks -- Textual records of this fort, 1862-1903, 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).
• Presidio of San Francisco -- Textual records of this post, 1856-1919, 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).
• Sutter's Fort or Fort Sacramento -- 1841-1847
• Fort Tejon -- 1854-1864
• Fort Winfield Scott -- 1854-1914
• Camp Wright, Round Valley -- Textual records of this fort, 1861-1882, 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 Yuma -- Textual records of this fort, 1858-1882, 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).

War of 1812

Gibson, Nancy Brigham California State Society lineage book : National Society, United States Daughters of 1812 ( Culiman, Alabama:  Gregath, c 1991) pages 271 FHL Book 979.4 D2

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.

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

Civil War (1861-1865)

Fort Point, San Francisco, California

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

Civil War Veterans buried in Orange County is a project compiled by the Orange County California Genealogical Society.

Indian Wars (1780s-1890s)

• Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During Indian Wars and Disturbances, 1815-1858 (Family History Library films 882753-94).
• Registers of Enlistments in the United States Army, 1798-1914 (beginning on Family History Library film 350307).
• Old War Index to Pension Files, 1815-1926 (Family History Library films 821603-09).
• Pension Index Files, Indian Wars, 1892-1926 (Family History Library films 821610-21).

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.)

The California State Archives has military records from the California Adjutant General's office dating from 1849 to 1945. These include records of California volunteers in the Spanish-American War. (FHL film 981554-55)

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.

Awards

• California, World War I Soldier Citations, 1918-1921 (Ancestry) ($) - newspaper clippings announcing awards and citations.

Casualties

• California, World War I Death Announcements, 1918-1921 (Ancestry) ($) - newspaper clippings reporting the deaths of California men and women.

Draft Records

• United States. Selective Service System. California. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1987-1988. (Beginning on Family History Library film 1530652) These cards have been digitized and are searchable online. See WWI Draft Records for more information. 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

• California, WWI Soldier Service Cards and Photos, 1917-1918 (Ancestry) ($) - Service cards may include service number, name, address, birthdate, race, years in California, birthplace, father's name and birthplace, mother's maiden name and birthplace, wife's maiden name, date of marriage, children, nearest relative, branch of service, place and date of registration, and place assigned. The biography on the next image also asks for the the signature, date and address of the person writing the biography.

Note - A brief biography of the individual is usually included on the next image. Also, photos were not indexed and the collection only has photos for surnames beginning with BAL-BON. The complete photo collection is available in the collection below.

• California, WWI Soldier Photographs, 1917-1918 (Ancestry) ($) - photos of WWI soldiers from California.

World War II (1941-1945)

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 ($)
• Fold3 ($).

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

The California State Archives has military records from the California Adjutant General's office dating from 1849 to 1945. These include papers of the California Militia from 1850 to 1916, registers of California Volunteers in the Civil and Spanish-American Wars, records of California National Guard Units, and enlistment records from World War I and World War II. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of some of these records from 1858 to 1923 (FHL various film numbers) (35 rolls). Records from World War I that include name, biographical, geographical, and newspaper card files are on the last 17 rolls of this set.

Web Sites

• http://www.militarymuseum.org/History.html
• www.ancestry.com ($)
• http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/~xander/california-records.htm
• http://www.archives.gov/
• California Military Records (California Genealogy)

References

• Encyclopedia of Indian Wars Western Battles and Skirmishes 1850-1890. by Gregory F. Michno. Mountain Press publishing Co., Missoula, Montana C. 2003 ISBN 0-87842-468-7

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.