Michigan Military Records

United States U.S. Military Michigan Military Records

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

Fort Mackinac is a former American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century near Michilimackinac, Michigan, on Mackinac Island.

General Information

• Michigan’s Early Military Forces: A Roster And History Of Troops Activated Prior To The American Civil War, by Leroy Barnett, 2003.
• Military Genealogical Sources, by John W. Heisey.
• Searching American Military Records, by Fran Carter.
• Some of the Military Records of America, Before 1900; Their Use & Value in Genealogical & Historical Research, by E. Kay Kirkham.
  
  

Forts

• Fort Brady -- Textual records of this fort, 1869-1919, 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).
• Fort Detroit 1796-
• FortGratiot 1814-79
• Fort Le Boeuf 1752
• Fort Machault 1753-1759
• Fort Mackinac 1796-1894
• Fort Malden
• Fort Michilimackinac
• Fort Pitt
• Fort St. Joseph

Revolutionary War (1775 to 1783)

General informtion:

• Locating Your Revolutionary War Ancestor: A Guide To The Military Records, by James C. Neogles, 1983.
• Revolutionary War Genealogy, by George K. Schweitzer.
• Genealogical Abstracts Of Revolutionary War Pension Files, 3 Vls., by Virgil D. White, 1992.
  
  

Thousands of veterans settled in Michigan. Genealogical and biographical data is in published militia rolls, pension papers, and gravestone records. An example is:

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 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 Michigan, 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) ($)

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, Michigan in the War of 1812, for information concerning military records, histories, links to relevant web sites, etc. for Michigan Territory.

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

• http://habitantheritage.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Brief_Bibliography_for_the_War_of_1812.43184644.pdf
  

See also:

War Of 1812 Genealogy By George K. Schweitzer.

• http://habitantheritage.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Michigan_Militia_Members_Serving_in_the_War_of_1812_-_part_1.143190851.pdf
  
• http://habitantheritage.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Michigan_Militia_-_part_2_-_final.143190925.pdf
  
• The Capture Of Mackinac In 1812, L. P. Kellogg, 1913, Madison.
• Detroit In The War Of 1812. A.B. Vorderstrasse.
• Hull And The Surrender Of Detroit, J.F. Clarke, 1913, Boston.
• Michigan In The War Of 1812 By Fred C. Hamil.
  
  

Indian Wars (1780s-1890s)

French and Indian War (7 Years War)

• French Indian War

A few records for the Black Hawk War (1832), Toledo War (1835), and Patriot War (1838–39) are at the Michigan State Archives.

Winnebago War (1827)

• Compiled Military Service Records of Michigan and Illinois Volunteers who Served During the Winnebago Indian Disturbances of 1827 NARA M1505; Worldcat and FHL film 1638617–19

Black Hawk War (1832)

• Wisconsin soldiers who served in the Black Hawk War (Wisconsin Historical Society) - Transcription of Wisconsin Muster Rolls from the Black Hawk War. Lists soldiers in the 18 companies of "Iowa" militia (i.e., Iowa Co, Michigan Territory), plus Menominee and Potawatomie warriors and one militia company raised at Green Bay.

Toledo War (1835) and Patriot War (1838-1839)

A few records for the Black Hawk War (1832), Toledo War (1835), and Patriot War (1838–39) are at the Michigan State Archives.

United States. Adjutant General's Office. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served from the State of Michigan for the Patriot War, 1838–1839 (Washington, D.C.: The National Archives, 1965.) FHL film 882795

The Patriot War Along the Michigan-Canadian Border: Raiders and Rebels, by Shaun J. McLaughlin.

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.
  
• Michigan. Adjutant General's Office. Michigan Volunteers Descriptive Roll, First Regiment, 1847–1848 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972.) FHL film 915345 A descriptive muster roll of Mexican War volunteers.

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

Civil War (1861 to 1865)

Civil War Monument in Detroit, Michigan, 1888

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

General information -

• Civil War Genealogy, by George K. Schweitzer.
• Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor, by Bertram H. Groene.
  
  

Michigan material -

• Records of Service of Michigan Volunteers (1861 1865), 45 Vols. by Adjutant General.

Of which there is the

• Index to Michigan Soldiers & Sailors in the Civil War, by Michigan Department of State.
  
• Michigan Soldiers in the Civil War, by Frederick D. Williams.
• Bibliography of Printed Material on Michigan and the Civil War, by Michigan Civil War Commission.
• Michigan in the Civil War: A Guide to Material in Detroit Newspapers, 1861-1866, by Helen H. Ellis.
  
  

For Michigan Native Americans in the Civil War see:

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/1543062885930125/
  

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.

• Muster out rolls of Michigan volunteers are in: Michigan. Adjutant General's Office. Michigan Volunteers, Spanish American War, 1898–1899 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1973.) (On 5 Family History Library films.) Indexed. Lists name, enlistment date, by whom enlisted, and discharge date.

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.)

• United Spanish War Veterans Camp Index, ca. 1890–1984 FHL film 1765853–54, 1766000–6003

• United Spanish War Veterans Master Index, ca. 1890–1984 FHL film 1765850–52

• Michigan men in the Spanish American War (Ancestry) ($)

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. Michigan, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, M1509. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1987–1988. FHL film 1675112 (first of 217 film) Also available at:
  

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

See WWI Draft Records for more information.

World War I Card Index for Michigan. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1976. (Family History Library films 1001930–66.) Often has places of residence and parents' names. Appears to be drafted persons only.

Photos - 

Soldiers Great War

World War II (1941-1945)

Draft 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.

• 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 ($)
• Fold3 ($).

Enlistment Records

• U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 at Ancestry.com ($)

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

• World War II Michigan dead & MIA
• Michigan casualties, World War II at Ancestry.com ($)
• World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas at Ancestry.com ($)

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

• 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 for several counties in Michigan.

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

MICHIGAN - MILITARY RECORDS

MICHIGAN - MILITARY RECORDS - [WAR]

MICHIGAN - MILITARY HISTORY

MICHIGAN - MILITARY HISTORY - [WAR]

Web Sites

Online Military information from Michigan 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
• Online Searchable Military Records & Databases for the USA.
• Michigan Military Records
• FamilyMilitaryRecords.com
• Michigan.gov

see also: http://www.habitantheritage.org/french-canadian_resources/military

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