Beginning US Mexican War Research

The Mexican War (also known as the Mexican-American War, the First American Intervention, and the U.S.–Mexican War) resulted from the annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845. Thirty-five thousand U.S. Army troops and 73,000 state volunteers fought in this war. Most volunteer regiments were from southern states, such as Louisiana, Tennessee, Missouri, and Texas. The war took place from April 25,1846 to February 2, 1848.

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

War with Mexico was declared on May 13, 1846. However, units of soldiers were organized in Texas in the fall of 1845. Volunteer units were organized from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania,South Carolina, Tennessee,Texas and Virginia. One unit was composed of Indians and one of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-the Mormon Battalion. Regular Army units included the 1st Regiment of Dragoons, 2nd Regiment of Dragoons, 3rd Regiment of Dragoons, Regiment of Mounted Riflemen, 1st Regiment of Artillery, 2nd Regiment of Artillery, 3rd Regiment of Artillery, 4th Regiment of Artillery, 1st through 16th Regiments of Infantry, Regiment of Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen.

Step 1. Identify an ancestor who may have served in the Mexican War

Look at your ancestors' information to determine which match the following criteria:

- Ages: Most soldiers and sailors were men between the ages of 18 and 30, so they would have been born in the 1820s or earlier.

- Death: Did your ancestor die between April 1846 and February 1848? Did he die in Mexico or a Southern state or western state different than where his family was living? Most of the soldiers who enlisted in a volunteer military where from a southern or western. Others may have joined the Regular Army.

Step 2. Identify the county and state where your ancestor lived between 1845-1848

If you do not know the county and state where your ancestor lived at the start of the war, check the following:

• The *United States Census, 1840 for the soldier or his family.

Bibliography

• Research Guide: Mexican War Veteran Research Descendants of Mexican War Veterans
• Steve R. Butler How to find your Mexican War veteran ancestor 2nd rev. ed. Richardson,Texas:Descendants of Mexican War Veterans, 1994. FS Library 973 M27bu 1994 A list of where this booklet can be found at WorldCat
• Steven R. Butler. Mexican War Records: A Genealogical Gold Mine. Genealogical Helper 45 (May-June 1991): 8-8. FS Library 292.05 G286.
• Craig R. Scott, Researching US Servicemen in the Mexican War NGS Magazine 48 #3 (July-September, 2022): 50-55 FS Library 973 D25ngs