Ohio Military Records
United States 
U.S. Military Ohio Military Records
The U.S. Military Records Research Page provides more information on federal military records and search strategies.
Forts
Forts dotted Ohio as settlers, Native Americans and Europeans each struggled for their place on Ohio’s lands. These log forts played an instrumental part of Ohio’s early development and each has it’s own unique tale to tell.
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Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Although Ohio did not exist as a state during the time of the Revolutionary War, a man born between 1730 and 1765 who lived in Ohio later may have been granted Ohio land for his service for another state or for the Continental Army.
Service Records
- United States, Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783. Fold3 provided the free index for this collection on FamilySearch. Fees may apply for the links to Fold3's images.
Pension Files
- White, Virgil D. Genealogical Abstracts of the Revolutionary War Pension Files. Four Volumes. (Waynesboro, Tennessee: National Historical Publishing, 1990.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 973 M28g.May give a veteran's name, age, birth date, marriage date, residence, names of relatives, unit, and service dates and places.
- United States, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications. The FamilySearch index is free but fees may apply to view images on Fold3. Also available on FHL film 970001 (first of 2670 films) and Ancestry.com ($)
- Revolutionary War Pensions (Access Genealogy)
- [.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4691 Revolutionary War Pension Index] at Ancestry.com ($)
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 Ohio, 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) ($)
Land Warrants
- United States, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications
- Bounty Land Warrants for the U.S. Military District of Ohio
- Ohio Land and Property page is a good source for this information.
Rosters Specific to Ohio
- Daughters of the American Revolution, Ohio, Official Roster of the Soldiers of the American Revolution Buried in the State of Ohio. Three Volumes (Columbus, Ohio: F.J. Heer Printing, 1929-59.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL films 385013 and 928143 items 7–8; fiche 6046713; book 977.1 M23ad Digital version for all three volumes available through FHL catalog entry.
- Dailey, Mrs. Orville D. The Official Roster of the Soldiers of the American Revolution Who Lived in the State of Ohio: Volume 2, A-Z. (Columbus, Ohio: State Society DAR, State of Ohio, 1938?.) FHL film 195451.
- Daughters of the American Revolution of the State of Ohio, comp. Official Roster III, Soldiers of the American Revolution Who Lived in the State of Ohio. (Painesville, Ohio: Painesville Publishing, 1959.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL film 213051; book 977.1 M2of
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, Ohio in the War of 1812, for information concerning military records, histories, links to relevant web sites, etc. for Ohio.
There are helpful nationwide records for soldiers of the War of 1812. For more information, see United States in the War of 1812.
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.)
- 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.
- Broglin, Jana Sloan and Ohio Genealogical Society, Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War with Mexico, 1846-1848. (Mansfield, Ohio: Ohio Genealogical Society, 1991.) Reprint of 1897 publication. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 977.1 M2or.
- WPA, Alphabetical index to Ohio official roster, Mexican War 1845, vol. 12 of Civil War edition Volume 12. (Akron, Ohio: Werner, 1886-1895.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL film 195488
- Index to Mexican War (1846) Records at the Ohio State Archives. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1959.) FHL film 223771. Consists of microfilm of a card file at the Ohio State Archives which gives the name of each soldier's military unit.
- Ryan, Daniel J. "Ohio in the Mexican War." Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications. 1912, Volume 21, pages 277-295. Includes a section that tells when and where a company was raised and lists many of the officers in those companies. Digitized 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)
See Ohio in the Civil War for information about Ohio Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the Ohio 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.
By 1890, about 40 percent of the Civil War veterans were members of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). The descriptive books of each GAR post usually indicate each member's name, age, rank, birthplace, residence, occupation, and enlistment and discharge information. Records of GAR posts and of other veteran organizations may be found in various libraries and archives throughout Ohio.
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.)
Rosters
Muster-in and muster-out rolls are on 31 microfilms at the Family History Library.
- WPA The Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War with Spain, 1898-1899. (Columbus, Ohio: Edward T. Miller, 1916.) FHL film 195489.
- Broglin, Jana Sloan. Index to Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War with Spain, 1898-1899. (Mansfield, Ohio: Ohio Genealogical Society, 1989.) At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL book 977.1 M22b.
- Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio. Muster In and Muster Out Rolls in the Spanish American War: . . . (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1959, 1962.) FHL film 223766 (first film)
- Graden, Debra, comp. Ohio Soldiers in the War with Spain, 1898-99 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Ancestry.com ($) Original data: Compiled under the direction of Frank B. Willis, Governor, Charles Q. Hildebrant, Secretary of State, and Benson W. Hough, Adjutant General. The Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War with Spain, 1898-99. Ft. Leavenworth, KS, USA: C.A.R.L. Library, 1916.
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.
Draft Registration Cards
- United States, Selective Service System. Ohio, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On 239 Family History Library films beginning with 1819504) 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
- Service cards for Navy (eight films), Marine Corps (three films), out-of-state (four films), and regular service (76 films) are on films at the Family History Library.
- Service records for World War I and later wars are at the Adjutant General's Office (State House, Columbus, OH 43215
Roster
- Ohio Adjutant General's Office. The Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the World War, 1917-1918. 22 Volumes. (Columbus, Ohio: F.J. Heer Printing, 1926-29.) FHL films 195413-35.
World War II (1941-1945)
Registration Records
- United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
- U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 at Ancestry.com ($)
Biographies
- A series of books entitled "Young American Patriots", published shortly after the war, documented the service of soldiers from different states including Ohio. The series of books included photos and a short biography of some of the soldiers from the state.
Prisoners of War
- World War II Prisoners of the Japanese, 1941-1945 at Ancestry.com ($)
- World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1946 at Ancestry.com ($)
Casualties
- United States. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing - State of Ohio, June 1946. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1960.) FHL film 213049. Lists of dead and missing soldiers who served during World War II, arranged alphabetically by county.
- World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from Ohio.
- Adjutant General's Office. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing - State of Ohio. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1958.) FHL films 182702–93. A concerted effort has been made to locate the Ohio gravesites of veterans from all pre-1945 wars. The cards are arranged alphabetically.
- World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, 1941-1943 at Ancestry.com ($)
- World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas
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
- Ohio. Adjutant General's Office. Roster of Soldiers of the Ohio National Guard, 1874-1917. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1959.) FHL films 195453–66.
- Edward Wakefield. The History of the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home at Xenia, Ohio. (Ohio: Association of Ex-Pupils, 196?) At various libraries (WorldCat); {{FHL|707990|item|disp=FHL book 977.174/X1 J3h.) This does not include the records.
- Two Hundred Years: The Military History of Ohio. (New York, New York: H.H. Hardesty, 1886-7.) FHL film 874293; book Q 977.1 M25ha or Q 977.1 M2m Information about prominent Ohio veterans and major military actions.
- 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 (some to 1970), for about half the counties in Ohio.
- Many more useful sources are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under:
- OHIO - MILITARY RECORDS
- OHIO - MILITARY RECORDS - [WAR]
- OHIO - MILITARY HISTORY
- OHIO - MILITARY HISTORY - [WAR]
- OHIO, [COUNTY] - MILITARY RECORDS
Websites
Online Military information for Ohio 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
- Ohio Military Men 1917-1918
- Online Searchable Military Records & Databases for the USA.
References
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