California Military Records

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U.S. Military Records

California

Military Records

United States Military Online Genealogy Records Golden Gate Bridge and Fort Point

Online Resources

U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records provides more links for nationwide military record collections.

• 1856-1965 California, Military Discharge Records, 1856-1965 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
• Records of California men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867($)
• California, World War I Death Announcements, 1918-1921 Index and images ($)
• 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 ($)
• 1917-1940 - United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940 at FamilySearch — index
• California, San Francisco, World War I Enemy Alien Registration Affidavits, 1918 Index and images.
• California, Geographical and Name Index of Californians who served in WWI, 1914-1918, index.
• JARDA-Japanese American Relocation Digital Archives
• United States, War Relocation Authority centers, final accountability rosters, 1942-1946 at FamilySearch — index and images

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

• 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).

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

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. (How to use this collection.)

• 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.}}

• The Northern California Historical Records Survey Project. Calendar of the Major Jacob Rink Snyder Collection of the Society of California Pioneers. San Francisco, California: The Northern California Historical Records Survey Project, June 1940. Includes content on the California Battalion.

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. (How to use this collection.)

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.

• California Goes to War: California State Archives

Alien Registration

• California, San Francisco, World War I Enemy Alien Registration Affidavits, 1918 at FamilySearch — index and images

Awards

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

Casualties

• 1917-1919 - United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — index
• 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 I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images

• United States World War I Draft Records provides additional information.

Camp Kearny, Linda Vista

• Camp Kearny California State Military Museum
• National Archives History Note and related collections
• Roster of the Fortieth Division Camp Kearny California
• History of the Fortieth (Sunshine) Division; containing a brief history of all units under the Command of Major General Frederick S. Strong, 1917-1919.
• Map of Camp Kearney;(Kearny) - Linda Vista, California. NAID 148720470
• Fortieth Division Wiki Article

' Camp Fremont '

• Cath Trindle Camp Fremont naturalization index, 1918-1919
• Cath Trindle Camp Fremont naturalization index, 1918-1919

Honor Roll of Californians who served in WWI, 1914-1918

• 1914-1918 - California, Honor Roll of Californians who served in WWI, 1914-1918 at How to Use this Collection - index and images

Service Records

• 1914-1918 - California, Geographical and Name Index of Californians who served in WWI, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 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.

YMCA Service Cards

• United States, YMCA World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images

• California Military Museum Directory: World War I

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 ($)
• Fold3 ($).

Relocation Records

• 1942-1946 - United States, War Relocation Authority centers, final accountability rosters, 1942-1946 at FamilySearch — index and images

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.

Militia - National Guard

• California State Military Museum, Sacramento
• California military records in the State Archives, 1858-1923
• California state militia index to muster rolls, 1851-1866. 4 volumes. Citrus Heights, California : Root Cellar-Sacramento Genealogical Society, 1999 FHL 979.4 M2cs

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.

Websites

• 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.

Family History Library