Montana Military Records

United States Genealogy U.S. Military Montana, United States Genealogy Military Records

Forts

• Fort Assiniboine--1879-1911 Established to prevent Sitting Bull and the Souix warriors from returning from Canada.
• Fort Abraham Lincoln -- in North Dakota
• Fort Belknap
• Fort Benton -- Textual records of this fort, 1869-1881, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under "Records of Posts, 1820-1940" (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Connor (also known as Old Fort Reno)
• Fort Custer -- Textual records of this fort, 1877-1898, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under "Records of Posts, 1820-1940" (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Ellis -- Textual records of this fort, 1867-1886, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under "Records of Posts, 1820-1940" (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Fetterman -- in Wyoming
• Fort William Henry Harrison-- 1895-1913
• Fort Keogh -- Textual records of this fort, 1876-1908, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under "Records of Posts, 1820-1940" (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Logan -- Textual records of this fort, 1870-1880, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under "Records of Posts, 1820-1940" (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Maginnis -- Textual records of this fort, 1880-1890, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under "Records of Posts, 1820-1940" (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Missoula -- Textual records of this fort, 1877-1939, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under Records of Posts, 1820-1940" (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Peck
• Camp Poplar River -- Textual records of this fort, 1880-1893, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under "Records of Posts, 1820-1940" (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort Raymond  - Built by Manuel Lisa and called Manuel's Fort
• Fort Shaw -- Textual records of this fort, 1867-1891, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under "Records of Posts, 1820-1940" (Record Group 393.7).
• Fort C. F. Smith--1866-1868; originally named Fort Ransom
• Fort Union
• Fort Smith
• Fort Stevenson -- Textual records of this fort, 1867-1883, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under "Records of Posts, 1820-1940" (Record Group 393.7).

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

Many military records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives and its regional centers, and state archives. United States Military Records provides more information about the federal records. For Montana the following sources are helpful.

Civil War (1861 to 1865)

Washington Territory, Dakota Territory, and Nebraska Territories in 1861

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

Indian Wars

Historical sketches of army posts are available at the Family History Library (Family History Library film 1025168) and the National Archives and its regional centers. You can also find historical sketches in local histories. The Family History Library also has microfilm copies of the service and pension indexes for the many Indian conflicts. The actual records are available only at the National Archives.

Published sources about the soldiers who died at the Battle of the Little Big Horn are available. Military histories of the officers and enlisted men are in:

• Carroll, John M., and Byron Price. Roll Call on the Little Big Horn, 28 June 1876. Fort Collins, Colorado: The Old Army Press, 1974. (Family History Library book 973 M25hc.)
• Hammer, Kenneth. Men with Custer: Biographies of the 7th Cavalry, 25 June, 1876. Fort Collins, Colorado: The Old Army Press, 1972. (Family History Library book 973 M25hk.) Online at: http://www.questia.com/library/book/men-with-custer-biographies-of-the-7th-cavalry-june-25-1876-by-ronald-h-nichols.jsp ($)

World War I (1917-1918)

The Montana Historical SocietyArchives has some records created by the Montana Department of Military Affairs, including original service records for the world wars. They also have enlistment records for the Montana National Guard from 1905 through about 1920.

World War I draft registration cards for men age 18 to 45 may list address, birth date, birthplace, race, nationality, citizenship, and next of kin. Not all registrants served in the war. For registration cards for Montana, see:

• United States. Selective Service System. Montana. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On Family History Library films beginning with film number 1684099.)

To find an individual's draft card, it helps to know his name and residence at the time of registration. The cards are arranged alphabetically by county, within the county by draft board, and then alphabetically by surname within each draft board.

Most counties had only one board; large cities had several. A map showing the boundaries of individual draft boards is available for most large cities. Finding an ancestor's street address in a city directory will help you in using the draft board map. There is an alphabetical list of cities that are on the map. For a copy of this map see:

• United States. Selective Service System. List of World War One Draft Board Maps. Washington, DC: National Archives. (Family History Library film 1498803.) These maps cover the years 1917 to 1918.

WWI draft cards are online at www.ancestry.com ($)

Web sites

http://www.rootsweb.com/~mtgenweb/military.html

See the Supplemental Information section of the United States Military Records for additional information.

References

Montana. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Family History Department, 1998, 2001.  (NOTE: All of the information from the original research article has been imported into this Wiki site and is being updated as time permits.)

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