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The Best Sources for
Researching Ancestors who Fought in the Wars
Did your ancestors ever serve in the war? If they
did, you could be overlooking a valuable resource leading to vital
statistics about them and their family members that exist as a
result of their military service. By figuring out what conflicts,
if any, that your ancestor served in, you can proceed in
researching the variety of military records at your fingertips.
Military pensions are one avenue of research. Not only veterans
but also their widows or minor children may have received
benefits. Information from family and friends may also be
available in the file, making it a source for genealogical
information on the family as a whole, not just the veteran
himself. Due to the information supplied by family members and
acquaintances in pension files, you should seek them for not only
direct ancestors but their relatives and friends as well who were
veterans.
When searching for your male ancestors who were veterans don't
forget to look for female relatives who may have somehow been
involved in the military. The Daughters of the American Revolution
(DAR) provides information on female patriots who assisted
soldiers during the Revolution. Also look for both ancestors you
know are veterans and ancestors who could possibly be veterans. If
you believe an ancestor went to a military academy, get a copy of
his school records even if he did not graduate and go into the
military. School records provide interesting familial information.
Finally, don't forget to look for ancestors who served in the
military but not during a war. These people still have valuable
records that you can access.
Approximately eleven armed conflicts occurred in American History
between 1775 and 1975. Each conflict can be researched using
different resources. The census, however, particularly the 1930
census, is a good place to start. In 1930, your ancestor would
have indicated he was a veteran if he had served in the Boxer
Rebellion, Civil War, Mexican Expedition, Philippine Insurrection,
Spanish-American war, or World War.
Veterans of the Colonial Wars, which included various battles
fought before 1775, may be listed in state or county records. The
Society of Colonial Wars also provides information in the form of
books and other documents relating to the battles. Many men, young
and old, participated in the American Revolution, which lasted
from 1775 to 1783. The D.A.R. and the S.A.R., the Sons of the
American Revolution, possess a large amount of information on
veterans of the Revolution. Veterans with pensions are also listed
on microfilm in numerous libraries. Soldiers, who served their
individual states, rather than the federal government, would be
included in state or county records, and soldiers who fought in
single battles may be listed in battle records that could be
available on the Internet.
The twentieth century was a turbulent time for Americans,
consisting of numerous conflicts beginning with the War of 1812.
Veterans of the War of 1812, which lasted until 1815, can be found
in indexed records in the National Archives. They may also be
listed in county or state records, in pension records, or in land
records after receiving land grants. The Indian Wars lasted
between 1817 and 1898 and included a variety of conflicts, such as
the Seminole Wars and the Black Hawk War, which can be researched
in local and federal archives. Other armed conflicts that occurred
between the Indian Wars were the Mexican War and the Civil War.
The Mexican War lasted between 1846 and 1848. Pension files and
service records have been indexed on microfilm, and many soldiers
received land grants for their service. Some veterans of the
Mexican War also served in the Civil War. Many American men, both
young boys and older veterans of the Mexican war, served in the
Civil War. Residence in a Union or Confederate State does not
guarantee that your ancestor served on the same side of the war as
his neighbors. Pension records for Union Soldiers are located in
the National Archives and some are also online. Many confederate
soldiers did not receive pensions, and if they did, they received
them from the state. Records can be found in state archives and/or
adjutant general's offices. The Allen County Public Library and
the National Park Service battlefields, cemeteries, obituaries,
and census records also serve as good resources for information on
Civil War Veterans. Finally, three more conflicts occurred before
World War I at the end of the twentieth century. Veterans of the
Spanish-American War (1898-1899), the Philippine Insurrection
(1899-1902), and the Boxer Rebellion (1900-1901) have pension or
service records, some of which are indexed and available in the
National Archives.
Veterans of World War I, which lasted from 1917-1918, can be found
through draft cards (easily found if you know where your ancestor
lived), Internet sites and archives of service records, discharge
papers, and, if you have your ancestor's service number, through
the National Military Personnel Records. Some World War II
records, including National Military Personnel Records are
available. Online databases list soldiers who died in the Korean
and Vietnam Wars, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in
Washington, DC also lists deceased soldiers.
About the Authors
Paul Duxbury and Kevin Cook own www.amateur-genealogist.com and
www.our-family-trees.co.uk two of the leading Genealogy Websites.
In addition Paul owns a wide range of exciting websites which can
be viewed at www.paulduxbury.com
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