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  • Researching genealogy during wartime
    • Main contributor: Thomas MacEntee
    Henry Curlhair (1832-1914) Civil War draft registration
    Henry Curlhair (1832-1914) Civil War draft registration

    Presented below is a detailed, methodical guide designed to leverage specialized wartime-era records for uncovering valuable insights into your ancestors' lives, military service, and communities during pivotal moments in U.S. history. Whether you seek to validate family narratives of battlefield valor, trace migration trends driven by wartime industry, or analyze the impact of conflict on your ancestor’s daily experiences, military and wartime records provide an unparalleled resource for comprehensive historical discovery.

    Research your ancestors on MyHeritage

    Begin with a Research Foundation

    Start With What You Know: Begin by jotting down all the information you already have—names, approximate birthdates, known residences, and any family legends about military service or wartime hardships. If you have them, also note down any discharge papers, medals, photographs in uniform, or stories passed down through the generations.

    • Consult Standard Genealogical Sources First: Before digging into wartime records, gather foundational data from:
      • Vital Records: Birth, marriage, and death certificates. These can sometimes list military service or affiliations with veterans’ organizations.
      • Census Records: U.S. Federal Census records can confirm an ancestor’s birthplace, residence, and occasionally note veteran status. For certain wartime periods (e.g., after the Civil War), census enumerations included veteran-specific questions.

    Understanding Key U.S. Wartime Periods and Their Records

    The United States has a rich military history, and different wars have spawned different types of records. Consider the conflicts that might have affected your ancestor:

    • Colonial Conflicts and the American Revolution (pre-1783)
    • The War of 1812 and Early 19th Century Conflicts
    • The Mexican-American War (1846–1848)
    • The Civil War (1861–1865)
    • Spanish-American War (1898)
    • World War I (1917–1918)
    • World War II (1941–1945)
    • Korean War (1950–1953)
    • Vietnam War (1965–1973)

    Each era has distinct record sets. Researching the specific conflict will help you target the correct repositories and documentation.

    Military Service Records

    • Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR): Held at the National Archives, CMSRs summarize an individual’s service, units served in, promotions, wounds, and other notable events. CMSRs exist for many pre-20th-century conflicts, such as the Civil War or the War of 1812.
    • Pension Applications and Pension Files: Pension records are often genealogical goldmines. Union Civil War pension files, for instance, may contain affidavits from fellow soldiers, marriage certificates, birth records of children (if the veteran claimed dependent benefits), and detailed personal and medical information. Revolutionary War pension records and those from the War of 1812 can similarly reveal personal testimonies and lengthy family narratives.
    • Draft Registration Cards: For World War I, World War II, and even some drafts post-WWII, millions of American men registered for the draft. The WWI and WWII draft cards (often digitized and available online) typically provide birthdates, addresses, occupations, next-of-kin details, and physical descriptions.
    • Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs): OMPFs for 20th-century service members can include enlistment contracts, photographs, medical examinations, and correspondence. While not all are publicly available—especially for more recent conflicts—those from early 20th-century wars may be accessible. Many WWII records, however, were affected by the 1973 National Personnel Records Center fire, so be prepared for potential gaps.

    Additional Wartime-Specific Record Types

    • Bounty Land Warrants: For wars like the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, veterans or their survivors were sometimes granted land. Bounty land warrant applications and related documents can provide proof of service, residence, and family members.
    • Draft Board Minutes and Local Draft-Related Records: Draft boards kept local records and sometimes meeting minutes. These can exist in county or state archives and might note exemptions, medical rejections, and local attitudes toward the war effort.
    • Regimental and Unit Histories: Histories and rosters of military units—often compiled after the war—may list soldiers, their hometowns, promotions, and casualty information. These can be found in state archives, specialized military libraries, and historical societies.
    • Naval and Marine Corps Muster Rolls: For maritime or marine ancestors, muster rolls, ship logs, and other naval documents can confirm a sailor’s or marine’s presence aboard a vessel and track their movements during the war.
    • POW and Casualty Lists: If your ancestor was captured or killed in action, Prisoner of War records or casualty lists can confirm this and may offer details about the circumstances surrounding their capture, imprisonment, or death.

    Civilian Records Influenced by Wartime

    • War Ration Books and Civil Defense Records (WWII): Ration books, air raid warden rosters, and other civil defense records from WWII can reveal how your ancestors participated on the home front. These materials are sometimes found in family collections or local archives.
    • Internment Records (WWII): For certain ethnic groups, such as Japanese Americans, WWII brought forced relocation and internment. The National Archives and various historical institutions hold records of these relocations, which can provide critical family information.
    • Refugee and Displacement Records (Post-WWII and Later Conflicts): Later conflicts led to immigration waves. Records related to refugees, including displaced persons who arrived in the U.S. after WWII, the Vietnam War, and other conflicts, often include detailed passenger lists, refugee camp documentation, and U.S. immigration records.
    • Newspapers and War Bond Campaigns: Wartime newspapers can provide context: local men drafted, war bond drives where names are listed, or feature stories about local heroes. These help flesh out the environment in which your ancestor lived and served.

    Veterans’ Organizations and Lineage Societies

    • Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), United Confederate Veterans (UCV), American Legion, VFW: Membership records, meeting minutes, and rosters from veterans’ organizations may confirm your ancestor’s involvement and detail their wartime experiences. Documents held by these organizations sometimes list family members who attended memorial events or applied for veterans’ relief.
    • Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and Sons of the American Revolution (SAR): If you suspect an ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War, DAR and SAR membership applications can provide thoroughly researched genealogies, including verified proof of service, family connections, and sources you can follow up on.

    State and Local Sources

    • State Archives and Historical Societies: Many states have their own war-related record sets. State-level adjutant general’s records often detail local militia and state regiment service, while historical societies may maintain special collections of letters, diaries, and veterans’ oral histories.
    • County Courthouse and Local Government Records: Local court records, probate files, and county histories sometimes mention war-related pensions, land grants to veterans, or community funds raised to support soldiers’ families.

    Using Online and In-Person Repositories

    • National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): NARA is the premier repository for U.S. military records. Explore NARA’s online catalog, and consider ordering copies of pension files or CMSRs. If possible, plan a research visit to a NARA facility.
    • Library of Congress and Digitized Collections: The Library of Congress has extensive collections of wartime documents, photographs, maps, and veteran interviews. Many are digitized and searchable online.
    • Genealogy Websites and Databases: Subscription sites (e.g., Fold3, MyHeritage) and free databases (e.g., FamilySearch, Archive.org) host digitized military and wartime records. Fold3, for instance, is renowned for its military collections, including service records, muster rolls, and pension indexes.

    Contextualizing the Findings

    • Historical Context: Understanding the broader historical backdrop of the war in which your ancestor served helps interpret their records. Did they fight in a locally raised regiment? Were they drafted or did they volunteer? Knowing the social, political, and economic factors of the time provides insight into their experiences.
    • Non-Military Ancestors During Wartime: Not everyone served on the battlefield. Consider relatives who worked in wartime factories, moved to urban centers for defense jobs, or organized relief drives. City directories, employment records at wartime industries, and letters or postcards can reveal how war influenced the civilian side of your family history.

    Preserving and Sharing Your Findings

    • Document Your Sources: Keep careful notes on where each record came from. Photograph or scan original documents. Ensure future generations can trace your steps and understand the validity of your conclusions.
    • Combine Records Into a Narrative: Use the facts and stories gleaned from military and related wartime documents to craft a compelling family narrative. Share this with relatives or publish it in a family history book. Adding context, photographs, and maps will help future generations appreciate the sacrifices and hardships endured by their ancestors.

    Conclusion

    Researching ancestors during U.S. wartime periods can lead you into a rich landscape of records—service records, pensions, draft registrations, veterans’ organization files, civilian ration cards, and beyond. By layering these sources with local, state, and national archives, and by leveraging both online and offline tools, you can reconstruct the wartime lives of your forebears and better understand the legacy they passed on.

    See also

    Learn more about researching genealogy during wartime

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