Requesting Copies of Older (pre-WWI) Military Service Records
State Militia Records
The National Archives does not hold state militia records:
- For these records, you will need to contact the appropriate State Archives.
The National Archives and Records Administration stores the following military records:
- Older military personnel records (generally prior to 1917) are on file at:
Textual Archives Services Division
Washington, DC 20408
View the Types of Military Service Records Stored in Washington, DC
- Military records from 1917 - present are held in the:
How to Order Older Military Service or Pension Records
Select the type of Military Service or Pension Records (pre-1917) you need and select the Order Online or Download the Form link:
Military Service Records
Form Number: NATF 86
Use to: Order compiled records based on pre-1917 military service in the United States forces.
Military Pension/Bounty Land Warrant Applications
Form Number: NATF 85
Use to:
Order copies of military pension application files based on Federal (not State or Confederate) service between 1775 and 1903 (before World War I).
Categories of pension/bounty land files available using NATF Form 85:
- A complete Civil War and later pension application file (up to 100 pages), based on Federal (not State or Confederate) military service during the Civil War or later (includes the Pension Documents Packet.)
- A complete Federal pre-Civil War military pension application based on Federal military service before 1861 (includes the Pension Documents Packet.)
- A pension document packet that contains reproductions of eight documents containing genealogical information about the pension applicant, to the extent these documents are present in the file.
- A complete miltary bounty land application file based on service 1775-1855 (includes only rejected Revolutionary War applications).
Types of Military Service Records
This is a list of the Older Military Service Records held at Washington, DC.
Branch of Service | Dates |
---|---|
Volunteers | Military service performed by persons serving during an emergency and
whose service was considered to be in the Federal interest, 1775 -
1902 |
Regular Army | Enlisted personnel, 1789 - October 31, 1912 Officers, 1789 - June 30, 1917 |
Navy | Enlisted personnel, 1798 - 1885 Officers, 1798 - 1902 |
Marine Corps | Enlisted personnel, 1798 - 1904 Some officers, 1798 - 1895 |
Coast Guard | Persons who served in predecessor agencies to the U.S. Coast Guard:
the Revenue Cutter Service (Revenue Marine), the Life-Saving Service, and
the Lighthouse Service, 1791 - 1919 |
Confederate States | Persons who rendered military service for the Confederate States government in its armed forces, 1861 - 1865 |
Veterans Records | Claims files for pensions based on Federal military service, 1775 -
1916 and Bounty land warrant application files relating to claims based on wartime service, 1775 - 1855 |
PDF files require the free Adobe Reader.
More information on Adobe Acrobat PDF files is available on our Accessibility page.