Military Records Research at the National Archives

Why wait for months for military records from the National Archives? We offer professional and affordable research services and FAST turnaround for the most frequently requested military records; compiled service records and pension files.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the official repository for records of military personnel who have been discharged from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. These records are a valuable source of information about an individual's military service, family and medical history. They are also useful in studying military and social history.

"In this time of declining customer service it is refreshing to have someone like Deborah Petite of Roll-Call Research to wonderfully serve the family historian. I have called upon her to retrieve numerous records for 3 wars regarding my ancestors and have been delighted with her professionalism, reliability and outstanding personal service as a whole. As an avid researcher I highly recommend this fine lady for all of your pension file and service record needs." Sunni M., Birmingham, AL.

Compiled service records are one of the most frequently requested military records. They consist of a card or cards containing information abstracted from such original records as muster rolls, regimental returns, and medical and prison registers. They typically show a soldier's presence or absence on certain dates, his rank and military organization, and the term of his service. Civil War service records may provide information about a soldier's imprisonment. If he was captured, his record may show the date of his release and parole or details on his death if he died in prison. Sometimes they list age, place of enlistment, place of birth and may even provide a physical description. These records are valuable for proving military service. Because a compiled military service record is abstracted from the records of an individual soldier or his unit, it is only as complete as the surviving original records, many of which may not have been available. Also, a soldier may have served in a state militia unit that was never called into service by the Continental, Federal, or Confederate government. Records of such service, if available, are most likely in the state archives. While there is no guarantee that your soldier/sailor's military record may be present, rest assured that if it is, we will find it.

Military Service Records

The War Department began maintaining personnel files for Regular Army officers in 1863 and for enlistment men in 1912. Records relating to service before those dates are scattered among many different series of War Department records, and unfortunately, very difficult to locate. Along with pension records, registers of enlistments may be the only source of information on enlisted personnel serving in the Regular Army in the 19th century.

Registers of enlistments generally contain information relating to the enlistment and termination of service of enlisted personnel. Register entries may contain valuable information for the genealogist and historian including the individual's name, military organization, physical description, and remarks. Complete service information may not be given for every individual. The information on the registers was compiled from enlistment papers, muster rolls of the Regular Army, and other records.

Pension files and applications for bounty land warrants may contain a great deal of personal information about a veteran and his family. The files may show the veteran's name, age, and residence at the date of the application; the names of his wife and children; and dates of births, marriages, and deaths within the family. Pension records may also document the veteran's military service by indicating his unit and the dates of his service. Civil War pension files are some of the most interesting military records. They often contain medical reports, affidavits of family, friends, and soldiers served with, and my provide information about the petitioner's postwar experiences.

The National Archives has pension applications for veterans, their widows, and other heirs. They are based on service in the Armed Forces of the United States between 1775 and 1916 but not to duty in the service of the Confederate States of America. The Federal Government provided three principal types of pensions:
1) Disability or invalid pensions awarded to servicemen for physical disabilities incurred in the line of duty.
2) Service pensions awarded to women and children whose husbands or fathers had served in wartime for specified periods.
3) Widow's pensions awarded to women and children whose husbands or fathers had served for specified periods or had been killed in war.

Military bounty land warrants were certificates giving eligible veterans rights to free land in the public domain. Congress used bounty land warrants to encourage enlistments during the Revolutionary War. From 1781 until 1855 the Federal Government continued to issued bounty land warrants to veterans or their heirs as a reward for service.

Note: Confederate pension records are not available at the National Archives. They must be obtained from the appropriate repository.

Follow this link for a list of state repositories and more information on Confederate pension records.

For more information on specific military records, as well as pricing and ordering information, please follow the appropriate links listed above.

We look forward to assisting you with your military records research requests. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need additional information.