United States, Mexican War Index and Service Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What Is in This Collection?
The collection consists of a name index to the compiled military service records (M616) for the Mexican War and compiled service records for the states of Mississippi, Pennsylvania,Tennessee,Texas and Mormon Organizations. The records are a part of Record Group 94 Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917.

Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Mexican War in Organizations from the state of:
 * Mississippi,National Archives Microfilm Publication, M863, 9 rolls
 * Pennsylvania, National Archives Microfilm Publication, M1028, 13 rolls
 * Tennessee, National Archives Microfilm Publication, M638, 15 rolls
 * Texas, National Archives Microfilm Publication, M278, 19 rolls
 * Compiled service records of volunteer soldiers who served during the Mexican War in Mormon organizations, National Archives Microfilm Publication, M351,3 rolls

National Archives Catalog
 * Indexes to the Carded Records of Soldiers Who Served in Volunteer Organizations During the Mexican War, 1899-1927 NAID654518
 * Carded Records Showing Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Volunteer Organizations During the Mexican War, 1899-1927 NAID 654520

Military Rank In and Rank Out Terms and Abbreviations:
 * Artificer: Atif.
 * Blacksmith:
 * Bugler: Bug.
 * Captain: Capt.
 * Colonel: Col.
 * Corporal: Corpl.;Cpl
 * Farrier:
 * Fifer:
 * Lieutenant: Lieut.; 1 Lieut.; 2 Lieut.; Lt.; 1 Lt.; 2 Lt.
 * Major:
 * Musician: Musc.
 * Private: Pvt; Priv.
 * Sergeant: Sergt.;Segt.
 * Surgeon:

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Service
 * Name of soldier
 * Rank and unit(s) in which served
 * State from which served
 * Date and place of enlistment
 * Date and place of discharge
 * Age
 * Type of records in file
 * NARA publication number, title, and roll number

Coverage Table

 * Mississippi
 * Texas
 * Tennessee
 * Pennsylvania
 * Mormon Battalion
 * Additional states and military unit names -  Coverage Table

For a list of all units that participated in the war see United States, Mexican War Military Unit Names - FamilySearch Historical Records.

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * The name of the soldier
 * Where the soldier lived
 * The date and place of enlistment

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date from the enlistment or muster in date
 * Use the age and location of the military unit to find the soldier’s family in census, church, and land records
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify brothers, father, uncles, and cousins who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the records of nearby military units
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning US Mexican War Research
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * U.S. Military Basic Search Strategies

Related FamilySearch Catalog Records

 * NARA Ainswoth List T817,Roll 42, Alabama-Michigan
 * NARA Ainsworth List T817, Roll 43, Mississippi - Wisconsin, Miscellaneous

Related Digital Books

 * Robart's Mexican War Veterans
 * Indiana in the Mexican War
 * Kentucky Mexican War Veterans
 * Michigan in the Mexican War
 * North Carolina in the Mexican War

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.