Maine, State Archive Collections - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection includes various county records, most are military records. The collection is located at the Maine State Archives. The records cover the years 1718-1957. 'The index at present covers two military collections; the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Card Index, 1861-1865 and World War I Card Index to Soldiers by Town, 1917-1919.

Additional military record collections from Maine, military records, 1700-1940 include: Civil War obituary index file; Spanish America War index cards; Civil War Soldiers index; Civil War Seamen index; Civil-Spanish War grave registrations; War of 1812 grave cards; Kittery Naval Yard graves; Mexican War grave cards; Indian War grave cards; Various War grave cards; WWI grave cards; Revolution grave cards; WWI draft registration index; National Guard Cards;Maine Volunteers, Civil War Post Office Address; Maine Volunteer militia, War of 1812; Civil War muster out records, War of 1812 muster rolls, 1813-1814; War of 1812, regular army rolls, 1812-1814; Mexican War Rosters, 1846.

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

Civil War Cards
 * Name, age, rank and company of soldier
 * Whether service was in the infantry, cavalry, or heavy artillery
 * Birthplace and current residence
 * Marital status
 * Physical description
 * Date and place of enlistment
 * Occupation
 * Date, place and reason for leaving service
 * Record of previous service

Maine Draft Cards
 * Name, age and current residence
 * Date and place of birth
 * Race, occupation and marital status
 * Number of children

World War I Military Records
 * Name and residence
 * Date and place of birth
 * Rank and military unit
 * Marital status
 * Date and place where soldier entered military service
 * Date and place where soldier left military service
 * Person to be notified in case of an emergency

Enlistment Lists of Volunteers
 * Name and age
 * Date of enlistment
 * Residence and occupation
 * Marital status
 * Additional remarks, comments

Coverage Table
The coverage table shows the record types and time periods covered. Most of the records in the collection are from the time periods listed in the table; however, the collection may have a few records from before or after the time period.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the individual or individuals such as the names of the soldier, the deceased, or grantor and grantees
 * Identifying information such as the date and place of the event

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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the age to calculate a birth date
 * Use the names, ages and residence church and census records
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been in the same area
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the records of nearby localities

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Maine.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning United States Civil War Research
 * Locating a Confederate Civil War Soldier (1861–1865)
 * Maine Guided Research
 * Maine Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Maine, Civil War military rolls, Maine Volunteers, 1861-1866
 * Hospital lists of Maine Civil War soldiers.
 * Maine, Civil War colored soldiers enlistment papers, 1863-1865
 * Maine, Civil War colored soldiers assorted correspondence, 1862-1864
 * Maine militia records, 1812-1814, 1820-1850
 * Maine World War I records
 * Maine military records, 1700-1940
 * Veterans cemetery records
 * Maine passports, 1828-1851
 * Maine, voters lists, 1864
 * Maine World War I Records Includes the World War I Card Index to Soldiers by Town, 1917-1919.

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Public record repositories in Maine Augusta, Maine : Maine State Archives, 1983

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.