Utah, Indian War Service Affidavits - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
The collection consists of images to service affidavits of veterans who served in the militia during the Indian Wars. The collection is numerical by box and folder, then alphabetical by surname. There are three types of affidavit forms: In most cases, there will be two images per affidavit. The collection covers the years 1909 to 1917. The Indian War lasted between 1865 and 1890. Nineteen years after the war ended the legislature created a Board of Commissioners of Indian War Records. The board was responsible for collecting the names of war veterans. Veterans completed affidavits of service while two witnesses also completed supporting affidavits. The affidavits were then filed in the office of the chairman of the board, the Adjutant General of the State, and were used to verify pension claims. These records are generally reliable, but depend on the memory of the veteran or the knowledge of the wife or children.
 * Soldier
 * Widow or child
 * Witnesses

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2 If a veteran was deceased, his wife or children could fill out an affidavit in his place.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The name of a parent or date 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.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information and to find additional information.

I Found the Person I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses. Witnesses were usually family members
 * Utah Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Utah.
 * Utah Guided Research
 * Utah Record Finder
 * Utah Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1900-Present
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Applications for Indian war medals, 1905-1912
 * Correspondence records concerning Indian War pensions, 1914-1928
 * Service records of Indian Wars in Utah, 1853-1868
 * Utah, Indian War service affidavits : concerning service in Indian Wars within the state of Utah and of service relating thereto, 1909-1917
 * Card index to military records of the Indian wars, 1866-1867; A-Z
 * Roger B. Nielson. Utah's Black Hawk War veterans. R. B. Nielson, 2009 FS Library 979.2 M2nr

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.