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

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.


 * National Park Service:
 * National Park Service US Mexican War Soldiers and Sailors Database


 * See Also:
 * Craig R. Scott, Researching US Servicemen in the Mexican War NGS Magazine 48 #3 (July-September 2022): 50-55. FS Library 973 D25ngs
 * Steven R. Butler, Alabama Volunteers in the Mexican War Alabama Genealogical Society Magazine 23 (1991): 37-40
 * Frederick T. Davis,  Florida's Part in the War with Mexico Florida Historical Quarterly 20 (1942): 235-259
 * Robert S. Davis, Some Georgia Soldiers in the Mexican War Georgia Genealogical Society Quarterly 27 (Summer, 1991): 104-106
 * Wilburg G. Kurtz, Jr. The First Regiment of Georgia Volunteers in the Mexican War Georgia Historical Quarterly 27 (1943): 301-323.
 * Robert A. Brent. Mississippi in the Mexican War Journal of Mississippi 31 (August 1969): 202-214.
 * Lee A. Wallace, Jr. Raising a Volunteer Regiment for Mexico, 1846-1847 North Carolina Historical Review 35 (Jan. 1958): 20-33
 * Daniel J. Ryan, Jr. Ohio in the Mexican War Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly 21 (April-July 1912): 277-295
 * Ernest M. Lander, Jr. The Palmetto Regiment Goes to Mexico Proceedings of the South Carolina Historical Association 1973 (Annual): 84-93
 * Lee A. Wallace, Jr. The First Regiment of Virginia Volunteers, 1846-48 Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 77 (Jan 1969): 46-77

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

Related National Archives Collections

 * 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
 * Regimental and Company Books of Mexican War Volunteer Organizations, 1846 - 1848 NAID 654703
 * Claims of Volunteer Units in the Mexican War for Three Months Extra Pay, ca. 1846–ca. 1848 NAID 2584153
 * Carded Medical Records of Volunteer Soldiers in the Mexican and Civil Wars, 1846–1865 NAID 655646
 * Muster Rolls of Volunteer Organizations During the Civil War, Mexican War, Creek War, Cherokee Removal, and Other Wars, 1836–1866 NAID 300388
 * Roster of John C. Fremont's Battalion of California Volunteers in the Mexican War, 1846–1848 NAID 2619002
 * Roster of Members of the Texas Volunteers in the Mexican War, 1846–1848 NAID 2619022


 * Reports of Sick and Wounded, 1820–1860 Includes war with Mexico
 * Morning Reports of Troops in the Mexican War, 1846–1848
 * Roster of Officers and Regular Army Units Serving in the Mexican War, January 1845–January 1850 NAID 2580614
 * Registers of Payments to Officers and Enlisted Men from Volunteer Units, June 1836–December 1861 NAID 2619179
 * Registers of Mexican War Horse Claims, January 1847–January 1851 NAID 2662977
 * Abstracts of Mexican War Horse Claims, 1846-1848 NAID 2663104
 * Mexican War Hospital Records, 1846–1848 NAID 655737
 * Records of Mexican War Medical Officers, 1846–1848
 * Registers of Mexican War Applications for Appointments as Surgeons and Assistant Surgeons, 1847–1848 NAID 644010
 * Letters Sent Relating to Claims, February 5, 1848–April 22, 1886
 * Records of Persons Entitled to Extra Pay for Service in the Mexican War, 1879–1879 NAID 2788854
 * Register of Officers Arriving at Vera Cruz, 1848–1848
 * Mexican War Manifests, 1847–1848

Military Rank In and Rank Out Terms and Abbreviations
• 2

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


 * 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

Finding Aids
The coverage tables for Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and the Mormon Battalion will provide the date and place of muster in and muster out.
 * Mississippi units
 * Pennsylvania units
 * Tennessee units
 * Texas units
 * 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?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event
 * 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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * 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 research your family in the United States.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records
 * Beginning US Mexican War Research
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * United States Research Tips and Strategies
 * U.S. Military Basic Search Strategies

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Steven R. Butler, How to find your Mexican War veteran ancestor 2nd rev. ed. Richardson, Texas : Descendants of Mexican War Veterans, c1994 FS Library 973 M27bu 1994
 * James M. McCaffrey. Army of manifest destiny : the American soldier in the Mexican War, 1846-1848 New York, New York : New York University Press, c1992 FS Library 973 M2mcc
 * Mark Crawford ; David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler, consulting editors. Encyclopedia of the Mexican-American War Santa Barbara, California : ABC-CLIO, c1999 FS Library 973 H26ce
 * Richard Hoag Breithaupt, Jr. Aztec club of 1847 : Military Society of the Mexican War ; sesquicentennial history, 1847-1997 Los Angeles, California : Military Society of the Mexican War, c1998.'' FS Library 973 C4b


 * NARA List of the Adjutant General's office for Carded Records of Military Organizations: T817,Roll 42,   Mexican War military units Alabama-Michigan
 * NARA List of the Adjutant General's office for Carded Records of Military Organizations T817, Roll 43, Mexican War military units Mississippi - Wisconsin, Miscellaneous
 * Records of the 10th Military Department, 1846-1851
 * Herbert Weaver, editor ; Paul H. Bergeron, associate editor. Correspondence of James K. Polk 14 vols. FS Library 929.273 P758wh vols. 1-4

State Sources
 * Alabama. Mexican War service cards, 1846-1847, 2 rolls
 * Index to Indiana volunteers in the Mexican War
 * Michigan volunteers descriptive roll, first regiment, 1847-1848 Company G
 * Index to Mexican War (1846) records at the Ohio State Archives
 * Historical Records Survey, Alphabetical index to Ohio official roster, Mexican War 1845, vol. 12 of Civil War edition
 * Pennsylvania, Mexican service index, 1846-1848
 * Pennsylvania, Mexican War military accounts, 1846-1880
 * Republic of Texas pensions, ca. 1870-1900 Texas War of Independence 1836

Officers
 * Steve R. Butler, A complete roster of Mexican War officers, 1846-1848, both army and navy with alphabetical index 1st ed. Richardson, Texas : Descendants of Mexican War Veterans, c1994 FS Library 973 M2mwb
 * Richard Hoag Breithaupt, Jr. Aztec club of 1847 : Military Society of the Mexican War ; sesquicentennial history, 1847-1997 Los Angeles, California : Military Society of the Mexican War, c1998 FS Library 973 C4b

State Publications
 * Steven R. Butler. Alabama volunteers in the Mexican War, 1846-1848 : a history and annotated roster. Richardson, Texas : Descendants of Mexican War Veterans, c1996. FS Library 976.1 M2bs
 * Desmond Walls Allen. Arkansas' Mexican war soldiers. Conway, Arkansas : Arkansas Research, Inc. (Desmond Walls Allen), c1988. FS Library 976.7 M22adwa
 * Report of the Kentucky Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky, Mexican War veterans Frankfort, Ky. : Capital Office, John D. Woods, 1889; reprint. Utica, Kentucky : McDowell Publications, 2001? FS Library 976.9 M2ka
 * Charles J. Wells. Maryland and District of Columbia Volunteers in the Mexican War. Westminster, Maryland : Family Line Publications, c1991. FS Library 975.2 M2we
 * Russell D. James. Too late for blood : Florida volunteers in the Mexican war. Westminster, Maryland : Heritage Books, Inc., c2005 FS Library 975.9 M2j
 * Fred W. Cross. Historical sketch of the First Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry in the Mexican War, 1847-1848. Manuscript (1920?)
 * H. Grady Howell, Jr. Mississippi rifles : a muster of all known Mississippi soldiers, sailors and marines who served in the Mexican War, 1846-1848. Greenville, South Carolina : Southern Historical Press, c2005 FS Library 976.2 M2hm
 * Kenneth E. Weant. The Mexican War index for Missouri militia muster records : (8,981 records)Arlington, Texas : K.E. Weant, c2005 FS Library 977.8 M2wkn
 * Jana Broglin. Official roster of the soldiers of the state of Ohio in the War with Mexico, 1846-1848 reprint. Mansfield, Ohio : Ohio Genealogical Society, c1991 FS Library 977.1 M2or
 * Randy W. Hackenburg, Pennsylvania in the war with Mexico Shippensburg, Pennsylvania : White Mane Pub. Co., c1992 FS Library 974.8 M2h - 1st and 2nd Pennsylvania Regiments
 * Jack Allen Meyer, comp. An annotated roster of the Palmetto Regiment of South Carolina in the Mexican War, 1846-1848. Winnsboro, South Carolina : Greenbrier Press, 1994, c1994 FS Library 975.7 M2mj
 * Reid Brock, Thomas o. Brock, and Tony Hays. Volunteers : Tennesseans in the War with Mexico. 2 vols. S. l. : Kitchen Table Press, c1986 FS Library 976.8 M2br
 * Henry W. Barton. Texas volunteers in the Mexican war. Wichita Falls, Texas : Texian Press, c1970. FS Library 976.4 M2b
 * William Page Johnson, II. Off to war : the Virginia volunteers in the War with Mexico, or, Fuera de guerra : la Virginia volentarios i.e. voluntarios en la guerra con Mexico. Westminster, Maryland : Willow Bend Books, c2002 FS Library 975.5 M2j

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Justin H. Smith. The War with Mexico. 2 volumes. Gloucester, Massachusetts : Peter Smith, 1963, c1919
 * Nathan Covington Brooks A complete history of the Mexican War : its causes, conduct, and consequences ; comprising an account of the various military and naval operations, from its commencement to the treaty of peace ... Reprint of original published: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Grigg, Elliott and Co., 1849. Chicago, Illinois : Rio Grande Press, 1965
 * John Stilwell Jenkins. History of the war between the United States and Mexico : from the commencement of hostilities to the ratification of the treaty of peace. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : J.E. Potter, n. d.
 * Lieut. Raphael Semmes, The Campaign of General Scott, in the Valley of Mexico Cincinnati, Ohio : Moore & Anderson, 1852
 * William Hugh Robarts. Mexican War Veterans: a complete roster of the regular and volunteer troops in the war between the United States and Mexico, from 1846-1848; the volunteers are arranged by states, alphabetically  Washington, D.C. : Brentano's, 1887. reprint. Nabu Press
 * Clarence Stewart Peterson, Known military dead during Mexican War, 1846-48 (1957)
 * Index to the James K. Polk papers Washington, D.C. : United States. Government Printing Office, 1969
 * edited and annotated by Milo Milton Quaife. The Diary of James K. Polk during his presidency, 1845 to 1849 : now first printed from the original manuscript in the collections of the Chicago Historical Society Chicago, Illinois : A.C. McClurg & Co., 1910 Vol. 1 and 4
 * Oran Perry, Indiana in the Mexican War Indianapolis : W.B. Burford, 1908. reprint Kessinger Pub., 200-?
 * Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky: Mexican War Frankfort, Kentucky : John D. Woods, 1889
 * Richard Warren Welch, comp. Michigan in the Mexican War(1967)
 * William Elsey Connelley Doniphan's expedition and the conquest of New Mexico and California : war with Mexico, 1846-1847Topeka, Kansas : William Elsey Connelley, c1907
 * The New York volunteers in California. S. l. : s. n, 1882, 1896. reprint. Glorieta, New Mexico : Rio Grande Press, 1970
 * William S. Hoffman. North Carolina in the Mexican War Raleigh, North Carolina : State Dept. of Archives and History, 1959
 * Charles D. Spurlin, comp. Texas veterans in the Mexican War : muster rolls of Texas military units.

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.

Estados Unidos, Índice e Registros de Serviço da Guerra Mexicana (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)