United States, Headstone Applications for U.S. Military Veterans - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection consists of applications for headstones (over 290,000) received and processed by the Cemeterial/Memorial Division (NARA publication M1916). The records are part of the Record Group 92 Records of the Quartermaster General. Most of the applications are for the Civil War and later, but some may apply to earlier wars. Approximately 10% of the forms will have two images. The applications are arranged in alphabetical order by surname, then first name. r, the Office of the Quartermaster General established a Cemetery Branch. This new branch was responsible for establishing, maintaining, and improving national military cemeteries.

On March 3, 1873, Congress granted burial rights in national military cemeteries to all honorably discharged veterans of the Civil War on March 3, 1873, then extended the privilege of government-provided gravestones to soldiers buried in private cemeteries on February 3, 1879.

For more information, visit the report "Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941." Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans.

For a list of records by surnames currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

The records are for applications processed during the years 1925 to 1941.

In the early frontier years, garrison commanders were expected to bury their dead. During the Civil War, however, the numbers of the dead became too much for them to handle. On September 11, 1861, the War Department began to take command of the responsibility of granting deceased soldiers the priviledge of a marked grave.

These records are quite reliable, though there is still a chance of misinformation. For example, soldiers often falsified their ages in order to be admitted into the army.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org. Source citations include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content


Applications include all or part of the following:


 * Name
 * Rank
 * Company
 * Regiment
 * Division
 * Date of death
 * Name of cemetery with city and state of location
 * Name of person making application and address

How to Use the Record
For a collection that is searchable by name:

Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

When you have located your ancestor’s headstone application, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Compare what is information is given with what you already know about your ancestor to make sure it is the correct person.

Next, look at the pieces of information given in the headstone application for new information. Add any new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

For example:


 * Use any information you already know about your ancestor, such as name, rank, company, regiment, etc., to determine previously unknown information such as date of death and cemetery.
 * Use information about religion, found on later versions of the form, to locate church and land records.
 * The name of the cemetery could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Continue to search cemetery records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have been buried in the same cemetery or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * Compile the entries for every person with the same surname. This is especially helpful for rural areas or unusual surnames.
 * When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries.

Related Websites

 * Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans
 * History of Government Furnished Headstones and Markers

Related Wiki Articles

 * Cemetery Records
 * Union Cemetery Records
 * Confederate Cemetery Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
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A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"United States, Applications for Headstones for Military Veterans, 1925-1941" database and digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 9 September 2011). William Ferrell, April 3, 1841; citing Military Records, Ferrill, William-Flesher, Max, image 24; United States Quartermaster General, Federal Archives and Records Center, Washinfgton D.C., United States.