Kentucky Military Records

Military records identify millions of individuals who served in the military or who were eligible for service. Evidence that an ancestor actually served may be found in family traditions, census records, naturalization records, biographies, cemetery records, and records of veterans’ organizations. Military records can give birth, marriage, and death dates; spouses’ and children’s names; and places of residence throughout the life of the family.

Military records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The Kentucky Military History Museum in Frankfort (which is part of the Kentucky Historical Society, listed in the "Societies" section) also has many military records. The United States Military Records Wiki article provides more information about the federal records and search strategies. For Kentucky the following sources are also available.

Online Resources
The US Military Records Wiki article provides more information on Federal military records and search strategies.


 * Kentucky Land Office Revolutionary War Land Warrants, 1800-1900.
 * Kentucky Pension Roll for 1835 Abstract ($)
 * Abstracts of pensions, soldiers of the Revolution, 1812 &amp; Indian wars, who settled on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River.
 * Kentucky, Soldiers of the War of 1812 List ($)
 * Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812 List ($)
 * Revolutionary Soldiers in Kentucky: Also a Roster of the Virginia Navy
 * Images only.
 * Index and images.
 * Index and images.
 * Index and images.
 * — index and images
 * Kentucky Confederate Volunteers List ($)
 * Kentucky, Civil War Union Volunteers, 1861-1865 List ($)
 * Kentucky, Confederate Pension Records, 1912-1930 Index and images ($)
 * Kentucky's German Americans in the Civil War
 * Kentucky Civil War Links
 * The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Kentucky
 * U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War for Kentucky

Forts

 * Fort Boonesboro (1775)
 * Fort Jefferson
 * Fort Nelson -- French and Indian War (1754–1763)
 * Newport Barracks -- Textual records of this post, 1833-1894, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).

Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

 * Taylor, Philip Fall. A Calendar of the Warrants for Land in Kentucky, Granted for Service in the French and Indian War.  (See Kentucky Land and Property.) This record contains an alphabetical list of soldiers, mostly from Virginia, who received warrants for bounty land in what is now Kentucky from about 1774 to 1789.

If a person supported the Revolution, he may be mentioned in records as a rebel, patriot, or Whig. Those who opposed the Revolution were Loyalists or Tories.

Patriots

Service and pension records and indexes for patriots are available on film at the National Archives and the Family History Library. See the United States Military Records Wiki article for these sources.

The Revolutionary War was fought before Kentucky became a state in 1792. Many veterans came to Kentucky and may be listed in:


 * Revolutionary Soldiers in Kentucky: Also a Roster of the Virginia Navy at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Abstracts of pensions, soldiers of the Revolution, 1812 &amp; Indian wars, who settled on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. at Ancestry.com (Free /$)


 * Quisenberry, Anderson Chenault. Revolutionary Soldiers in Kentucky: Containing a Roll of the Officers of Virginia Lines Who Received Land Bounties, a Roll of the Revolutionary Pensioners in Kentucky, a List of the Illinois Regiment Who Served Under George Rogers Clark in the Northwest Campaign, also a Roster of the Virginia Navy. Baltimore, Maryland.: Southern Book, 1959., These lists are arranged by county and alphabetically within each county by the name of the pensioner.
 * Virginia State Library. Department of Archives and History. List of the Revolutionary Soldiers of Virginia: Special Report of the Department of Archives and History for 1911 and 1912. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1954. . The contents of this record are arranged in alphabetical order by surname.

An Internet site entitled “Revolutionary War Warrantsis available to determine the names of Virginia veterans (or their assignees) who received bounty land warrants as payment for military service. The database also includes scanned images from the Warrants Register and the file identification for the patents authorized by the evolutionary War land warrants.

The 1813 Pension List: 


 * 1813 Pension List (New Horizons Genealogy)

The 1818 Pensioners of the United States: 


 * 1818 Pensioners of the United States (New Horizons Genealogy)

The 1820 Pension List: 


 * 1820 Pension List (New Horizons Genealogy)

The 1835 Pension Roll

On June 5, 1834, the U.S. Senate required the Secretary of War to submit a statement showing the names of pensioners who were on the pension rolls or had previously been on the pension rolls. For more information on the 1835 Pension Roll see Revolutionary War Pension Records. The 1835 Pension Roll of Kentucky, which includes Revolutionary War pensioners and heirs of War of 1812 casualties, is available online:


 * Report from the Secretary of War... Vol. III (Google Books)
 * The Pension Roll of 1835, Vol. III (Ancestry) ($)
 * Kentucky Pension Roll for 1835 (Ancestry) (free)

Loyalists

For Loyalist records see the Canada Military Records Wiki article.


 * History of the 3d, 7th, 8th and l2th Kentucky C.S.A. at Ancestry.com (Free /$)

War of 1812 (1812-1815)
The War of 1812 between Britain and the United States confirmed the separate existence of the United States and the future Canada. See the Wiki article, Kentucky in the War of 1812, for information concerning military records, histories, links to relevant web sites, etc. for Kentucky.

There are helpful nationwide records for soldiers of the War of 1812. For more information, see United States in the War of 1812.


 * Kentucky, Soldiers of the War of 1812 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Remember the Raisin: Kentucky and Kentuckians in the Battles and Massacre at Frenchtown, Michigan Territory, in the War of 1812 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Notes on Kentucky Veterans of the War of 1812 by G. Glenn Clift at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Abstracts of pensions, soldiers of the Revolution, 1812 &amp; Indian wars, who settled on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Kentucky Pension Roll for 1835 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Kentucky in the War of 1812 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)

Mexican War (1846-1848)
The Mexican War was caused by the annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845. Most volunteer regiments were from southern states. Records of Mexican War veterans might exist in a state where the veteran later resided.


 * Mexican War Index to Pension Files, 1887–1926. (NARA T317). Alphabetically arranged and includes the veteran’s name, rank, and unit; names of dependents; date of filing and application; certificate numbers; act filed under; and state from which application was made. Also available at:


 * (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. (Learn more.)


 * Robarts, William Hugh. Mexican War Veterans : A Complete Roster of the Regular and Volunteer Troops in the War Between the United States and Mexico, from 1846-1848… Washington, D.C. : Brentano’s, 1887. Digital version available at Internet Archive.


 * Kentucky. Adjutant General. Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky: Mexican War Veterans (1846–1847). Frankfort, Kentucky.: Historical Society, 1966. . These are arranged by company and regiment and then alphabetically by the name of the soldier. It includes his name and rank, dates and length of service, the places he was mustered in and out of, and the dates this mustering took place.

Click on these links to learn more about the Mexican War and about Mexican War pension records.

Civil War (1861–1865)


See Kentucky in the Civil War for information about Kentucky Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the Kentucky regiments involved in the Civil War.

The regimental pages often include lists of the companies with links to the counties where the companies started. Men in the companies often lived in the counties where the companies were raised. Knowing a county can help when researching more about the soldiers and their families.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System allows name searching for soldiers. The result set gives the regiments for the soldiers. Then you can check the Wiki regiment pages to determine counties. Often knowing the counties that had men in a regiment will help you determine if a soldier was your ancestor.


 * — index
 * at FamilySearch — index
 * Kentucky, Civil War Union Volunteers, 1861-1866 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Kentucky, Confederate Pension Records, 1912-1930 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * The Union regiments of Kentucky at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Kentucky Confederate Volunteers at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * History of the First Kentucky Brigade at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Report of the adjutant general of Kentucky to His Excellency Governor McCreary for the year 1879 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Report of the adjutant-general of Kentucky, for the year ending 1889 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Report of the adjutant general of Kentucky to His Excellency Governor McCreary for the year 1875 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Report of the adjutant general, state of Kentucky, to the commander-in-chief, for the year 1881 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * — index and images
 * Civil War Governors of Kentucky (Free -Docs from citizens to Governors - Searchable database)

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:


 * Kentucky, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Kentucky, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Spanish-American War (1898)
The Spanish-American War was largely fought in Cuba and the Philippines. Spanish-American War records might exist in the state from which the soldier served or in a state where the veteran later resided.


 * Kentucky. Adjutant General. Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky: Kentucky Volunteers, War with Spain, 1898–1899. 1908. Reprint, Frankfort, Kentucky.: Historical Society, 1966. . These unindexed records are arranged by company and regiment and then alphabetically by name. They include the soldier’s name, rank, date and place of enrollment, and dates and places of mustering in and out.


 * Volunteer Officers and Soldiers of the Spanish American War, 1898–1899. Frankfort, Kentucky.: Kentucky Historical Society, 1966. . These are arranged alphabetically by name within the company and regiment. The soldier’s name, rank, and enlistment and muster dates and places are listed.

Indexes


 * (NARA T288). (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. The index covers veterans of the Civil War, Spanish‑American War, Philippine Insurrection, Boxer Rebellion (1900 to 1901), and the regular Army, Navy, and Marine forces. (Learn more.)


 * (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. (Learn more.)

Click on the link to learn more about the Spanish American War.

World War I (1917-1918)
World War I was a global war fought on multiple continents with several nations involved. Over four million men and women served from the United States.


 * United States. Selective Service System. Kentucky, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington DC: National Archives, 1987–1988. . Also available at:


 * (FamilySearch) - free

See WWI Draft Records for more information.


 * Haulsee, W. M. Soldiers of the Great War. 3vols. Washington, DC: Soldiers Record Pub. Association, 1920.. Digital copy Vol 2 - free Roster of soldiers who died in the war. Kentucky soldiers are listed in volume 1, pages 375 to 408. It gives the soldier’s name, residence, rank, and cause of death, and it includes pictures.


 * at FamilySearch — index and images

Following World War I Kentucky attempted to keep three sets of records by county. They were:


 * Scrapbooks.
 * Records filled out by soldiers.
 * Records from the government with service number.

These records are scattered, though a full set may be found in the Department of Libraries and Archives in Frankfort, Kentucky.

World War II (1941-1945)
Draft Registration

On April 27, 1942, the Selective Service conducted the fourth of six draft registrations related to WWII. The "World War II Selective Service Draft Cards: Fourth Registration, 1942" is often referred to as the “Old Man’s Registration” or the “Old Man’s Draft" because it included men with a date of birth from April 28, 1877 to February 16, 1897. Since there is overlap in the WWI and WWII Selective Service registration, men born in the years 1877 to 1900 may have registered twice and have both WWII and WWI draft records.


 * (FamilySearch) - free
 * (images with partial index) (FamilySearch) - free


 * Also available at:


 * Ancestry ($)
 * Fold3 ($).

Biographies


 * A series of books entitled "Young American Patriots", published shortly after the war, documented the service of soldiers from different states including Kentucky. The series of books included photos and a short biography of some of the soldiers from the state.

World War II United States Military Records provides additional information.

Korean War (1950–1953)
The Korean War was a conflict between North Korea (and its communist allies) and South Korea (with support of the United Nations, primarily the United States). See the Korean War wiki article for information on records and their availability.

Vietnam War (1964–1972)
The Vietnam War was a conflict between North Vietnam (and its communist allies) and South Vietnam (with support of its anti-communist allies, including the United States). See the Vietnam War wiki article for information on records and their availability.


 * Register of Vietnam War Casualties from Kentucky. Frankfort, Kentucky: Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, 1988. . This book lists soldiers alphabetically and by county. It includes lists of soldiers who came from other states and those who were missing in action. The soldier’s name, rank, birth date, residence, and casualty date are given.

Other Military Records
For a published list of militia officers from 1792 to 1811, see:


 * Clift, Garrett Glenn. The Corn Stalk Militia of Kentucky, 1792–1811: A Brief Statutory History of the Militia and Records of Commissions of Officers in the Organization from the Beginning of Statehood to the Commencement of the War of 1812. Frankfort, KY.: Kentucky Historical Society, 1957. . This book is indexed and includes an alphabetical list of soldiers by year, showing each soldier’s name, regiment, and enlistment date.

For an index to Kentucky veterans from the War of 1812 to World War I, see:


 * Kentucky Historical Society (Frankfort, Kentucky). Index to Veterans of American Wars from Kentucky. Frankfort, KY: Kentucky Historical Society, 1966. . This microfilm is arranged by war and then alphabetically by the name of the veteran. It references published rosters for the various wars.
 * For a comprehensive description of both federal and Kentucky state military records, see James C. Neagles’s book U. S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State Sources, Colonial America to the Present. Pages 246 to 254 provide details of military records (many of which are not microfilmed) housed in various archives in Kentucky.


 * Report of the adjutant general of the state of Kentucky at Ancestry.com ($)

Additional military information and sources can be found in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

KENTUCKY- MILITARY HISTORY

KENTUCKY- MILITARY RECORDS

KENTUCKY, [COUNTY]- MILITARY RECORDS

KENTUCKY, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- MILITARY RECORDS