Colorado Military Records



United States U.S. Military  Colorado  Military Records

The United States Military Records page provides more information on federal military records and search strategies.

Many military records are found at the National Archives and other federal and state archives. Some of the records of military service, pensions amd other reecords related to those who served the Armed Forces of the United States have been microfilmed and are also available through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and its family history centers.

The main page for the United States provides more information on federal records. For Colorado the following sources are also very helpful.

Forts
There were a number of fortifications built in Colorado for various reasons. Some were official military installations. Many were trading posts and were not part of the U.S. Army's posts. Some were simply small, unofficial fortifications built for protection.

Bent's New Fort1849 - Also know as Fort Williams.

Fort Collins -- 1864-1867

Fort Crawford -- Textual records of this fort, 1868-1890, 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). The remains of soldiers buried at Fort Crawford were relocated to Fort McPherson National Cemetery on December 4, 1891.

Fort Davey Crokett-- was near Greenview Colorado.

Fort Fred Steele

Fort Garland -- Established in 1858 in the San Luis Valley, about 25 miles east of Alamosa. Its purpose was to protect settlers against the Ute Indians. It was abandoned in 1883. The site today consists of a museum, the parade grounds and some of the original buildings. Textual records of this fort, 1860-1883, 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).

Fort Lewis -- Textual records of this fort, 1878-1891, 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).The remains of soldiers buried at Fort Lewis were relocated to Fort McPherson National Cemetery on December 10, 1891.

Fort Lyon -- Originally called Fort Wise, it is located in Bent County, Colorado, seven miles east of Las Animas. The fort was abandoned in 1917 and the remains of soldiers interred there were moved to the Fort McPherson National Cemetery in Nebraska. Fort Lyon later became a Naval Hospital and then a Veteran's Hospital. A National Cemetery exists there, established from the Naval Hospital cemetery commencing in 1907. Textual records of this fort, 1868-1889, 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).

Fort Massachusetts 1852-1858 near Fort Garland A Federal post built on Ute Creek for protection of the settlers against Utes and Apaches. Replaced by Fort Garland located six miles south due to unhealthful conditions

Fort Pueblo

Fort Sedgwick -- Established as a military outpost in 1864 and abandoned in 1871. Textual records of this fort, 1865-1871, 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).The remains of soldiers buried at Fort Sedgwick were relocated to Fort McPherson National Cemetery in 1891.

Fort Uncompahgre near Delta Colorado

Fort Vasquez -- A fur-trading fort established in 1835 by Louis Vasquez and Andrew Sublette, located 35 miles northeast of Denver. It was restored in 1930s and now has a museum of the fur-trading days. It was not an official military post.

Camp White River -- The remains of soldiers buried at Camp White River military post were relocated to Fort McPherson National Cemetery on January 8, 1887.

Fort Wise -- Original name of Fort Lyon.

Civil War (1861-1865)
See Colorado in the Civil War for information about Colorado Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the Colorado 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.

Indian Wars (1780s-1890s)
The names of soldiers who served at military posts on the frontier are in Registers of Enlistments in the United States Army at the National Archives. The Family History Library has copies of the registers from 1798 to 1914 (beginning on Family History Library ). The registers give the soldier's name, rank, company, regiment, company and commanders, physical description, age, occupation, and birthplace. They are arranged by year and by the first letter of the surname.

The Colorado Vetrans’ Grave Registrations 1862 - 1949 from the Colorado State Archives lists soldiers buried in Colorado that served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II and possibly other wars of that time period. The online index does not mention which war the soldier served in, however, more information can be obtained from the archives.

Spanish American War (1898)
The Colorado State Archives has put an Index To the Muster Rolls for the Spanish American War on-line. It is an extraction from the Muster Rolls of the Colorado Volunteers. Read more.

The Colorado Veterans’ Grave Registrations 1862 - 1949 from the Colorado State Archives lists soldiers buried in Colorado that served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II and possibly other wars of that time period. The online index does not mention which war the soldier served in, however, more information can be obtained from the archives.

World War I (1917-1918)
Draft Registration Cards

World War I draft registration cards for men age 18 to 45 may list address, birth date, birthplace, race, nationality, citizenship, and next of kin. Not all registrants served in the war. For registration cards for Colorado, see:

United States. Selective Service System. Colorado, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On Family History Library .) These cards are digitized, indexed and online at www.ancestry.com ($)

To find an individual's draft card, it helps to know his name and residence at the time of registration. The cards are arranged alphabetically by county, within the county by draft board, and then alphabetically by surname within each draft board.

Most counties had only one board; large cities had several. A map showing the boundaries of individual draft boards is available for most large cities. Finding an ancestor's street address in a city directory will help you in using the draft board map. There is an alphabetical list of cities that are on the map. For a copy of this map see:

United States. Selective Service System. List of World War One Draft Board Maps. Washington, DC: National Archives. (Family History Library .)

Pension Records

The Family History Library and the National Archives have two indexes of pension records: Old War Pension Index (1815-1926) and Indian Wars (1892-1926). These are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under UNITED STATES - MILITARY RECORDS.

Cemetery Records

The Colorado Veterans’ Grave Registrations 1862 - 1949 from the Colorado State Archives lists soldiers buried in Colorado that served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II and possibly other wars of that time period. The online index does not mention which war the soldier served in, however, more information can be obtained from the archives.

Other Records

Additional military records are at the Colorado Division of State Archives and Public Records, including militia muster roll books through World War I and grave registrations of veterans. Read more on grave registrations of veterans.

Colorado compiled questionaires after the end of WWI concerning the service by the home front during the War. The Colorado State Archives has an Index for the period 1917-1922 to those qestionaires. Read more.

World War II (1941-1945)
The Colorado Veterans’ Grave Registrations 1862 - 1949 from the Colorado State Archives lists soldiers buried in Colorado that served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II and possibly other wars of that time period. The online index does not mention which war the soldier served in, however, more information can be obtained from the archives.

Vietnam War
The Colorado State Archives has an Index to the Vietnam War Casualties for the periods June-December 1966 and January-December 1968. Read more.

Web Sites

 * Colorado State Archives
 * National Archives
 * http://www.germanroots.com/military.html
 * http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/~xander/colorado-records.htm
 * www.ancestry.com ($)