Colorado Military Records

The U.S. Military Records Research Outline provides more information on federal military records and search strategies.

Many military records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The United StatesResearch Outline 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 Fort 1849

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

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)
The Family History Library and the National Archives have an Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers (Family History Library films 821998-822000) and an index to pension applications. The actual service and pension records have not been microfilmed and are only at the National Archives.

A roster of Colorado soldiers is in William Clarke Whitford, Colorado Volunteers in the Civil War: The New Mexico Campaign in 1862, (Denver: S.p., State Historical and Natural History Society, 1906; Family History Library film 1000145 item 3). The Colorado State Archives has put an Index to this record on-line. Read more. There is also a book entitled Colorado Volunteers in New Mexico, 1862, by Ovando J. Hollister ; edited by Richard Harwell, Family History Library call no. 978.9 M2h which is a History of the First Regiment of Colorado Volunteers.

The Colorado State Archives has put a Colorado Civil War Casualties Index on-line. The information was compiled from the Civil War Service Record Index Cards on file at the Colorado State Archives. Read more.

The Colorado State Archives has also put a Colorado Volunteers Transcript of Records Index on-line. This Index is a compiled list of Volunteers from 1861-1865. Read more.

 

Indian Wars (1798-1914)
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 film 350307). 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.

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.

World War I (1917-1918)
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. (Family History Library films beginning with 1544462.) 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 film 1498803.)

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.

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.

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.