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

United States

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of images of over 621,000 applications for headstones received by the Cemeterial Division of the Quartermaster General from two National Archive microfilm publications. The first publication, over 290,000 applications, covers 1925 to 1941 and is M1916. Most are for veterans of the Civil War or later. A few may cover earlier wars. The second publication, over 331,000 applications, covers 1941-1949 and is M2113. These records are part of Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, Record Group (RG) 92.

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

Applications
 * Name of soldier, sailor or marine
 * Rank, company, regiment, state organization or vessel
 * Date of death
 * Emblem requested (Christian, Hebrew, None)
 * Name of cemetery with city and state of its location
 * Name and address of person making application
 * Name and address to whom headstone is being shipped

Sample Image
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 privilege of a marked grave.

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. 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.

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The full name of the soldier
 * The death date or cemetery where the soldier was buried
 * The approximate birth date and birth place of the soldier

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select Year Range
 * 2) Select Surname Range to view the images.

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?

 * 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
 * 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

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * 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 in your research for your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.