Colombia, Military Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Colombia

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes the military service records of Colombia from 1809-1958. They are housed at the Archivo General de la Nación in Bogotá, Colombia. Such records include veteran benefit files from the Thousand Days’ War (Guerra de los Mil Días), service records, register of military promotions, and military correspondence (despachos) from the Colombian Army, Navy, and National Guard.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records may include the following:

Draft registrations
 * Name and age of draftee
 * Birth date and place
 * Closest relation and residence
 * Date and place of registration

Deployments
 * Name of soldier
 * Regiment/battalion
 * Deployment date
 * Commanding Officer’s name
 * Specific duties

Military pensions
 * Name of person filing for pension (applicant)
 * Date and place of application
 * Name of deceased soldier
 * Applicant’s relationship to soldier
 * Date and place of marriage to soldier
 * Date and place of soldier’s death
 * Date and place of applicant’s birth
 * Applicant’s current residence
 * Number of soldier’s children still living at home
 * Names and ages of those children
 * Date and place of those children’s births
 * Transcriptions from baptism/birth
 * Transcriptions death/buria
 * Transcriptions marriage records

Sample Images
This record set may contain draft registrations, deployments, and pensions.

How Do I Search This Collection?
As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Then, when you've found your ancestor, use these military records to find other records that will verify the information given; for example, birth/baptism, marriage, and death/burial records.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :


 * 1) Select Record Type and Years 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?

 * When you have located your ancestor’s record, if possible, look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description, if possible These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors
 * Continue to search the indexes and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the military
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Use the death date or age along with the place of death to find birth records

I Can’t Find The Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Colombia.
 * 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.