Vermont Military Records

Military records identify millions of young men 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 dates, marriage dates, death dates, spouse and children names, localities of residence throughout the life of the family. Many military records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives.

For each war listed below, additional federal sources are listed in the U.S. Military Records Research Outline(34118). It contains search strategies and information to guide you to the best records for your objective.

Revolutionary War (1775–1783)
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 U.S. Military Records Research Outline (34118) for these sources. Sources including information specifically about Vermont soldiers are:

Fisher, Carleton Edward. Soldiers, Sailors, and Patriots of the Revolutionary War, Vermont. Camden, Maine: Picton Press, 1992. (FHL book 974.3 M2f.) The book indicates the soldier’s birth date and place, residence, and company. It may also include the name of the spouse and death or burial date and place.

Goodrich, John E. Rolls of the Soldiers in the Revolutionary War, 1775 to 1783: The State of Vermont. Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle, 1904. (FHL book 974.3 M2g; film 896965; fiche 6046670.) These rolls consist largely of payrolls, pay-table orders, and receipts. Information varies but it generally indicates soldier’s name and rank, days in service, pay per day, miles, and total. It is arranged by year and then by unit. It is indexed by name.

For burial records of Revolutionary War soldiers, see the “Cemetery Records” section of this outline.

Loyalists. For Loyalist records, see the “Military Records” section of the Canada Research Outline (34545), and also:

Sequestration, Confiscation, and Sale of Estates, a 465 book described in the “Land and Property” section of this outline.

Burleigh, H.C. ''Sequestrations, Confiscations, and Sale of Estates. Toronto: United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada, 1970''. (FHL book 974.3 A1 no.55.) Most of the names on this 10-page list show only the Vermont town (court) where their property was confiscated. A few records mention their service to the British. These records were abstracted from records in Albany.

War of 1812 (1812–1815)
The Family History Library has indexes to the federal service and pension files for the War of 1812. See the U.S. Military Records Research Outline(34118) for details and for sources not mentioned below.

For a published roster of soldiers, see:

Vermont. Adjutant General’s Office. Roster of Soldiers in the War of 1812–14. St. Albans, Vermont: Messenger Press, 1933. (FHL book 974.3 M2vr; film 1421722, item 6.) This source lists each Vermont soldier’s name, unit, dates of service, and source of the information. Some entries give residence and rank, widow’s first name, and the pension certificate number.

Civil War (1861–1865)
Service and pension records are available only at the National Archives. Indexes to service and pension records of Union Army soldiers are available on film at the National Archives and the Family History Library. For an index to compiled service records of Union soldiers, see:

United States. Adjutant General’s Office. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organization from the State of Vermont. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0557. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1964. (FHL films 882472–85.) See the U.S. Military Records Research Outline(34118) for further details.

A state roster of soldiers is:

Vermont. Adjutant General’s Office. Revised Roster of Vermont Volunteers: And Lists of Vermonters Who Served in the Army and Navy of the United States During the War of the Rebellion, 1861–66. Montpelier, Vermont: Watchman Publishing, 1892. (FHL book 974.3 M2va; film 1036000, item8.) This source is arranged by military unit and then by name, with rank, residence, date of enlistment, date of muster, and remarks. It includes an index.

Unit Histories. An important inventory for finding Civil War military histories is:

''A Guide to the Microfiche Edition of Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives. Part 2, The Union—New England.'' Bethesda, Maryland.: University Publications of America, 1993. (FHL book 973 M2cwu pt.2.) Vermont units are listed on pages 73–78. The library has the large microfiche collection described in this guide. Use the library catalog to find individual items. This may include correspondence, diaries, memoirs, and regimental histories published before 1920. The guide shows the unit name, counties where it was raised, author, title, publication information, number of pages, and source repository. This guide includes an author index and a major engagements index.

For regimental sketches, officers lists, and lists of soldiers killed in action, see:

Benedict, G. G. Vermont in the Civil War. 2 vols. Burlington, Vermont: Free Press Association, 1886–88. (FHL film 1000622, items 3–4.) This source includes an index.

Internet sites with information about Vermont in the Civil War include:

The Civil War Archive [database online]. N.p., 1998 [cited 11 August 1999]. Available at www.civilwararchive.com/unionvt.htm. This site includes histories and background information on Vermont regiments.

Vermont in the Civil War [database on-line]. N.p., 1999 [cited 11 August 1999]. Available at www.vermontcivilwar.org. This site includes the names of over 34,000 soldiers, sailors, and marines including their town, regiment, and company. It also includes unit histories and time lines of significant events in the Civil War relating to Vermonters.

State old soldier home. Records of the state old soldiers’ home at Bennington, Vermont, are described in “Additional Records” at the end of this section.

Spanish-American War (1898–1899)
Service and pension records are available at the National Archives. Indexes to these records are available at the Family History Library. See the U.S. Military Records Research Outline(34118) for these sources.

A published roster of soldiers is:

Vermont in the Spanish-American War. Montpelier, Vermont: Herbert T. Johnson, 1929. (FHL book 974.3 M2vs; film 1320525, item 9.) This source is arranged by unit or branch of the service, then by name. It includes residence, birthplace, age, and enlistment date. Some entries indicate the soldier’s date of death, rank, and muster out date and place.

World War I (1917–1918)
World War I draft registration cards for men ages 18–45 may list address, birth date, birthplace, race, nationality, citizenship, and next of kin. Not all registrants served in the war. For registration cards for Vermont, see:

United States. Selective Service System. Vermont, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987–88. (On 17 FHL films beginning with 1984059.)

To find an person’s draft card, it helps to know his name and residence at the time of registration, since the cards are arranged alphabetically by county, within the county by draft board, and then alphabetically by surname. Counties may have had more than one draft board. Most counties had only one board, large cities had several.

For a list of men and women in the military, see:

Vermont. Adjutant General’s Office. Roster of Vermont Men and Women in the Military and Naval Service of the United States and Allies in the World War, 1917–1919. Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle, 1927. (FHL book 974.3 M2vav.) In addition to the name, this includes the soldier’s residence, town of birth, age, enlistment date, organization, and discharge date.

World War II (1941–1945)
For a list of Vermonters in all services, see:

Vermont. Adjutant General’s Office. Roster of Vermonters in Uniformed Service in the United States During the Second World War, 1941–1945. 2 vols. Montpelier, Vermont: Adjutant General’s Office, 1972–74. (FHL book 974.3 M2var.) This roster includes the name of the soldier, full date of birth, town of birth, residence, and dates of enlistment and separation from the service. For additions and changes, see:

Vermont. Adjutant General’s Office. Additions and Changes to the Roster of Vermonters, WWII, 1941–1945. Montpelier, Vermont: Adjutant General’s Office, 1976?. (FHL book 974.3 M2var supp.)

Additional Records
Vermont maintained a soldiers home for veterans in Burlington, Vermont. Reports of Vermont Old Soldiers Home began about 1890. The Vermont Department of Libraries has copies of these reports in:

Vermont. ''Old Soldiers Home. Reports.'' (State Library V362.8 V59re [Not at Family History Library].) The reports include the soldier’s name, unit, disability, marital status, literacy, and present status such as discharged, furloughed, or deceased. By 1912 personal information was no longer included. The report content varies.

More military records and sources can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Place Search under:

VERMONT- MILITARY HISTORY

VERMONT- MILITARY RECORDS

VERMONT, [COUNTY], MILITARY RECORDS

VERMONT, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- MILITARY RECORDS\

Web Sites

http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/gsc/pubrec/referen/military.htm

http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/~xander/vermont-records.htm