Florida 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 States research information provides more information about the federal records. For Florida the following sources are also very helpful:

Forts
Forts were established through the authority of the federal government, to house and maintain the miltary.
 * Fort Alabama
 * Fort Apalachicola (Blount's fort)
 * Fort Barnwell
 * Fort Bessinger
 * Fort Brooke
 * Fort Brooks
 * Fort Carolina (French) 1564
 * Fort Cooper
 * Fort Crum
 * Fort Dade
 * Fort Dallas
 * Fort Defiance
 * Fort Denaud
 * Fort Drane
 * Fort Fraser
 * Fort Gadsen
 * Fort Gardner
 * Fort Hamer
 * Fort Jupiter
 * Fort King
 * Fort King Trail
 * Fort Lauderdale
 * Fort Meade
 * Fort Mellon
 * Fort Myers
 * Fort Micanopy
 * Fort Moultrie
 * Fort Payton
 * Fort Pierce
 * Fort San Luis
 * Fort Scott
 * Fort St. Francis de Pupa
 * Fort Wacahoota
 * Fort Walker

Indian Wars (1815-1858)
An index to compiled military service records for Indian Wars and disturbances from 1815 to 1858 is at the Family History Library (FHL films 882753-94). The index includes soldiers who served in the Seminole and Florida Wars, 1817 to 1818 and 1835 to 1842. The compiled military service records for the Florida War, 1835 to 1858, are also available (beginning on FHL film 1303446).

The library also has an index to Indian Wars pension files, 1892 to 1926 (FHL films 821610-21). The index includes those soldiers who served between 1817 and 1898. The actual pension files have not been filmed and are only at the National Archives.

Civil War (1861-1865)
Soldiers from Florida served in both the Union and the Confederate armies. The Family History Library and the National Archives have the following:

Union


 * Compiled service records FHL films 1299987-97
 * Index to service records FHL film 821727
 * Index to pension records FHL films 540757-541300
 * (Pension records are only at the National Archives)

Confederate


 * Service records FHL films 880103-106
 * Service records FHL films 880001-9
 * Pension records FHL films 006718-885  These records can be viewed online at the State Archives of Florida
 * Index to pension records FHL film 006717

State militia records for the Confederate period are at the state arsenal in St. Augustine. For information, write to:

Adjutant General Department of Military Affairs Attn.: M.I.L.P. P.O. Box 1008 St. Augustine, FL 32085-1008 Telephone: 904-823-0315 Fax: 904-823-0309

Spanish-American War (1898)
The compiled military service records of volunteer soldiers who served in the Florida Infantry are at the National Archives and the Family History Library (FHL films 1314126-38). Published rosters are found in Soldiers of Florida in the Seminole Indian Civil and Spanish-American Wars (Live Oak, Florida: Democrat Book and Job Print, 1909; FHL book 975.9 M2s; film 988193).

World War I (1917-1918)
World War I draft registration cards for men ages 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 Florida see:

United States. Selective Service System. Florida, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On FHL films beginning with film 1556849.)

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. (FHL film 1498803.)