Utah, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
The collection consists of Union service records of soldiers who served in Captain Lot [Lott] Smith's Company, Utah Cavalry. The records cover the years 1861 to 1865. They include abstracts of entries relating to the soldier as found in the following original records:


 * Muster rolls
 * Returns
 * Rosters
 * Payrolls
 * Appointment books
 * Hospital registers
 * Union prison registers and rolls
 * Parole rolls
 * Inspection reports

Service records were kept for each soldier. Those records, or their abstracts, were compiled into individual files. Each envelope/jacket contains information and cross references to original records relating to the soldier.

For each military unit the service records are arranged alphabetically by the soldier's surname. The Military Unit field may also display the surname range (A-G) as found on the microfilm. This collection is a part of RG 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s - 1917, and is National Archive Microfilm Publication M692. Index courtesy of Fold3 (previously Footnote.com).

This index was created to provide quick access to compiled service records. The information in this index is quite reliable. However, keep in mind that even though this index is very accurate it still may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings or misinterpretations.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The index to These records contains the following:
 * Jacket name
 * Name and rank of soldier
 * Captain Smith's Company of Utah Cavalry
 * Date and place where enrolled
 * Age (often estimated)
 * Mustered-out date
 * Period of service
 * Type of records in file
 * NARA publication number, title, and roll number

Collection Content
The records are in individual files which usually include the following:
 * A jacket-envelope for each soldier, labeled with his name, rank, and the unit in which he served
 * A card (or cards) with abstracts of entries from original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers, parole rolls, and inspection reports
 * The originals of any papers relating only to the particular soldier

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * Name of the person
 * The name of a parent or date of the event

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.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information and to find additional information.

I Found the Person I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses. Witnesses were usually family members
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Utah.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records
 * Beginning United States Civil War Research
 * Locating a Union Civil War Soldier (1861-1865)
 * Utah Guided Research
 * Utah Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1900-Present

Related Family History Library Holdings

 * Grand Army of the Republic Utah membership
 * Compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the territory of Utah : (Capt. Lot Smith's Company, Utah Calvary)
 * Margaret M. Fisher, Utah and the civil war : being the story of the part played by the people of Utah in that great conflict, with special reference to the Lot Smith expedition and the Robert T. Burton expedition. Salt Lake City, Utah : Deseret Book, c1929 FHL 979.2 H2f

Related FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

 * United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934
 * United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933
 * United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890
 * Veterans with federal service buried in Utah

Related Digital Books
Roster of Members Department of Colorado and Wyoming Grand Army of the Republic to 1895

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.