South Dakota, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of images of G.A.R post records from the Dakota and South Dakota Departments for the years 1882 to 1932. The collection includes


 * Membership rosters
 * Attendance registration books of various encampments (some include Women's Relief Corps.)
 * Post descriptive books
 * Member deaths
 * Adjutant reports
 * Muster rolls
 * Lists of officers
 * Applications to form a post
 * Reunion rosters

The descriptive books are arranged by post name and number. Most records include item number, name, post name and number. The collection was acquired from the South Dakota State Historical Society in Pierre.

Record Content
Descriptive books may list any of the following:


 * Member's name
 * Age
 * Residence
 * Birthplace
 * Occupation
 * Enlistment or muster in date
 * Discharge date
 * Rank
 * Company
 * Regiment
 * Cause of discharge
 * Death date
 * Organization served in
 * Remarks

How to Use the Record
This section provides information on how to search the collection, what to do with information once found, and tips on how to find records.

To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the soldier
 * Other identifying information such as birthplace or organization where served

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection image by image. To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the appropriate "Post Number and Year Range" which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the name, enlistment date and organization to find the soldier’s military records.
 * Use the name and residence to find the soldier’s family in census, church, and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.
 * Continue to search the records to identify other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Search the records of nearby military units.
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
 * If you are unable to find your ancestor look for variant spellings of the surnames. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.

Related Websites
South Dakota Historical Society

Related Wiki Articles

 * South Dakota Military Records
 * South Dakota Societies

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation: