Kansas Military Records



United States U.S. Military  Kansas  Military Records

Many military records are found at the Family History Library and the National Archives and other federal and state archives. The United States Wiki article provides more information regarding these records.

The Kansas Historical Society has a detailed description of its military records.

DEATH AND BURIAL RECORDS-SOLDIERS

Forts
There were many forts established for specific purposes on the frontier. Some existed for only a few years. Some were official U.S. military posts. Some were never used as military garrisons. As a result, some had official military records, but many did not. Two websites that contain information about Kansas forts are:


 * Kansas Forts: Western U.S. Army Forts
 * Kansas Legands: Kansas Forts of the Old West
 * Kansas Forts During the Civil War - article by William C. Pollard, Jr. in the Kansas History website
 * Frontier Forts: part of Kansas Historical Society's Kansapedia. A bibliography for selected forts:

Those listed below are only some of the known forts that existed in what is now the state of Kansas.


 * Fort Abercrombie -- Textual records of this fort, 1859-1877, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
 * Fort Atkinson -- Sometimes mentioned in connection with Kansas, Fort Atkinson was actually located in Nebraska.
 * Fort Baxter -- A small US Army post located in the southeast corner of Kansas near present-day Baxter Springs, Kansas, an area that was known as the Cherokee Strip. It was also knowb as Fort Blair
 * Fort Blair -- The official name of a Civil War fort existing from about 1862 to 1865, more commonly known as Fort Baxter. It was located near the present town of Baxter Springs.
 * Fort Cavagnolle -- 1744-176, also known as Fort Cavagnolle or Post of the Missouri or Fort de la Trinité placed somewhere between Kansas City, Missouri, and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
 * Fort Dodge -- Textual records of this fort, 1865-1883, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7). These records have also been microfilmed on 25 rolls as National Archives Microcopy M989.Available through the Family History Library (first film of 25)
 * Fort Fletcher-- the original name of Fort Hays. Records of Fort Hays, Kansas (Army Post), 1866-1889. T 713. 22 rolls.
 * Fort Harker1866 -- Textual records of this fort, 1865-1873, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
 * Fort Hays -- Established in 1865 as Fort Fletcher, it was closed for a few months in 1866 and then reopened later that year and renamed Fort Hays. It was abandoned in 1889. Textual records of this fort, 1860-1878, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
 * Fort Kearny -- Although near the Kansas-Nebraska border, this fort was actually located in Nebraska.
 * Fort Larned 1859 -- Textual records of this fort, 1848-1871, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
 * Fort Leavenworth -- Originally established as Cantonment Leavenworth in 1827 near the site of the 18th Century French Fort de Cavagnal. It was renamed Fort Leavenworth in 1832. It is still an active military post. Textual records of this fort, 1856-1919, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7). The fort is also the site of Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery.
 * Fort Lincoln -- Civil War Fort
 * Fort Lyon -- Sometimes associated with the state of Kansas, Fort Lyon was actually located in Colorado.
 * Fort McKean -- Civil War Fort
 * Fort Mann -- Established as a non-military fort principally to protect teamsters and provide a place for the repair of their wagons and replacement of animals. It was in use for only a few years in the late 1840s. It was abandoned when Fort Atkinson was built.
 * Fort Marion -- Fort Marion was located at St. Augustine, Florida. It occupies a place in the military history of Kansas because Indian leaders from Kansas and other states were sent to Fort Marion as punishment for their involvement in murders and other military actions against settlers and military troops. For the names of Indians sent to Fort Marion, read more...
 * Fort Montgomery -- Civil War Fortin Eureka, Kansas.
 * Fort Riley -- Established by a group of surveyors early in the year 1853, it was initally called Camp Center. In June of that year, it was renamed Fort Riley and has continued under that name to the present day. Textual records of this fort, 1859, 1864-1919, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
 * Fort Scott -- Fort Scott was an active Army post from 1842-1854, 1861-1865, and 1870-1873. It is now a National Historic Site. Textual records of this fort, 1862-1865, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7). The records of Fort Scott, 1869-1873, have been microfilmed and form National Archives Microcopy M1077, 2 rolls. Availiable through the Family History Library
 * Solon's Fort
 * Fort Wallace -- Textual records of this fort, 1866-1882, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).
 * Fort Zarah -- Fort Zarah was established in 1864 at a site about 2 miles east of present-day Great Bend, Kansas and was originally named Camp Dunlap. It was moved about one-half mile upstream in 1866 and was abandoned in 1869. Textual records of this fort, 1864-1869, including registers, reports, and correspondence, are in the National Archives and are described in Records of United States Army, Continental Commands, 1821-1920, under the section entitled Records of Posts, 1820-1940 (Record Group 393.7).

References

Encyclopedia of Indian Wars Western Battles and Skirmishes 1850-1890. By Gregory F. Michno. Mountain Press publishing Co., Missoula, Montana. C. 2003 ISBN 0-87842-468-7

Mexican War (1846-1848)
The Mexican War was caused by the annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845. Most volunteer regiments were from southern states. Records of Mexican War veterans might exist in a state where the veteran later resided.


 * United States. Adjutant General’s Office. Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served during the Mexican War in Organizations from the State of Tennessee. Washington D.C.: National Archives, 1965. . This includes regimental returns, a record of events during the war, and company muster rolls.


 * Campbell, William B. Mexican War Letters of Col. William Bowen Campbell of Tennessee, Written to Governor David Campbell of Virginia, 1846-1847. Nashville, Tenn.: Tennessee Historical Magazine, 1915. Free digital copy.


 * Furber, George C. The Twelve Months Volunteer; or, Journal of a Private in the Tennessee Regiment of Cavalry, in the Campaign in Mexico, 1846-7. Cincinnati, Ohio: J.A.U.P. James, 1849. Free digital copy.


 * Mexican War Index to Pension Files, 1887–1926. (NARA T317). Alphabetically arranged and includes the veteran’s name, rank, and unit; names of dependents; date of filing and application; certificate numbers; act filed under; and state from which application was made. Also available at:


 * (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. (Learn more.)


 * Robarts, William Hugh. Mexican War Veterans : A Complete Roster of the Regular and Volunteer Troops in the War Between the United States and Mexico, from 1846-1848… Washington, D.C. : Brentano’s, 1887. Digital version available at Internet Archive.

Click on these links to learn more about the Mexican War and about Mexican War pension records.

Civil War (1861-1865)
See Kansas in the Civil War for information about Kansas Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the Kansas regiments involved in the Civil War.

The regimental pages often include lists of the companies with links to the counties where the companies started. Men in the companies often lived in the counties where the companies were raised. Knowing a county can help when researching more about the soldiers and their families.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System allows name searching for soldiers. The result set gives the regiments for the soldiers. Then you can check the Wiki regiment pages to determine counties. Often knowing the counties that had men in a regiment will help you determine if a soldier was your ancestor.

Indian Wars (1780s-1890s)
The 19th Kansas Cavalry Enlistment Papers at the Kansas Historical Society's website is an index to the enlistment papers of the 19th Kansas Cavalry during the 1868-1869 Indian campaigns.

Spanish-American War (1898)
The Spanish-American War was largely fought in Cuba and the Philippines. Spanish-American War records might exist in the state from which the soldier served or in a state where the veteran later resided.

Indexes


 * (NARA T288). (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. The "General Index to Pension Files, 1861–1934". The index covers veterans of the Civil War, Spanish‑American War, Philippine Insurrection, Boxer Rebellion (1900 to 1901), and the regular Army, Navy, and Marine forces. (Learn more.)


 * (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. (Learn more.)

The Spanish-American War was largely fought in Cuba and the Philippines. Spanish-American War records might exist in the state from which the soldier served or in a state where the veteran later resided.

Indexes


 * (NARA T288). (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. The "General Index to Pension Files, 1861–1934". The index covers veterans of the Civil War, Spanish‑American War, Philippine Insurrection, Boxer Rebellion (1900 to 1901), and the regular Army, Navy, and Marine forces. (Learn more.)


 * (FamilySearch) Free digital copy. (Learn more.)


 * The Kansas Military Index at the Kansas Historical Society's website searches several databases at once that cover the Indian Wars, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.


 * Kansas, United Spanish War Veterans Reports of Deaths, 1945-1970 (Ancestry) ($)

Click on the link to learn more about the Spanish American War.

World War I (1917-1918)
WWI Draft Cards

United States. Selective Service System. Kansas, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On Family History Library films beginning with These cards have been digitized and are searchable online. See WWI Draft Records for more information.

World War I Kansas Veterans Collection

The Kansas, World War I Veteran Collection, 1917-1919 available online at Ancestry.com is a collection containing items about Kansas veterans solicited and compiled by the Kansas State Historical Society. The collection contains letters, photographs and biographies of the veterans.

The Kansas State Guard

Prior to 1917 the citizens of Kansas did not give much thought to having local troops to protect municipal and industrial properties. Once the United States entered World War I, it was thought that the National Guard offered ample protection against activities of alien sympathizers. Exagerated claims of sabotage, originating with stories published in Eastern newspapers soon excited the local citizenry.

On April 17, 1917, the State Council of Defense was organized in the Governor's office at Topeka. The objective was "to mobilize all the resources of the state to support of the war." The Department of Public Defense was created by the Council and assigned the duty of organizing Home Guards "for the protection of local property." Immediately after the meeting, units were organized in many Kansas communities. This Home Guard, or Kansas State Guard, as it became known, existed from August 6, 1917, to November 11, 1919, when it was disbanded. A complete history, including the rosters of those involved, is found at http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/military/ksguard/index.html.

Bounty Claims

The Kansas Military Index at the Kansas Historical Society's website searches several databases at once that cover the Indian Wars, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The database includes Bounty Claims records from World War I.

World War II (1941-1945)
The Kansas Military Index at the Kansas Historical Society's website searches several databases at once that cover the Indian Wars, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Korean War (1950–1953)
The Korean War was a conflict between North Korea (and its communist allies) and South Korea (with support of the United Nations, primarily the United States). See the Korean War wiki article for information on records and their availability.