Arizona 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. For Arizona the following sources are also very helpful:

Forts and Camps
Military forts and camps were established by the military authorized by the federal govenment, built to house and maintain the military who were to assist in maintianing the peace by enforcing treaties and providing protection to settlers. (See Arizona - Native Americans)

Fort Apache -- Textual records of this fort, 1870-1920, 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 Barrett -- Textual records of this fort, 1862, 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 Bear Springs

Fort Bonito

Fort Bowie -- begun in 1862 as a post for the U.S. Army in its battles against the Chiricahua Apaches, led by Cochise and Geronimo. One of its major functions was to protect the spring at Apache Pass. The fort was abandoned in 1894. It is currently a National Historic Site. Textual records of this fort, 1862-1894, 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 Breckinridge 1860

Fort Buchanan 1856

Fort Crittenden

Fort Defiance 1851 (Fort Camby) -- (For additional history of this fort, see its history online.)

Camp Douglas

Camp Emmet Crawford (1886)

Fort Fauntleroy -- Original name of Fort Lyon.

Fort Grant -- Textual records of this fort, 1869-1905, 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 Huachuca -- built in 1877 to counter the attacks upon settlers by the Chiricahua Apaches, led by Geronimo (1877-1886). It was a forward post during the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916-1917. It was the home for the Buffalo Soldiers for twenty years. The fort remains in service as a post of the U.S. Army. (For additional history of this fort, see the Fort Huachuca Historical Museum site and its National Parks site.) Textual records of this fort, 1878-1913, 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 Lowell -- Textual records of this fort, 1865-1891, 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 Lyon

Fort McDowel -- in California

Fort Mason

Fort Mojave 1859 -- Textual records of this fort, 1859-1890, 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). Letters sent from Fort Mojave, 1859-1880, have been microfilmed on 2 rolls and are part of National Archives Microcopy T838.

Camp Newell

Post of San Carlos -- Textual records of this fort, 1874-1900, 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 Thomas -- Textual records of this fort, 1876-1891, 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).

Camp Tucson

Fort Verde -- Textual records of this fort, 1866-1891, 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 been microfilmed on 11 rolls and are part of National Archives Microcopy M1076.

Fort Wallen

Whipple Barracks -- Textual records of this fort, 1863-1898, 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 Wingate -- in New Mexico

Fort Yuma -- in California

Civil War (1861-1865)
Arizona soldiers served in both the Union and Confederate armies. The compiled military service records ( Family History Library film 536241) and indexes ( Family History Library film 821837) for the Confederacy are available at the Family History Library and the National Archives. You may also find the union soldiers listed in the New Mexico Territory Civil War Records ( Family History Library films 471538-83) and index ( Family History Library films 821883-6).

The compiled service records and pensions of Union soldiers have not been microfilmed. They are only available at the National Archives. An index to the pensioners is on film at the Family History Library. (beginning with Family History Library film 540757)

Indian Wars (1798-1914)
Soldiers who served at military posts can be located by searching Registers of Enlistments in the United States Army, 1798-1914. These enlistment registers are available at the Family History Library (beginning with Family History Library film 350307). These include data on the soldier's name, physical description, age, occupation, and birthplace.

Two indexes are available for pension records: Old War Pension Index (1815-1926) and Index to Indian Wars (1892-1926). Both of these indexes are available at the Family History Library and at the National Archives. These indexes are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under UNITED STATES - MILITARY RECORDS.


 * A history of military forts is Ray Brandes, Frontier Military Posts of Arizona (Globe, Arizona: Dale S. King, 1960; Family History Library book 979.1 M2b). There is a map of army installations, 1849-1886, on Family History Library fiche 6017659.

World War I (1917-1918)
World War I draft registration cards for men age 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 Arizona, see:


 * United States. Selective Service System. Arizona, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On Family History Library films beginning with 1473300.)

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.

Additional Military Records
Additional military records are at the Department of Libraries, Archives and Public Records.

Web Sites

 * Family History Library at www.familysearch.org
 * National Archives at http://www.archives.gov/
 * Arizona Department of Libraries, Archives and Public Records at http://www.lib.az.us/