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

United States South Dakota



What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of images of G.A.R post records from the Dakota and South Dakota Departments for the years 1861-1941. 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.

Collection 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 Do I Search the Collection?
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 the collection by name: 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.

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 "Box number and Record description" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image. Again you will need to compare the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor.

Be aware that with either search you may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination. 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.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the wiki article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
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.

{{Tip|Don't overlook {{FHL|South Dakota, Civil War|keywords|disp}} items in the FamilySearch Library Catalog. For other libraries (local and national) or to gain access to items of interest, see the wiki article South Dakota Archives and Libraries. For additional information about this state see the wiki article South Dakota Genealogy.}

Related Websites

 * South Dakota State Historical Society GAR Collection Description
 * South Dakota State Historical Society 1885 Civil War Veteran's Census Union Veterans
 * Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Grand Army of the Republic Records Project
 * Library of Congress Finding Aid Grand Army of the Republic Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Union Veterans' and Lineage Society Records
 * South Dakota Military Records
 * Dakota Territory in the Civil War
 * South Dakota Societies

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation: