Civil War (1861–1865)

Service and pension records are available only at the National Archives. Indexes to service and pension records of Union Army soldiers are available on film at the National Archives and the Family History Library. For an index to compiled service records of Union soldiers, see:

United States. Adjutant General’s Office. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organization from the State of Vermont. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0557. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1964. (FHL films 882472–85; computer number 278651.) See the U.S. Military Records Research Outline (34118) for further details.

A state roster of soldiers is:

Vermont. Adjutant General’s Office. Revised Roster of Vermont Volunteers: And Lists of Vermonters Who Served in the Army and Navy of the United States During the War of the Rebellion, 1861–66. Montpelier, Vt.: Watchman Publishing, 1892. (FHL book 974.3 M2va; film 1036000, item8; computer number 162427.) This source is arranged by military unit and then by name, with rank, residence, date of enlistment, date of muster, and remarks. It includes an index.

Unit Histories. An important inventory for finding Civil War military histories is:

A Guide to the Microfiche Edition of Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives. Part 2, The Union—New England. Bethesda, Md.: University Publications of America, 1993. (FHL book 973 M2cwu pt.2; computer number 660208.) Vermont units are listed on pages 73–78. The library has the large microfiche collection described in this guide. Use the library catalog to find individual items. This may include correspondence, diaries, memoirs, and regimental histories published before 1920. The guide shows the unit name, counties where it was raised, author, title, publication information, number of pages, and source repository. This guide includes an author index and a major engagements index.

For regimental sketches, officers lists, and lists of soldiers killed in action, see:

Benedict, G. G. Vermont in the Civil War. 2vols. Burlington, Vt.: Free Press Association, 1886–88. (FHL film 1000622, items 3–4; computer number 183618.) This source includes an index.

Internet sites with information about Vermont in the Civil War include:

“The Civil War Archive” [database on-line]. N.p., 1998 [cited 11 August 1999]. Available at www.civilwararchive.com/unionvt.htm; INTERNET. This site includes histories and background information on Vermont regiments.

“Vermont in the Civil War” [database on-line]. N.p., 1999 [cited 11 August 1999]. Available at www.vermontcivilwar.org; INTERNET. This site includes the names of over 34,000 soldiers, sailors, and marines including their town, regiment, and company. It also includes unit histories and time lines of significant events in the Civil War relating to Vermonters.

State old soldier home. Records of the state old soldiers’ home at Bennington, Vermont, are described in “Additional Records” at the end of this section.

Spanish-American War (1898–1899)

Service and pension records are available at the National Archives. Indexes to these records are available at the Family History Library. See the U.S. Military Records Research Outline (34118) for these sources.

A published roster of soldiers is:

Vermont in the Spanish-American War. Montpelier, Vt.: Herbert T. Johnson, 1929. (FHL book 974.3 M2vs; film 1320525, item9; computer number 372591.) This source is arranged by unit or branch of the service, then by name. It includes residence, birthplace, age, and enlistment date. Some entries indicate the soldier’s date of death, rank, and muster out date and place.

World War I (1917–1918)

World War I draft registration cards for men ages 18–45 may list address, birth date, birthplace, race, nationality, citizenship, and next of kin. Not all registrants served in the war. For registration cards for Vermont, see:

United States. Selective Service System. Vermont, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1987–88. (On 17 FHL films beginning with 1984059; computer number 764758.)

To find an person’s draft card, it helps to know his name and residence at the time of registration, since the cards are arranged alphabetically by county, within the county by draft board, and then alphabetically by surname. Counties may have had more than one draft board. Most counties had only one board, large cities had several.

For a list of men and women in the military, see:

Vermont. Adjutant General’s Office. Roster of Vermont Men and Women in the Military and Naval Service of the United States and Allies in the World War, 1917–1919. Rutland, Vt.: Tuttle, 1927. (FHL book 974.3 M2vav; computer number 708603.) In addition to the name, this includes the soldier’s residence, town of birth, age, enlistment date, organization, and discharge date.

World War II (1941–1945)

For a list of Vermonters in all services, see:

Vermont. Adjutant General’s Office. Roster of Vermonters in Uniformed Service in the United States During the Second World War, 1941–1945. 2vols. Montpelier, Vt.: Adjutant General’s Office, 1972–74. (FHL book 974.3 M2var; computer number 678941.) This roster includes the name of the soldier, full date of birth, town of birth, residence, and dates of enlistment and separation from the service. For additions and changes, see:

Vermont. Adjutant General’s Office. Additions and Changes to the Roster of Vermonters, WWII, 1941–1945. Montpelier, Vt.: Adjutant General’s Office, 1976?. (FHL book 974.3 M2var supp.; computer number 685569.)

Additional Records

Vermont maintained a soldiers home for veterans in Burlington, Vermont. Reports of Vermont Old Soldiers Home began about 1890. The Vermont Department of Libraries has copies of these reports in:

Vermont. Old Soldiers Home. Reports. (State Library V362.8 V59re [Not at Family History Library].) The reports include the soldier’s name, unit, disability, marital status, literacy, and present status such as discharged, furloughed, or deceased. By 1912 personal information was no longer included. The report content varies.

More military records and sources can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search under:

VERMONT- MILITARY HISTORYVERMONT- MILITARY RECORDSVERMONT, [COUNTY], MILITARY RECORDSVERMONT, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- MILITARY RECORDS