Indigenous Peoples of the United States Military Records

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Military

Native Americans Service in Wars of the United States

Native American Online Genealogy Records

Click this button for links to databases, indexes, or sites that help you find an American Indian ancestor by topic or tribe.

War of 1812 (1812-1815)

Six Nations Survivors of War of 1812; l-r, John Smoke Johnson, Jacob Warner (Iroquois) and John Tutlee (Iroquois) Tribes on the British/Canada Side About 35 tribal nations fought with the British and Canadians during the War of 1812. Tecumseh, the Shawnee war chief, worked to unite the Indians with the British. Some of these nations were: Potawatomi Ojibwa Shawnee Ottawa Kickapoo Iroquois Mohawk Seneca Sauk Creek Creek Red Sticks Ojibway Chickamauga Fox Miami Mingo Delaware (Lenape) Mascouten Wyandot Maybe Huron and Winnebago Mdewakanton Sioux Tribes on the U.S. Side Choctaw Cherokee Creek Seneca Online References Native Americans Mustered into the Service of the U.S. in the War of 1812, index Shawnee in the War of 1812, by Richard Williams, gives a short history of Tecumseh and his brother, Tenskwatawa, The Prophet, who fought with the British and then went to Canada. Most Shawnee remained neutral during the War of 1812. Ely Parker's List of Oneida Indian Volunteers, War of 1812 Major William McIntosh’s Company of Creek Indians, Creek War of 1814 The Journal of American Indian Family Research. Vol. 14 No. 3. pages 6-16.The Employment of Indians in the War of 1812. By E. Cruikshank, of Port Erie, Ontario. [Reprinted from U.S. Serial Set No. 3429, Pages 319-335.] FHL 970.1 J825j Mexican War (1846-1848) Civil War (1861-1865) Cherokee Confederates Reunion See Indigenous Peoples in the American Civil War for information about American Indian Civil War records, web sites, etc. with links to articles about the American Indian regiments involved in the Civil War. The regimental pages often include lists of the companies with links to the locations where the companies started. Men in the companies often lived in the locations where the companies were raised. Knowing a location 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 locations. Often knowing the locations that had men in a regiment will help you determine if a soldier was your ancestor.

World War I (1917-1918)

• Images available in the National Archives Catalog (NAID)
• Reports& Memos on American Indian Soldiers NAID 34392177

• Card Files relating to Indians in World War I NAID 2124203
• Card Files Relating to Indians in World War I, Part 1
• Card Files Relating to Indians in World War I, Part 2
• Card Files Relating to Indians in World War I, Part 3

Correspondence, Reports, and Other Records Relating to American Indians Serving with the American Expeditionary Forces. NAID 6704646

• 1st Division. NAID 34392102
• 2nd Division. NAID 34392239 (1 of 2)
• 2nd Division. NAID 34392396 (2 of 2)
• 3rd Division. NAID 34392580
• 4th Division. NAID 34392726
• 5th Division. NAID 34392907
• 6th Division. NAID 34393032
• 7th Division. NAID 34393072
• 26th Division. NAID 34393150

• 28th Division. NAID 34393237
• 30th Division. NAID 34393316
• 30th Division. NAID 34393347 (1 of 2)
• 32nd Division. NAID 34393648 (2 of 2)
• 33rd Division. NAID 34393751
• 35th Division. NAID 34393827
• 36th Division. NAID 34393980
• 41st Division. NAID 34394143
• 42nd Division. NAID 34394148

• 77th Division. NAID 34394258
• 78th Division. NAID 34394325
• 79th Division. NAID 34394366
• 82nd Division. NAID 34394385
• 85th Division. NAID 34394455
• 86th-88th Division. NAID 34394524
• 89th Division. NAID 34394676
• 90th Division. NAID 34394826
• 91st Division. NAID 34394970

World War II (1941-1945)

All American Indians men were required to register for the draft, although in many sates they could not vote. A total of 24,521 American Indian men served in the U.S. armed service during World War II.

Many southwestern Indians served in National Guard unites set to the Philippines (the 200th Coastal Artillery Regiment), which was captured by the Japanese and sent on the infamous Bataan death march.

Other refused to register on the basis of religious or political grounds, a few Pagagos, some Ute, six Hopies, some Iroquois Confederacy, and a number of Seminole Nation.

• The Seminoles refused to register on the grounds that they were still at war with the U.S.
• The Iroquois objected because they did not consider themselves citizens of the U.S.
• The Papagos because they followed a religious leader who prohibited killing.
• The conservative Pueblos resisted sending their young men to the draft.

In all, more than 70,000 American Indian men and women left the reservations to enter military service or work in defense industries.

Code Talkers

There were Code Talkers During World War I and World War II. Code Talkers used their unique languages as a means for secret communications. Code Talkers were of the Navajo, Cherokee, Choctaw and Comanche Indian tribes.

• McClain, Sally. Navajo Weapon: The Navajo Code Talkers. FHL book 970.3 N227ms WorldCat
• Meadows, William C. Comanche Code Talkers of World War II. FHL book 970.3 C73mw WorldCat
• They Talked Navajo" "dine bi-zaad choz-iid."; The United States Marine Corps Navajo Code Talkers of World War II; A Record of Their Reunion, July 9-10, 1971, Window Rock, Arizona. FHL Book 970.3 N227tt WorldCat

Indian Scouts

Indians were employed as scouts from Colonial times onward, their service reaches its height in post-Civil War conflicts.

• Fairfax Davis Downey. The Red/Bluecoats, the Indian Scouts, U.S. Army.Fort Collins, Colorado : Old Army Press, 1973. FHL 970.1 D758r
• Thomas W. Dunlay. Wolves for the Blue Soldiers: Indian Scouts and Auxiliaries with the United States Army, 1860-90. Lincoln, Nebraska : University of Nebraska Press, 1982. FHL 978 M2du

Military Actions 1866-1891

Source: Chronological List of Actions, &C., With Indians, From January 1, 1866, to January, 1891. Adjutant General's Office. WorldCat

Date, Place of Action, Troops Engaged, Commanding Officer.

• 6 Jan. 1867 Crooked River, Oregon, Indian Scouts, Srgt. W. Brewster, 3rd Cav.
• 19 Jun. 1867 Steins Mountain, Oregon, Det., Indian Scouts, Chf. Scout Archie McIntosh
• 20 Jun.1867 Black Hills, on U.P. Railroad, Nebraska C, Pawnee Scouts, Maj. Frank North,
• 5 Jul.1867 Dunder and Blitzen Creek, Oregon, 1st Cav., F and M, and Indian Scouts, Lt. Col. George Crook 23 Inf.
• 13 Jul. 1867 Malheur River (S. Fork), Oregon, 23d Inf. det. K, and Snake Indians, Lt. G.A. Goodale
• 17 Aug.1867 Plum Creek, Nebraska, Pawnee Scouts, Capt. Jas. Murie, Chf. Pawnee Scouts
• 26-28 Sep1867 Infernal Caverns, near Pitt River, California, 1st Cav. H: 23 Inf., D; and Boise Scouts. Lt. Col. Geo. Cook, 23d Inf.
• 14-15 Nov.1867 Tonto Creek, Arizona, Indian Scouts, det.
• 12 Dec.1867 Owyhee River, Oregon, Indian Scouts, Interpreter D.C. Pickett
• 4 Jan. 1868 Owyhee River, Idaho, Indian Scouts and Men M. 1st Cav. Interpreter D.C. Pickett
• 5 Apr. 1868 Malheur River, Oregon. 1st Cav., F: 8th Cav. , C: 23 Inf. K, deta,; and Indian Scouts. Capt. David Perry, 1st Cav.
• 23 Apr. 1868 Harney, Camp, Oregon, Det. of Scouts, Chf. Guide Archie McIntosh
• 29 May 1868 Owyhee River, Idaho, 1st Cav. det. M and Indian Scouts, Sergt. H. Miller
• 9 Jun 1868 Snake Canon, Idaho 23rd Inf. det. H and Indian Scouts, Corp. J. Moan

• Downey, Fairfax Davis and Jacques Noel Jacobsen. The Red/Bluecoats, The Indian Scouts, U.S. Army.FHL book 970.1 D758r WorldCat

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