Utah Military Records

Military records identify thousands of individuals who served or who were eligible for service. Evidence that an individual actually served may be found in family traditions, census records, naturalization records, biographies, cemetery records, and records of veterans’ organizations. Your ancestors will be more interesting if you learn about their military service and the history of their units. Military records can also give birth dates, marriage dates, death dates, spouse's and children’s names, and localities of residence throughout the life of the family.

Many military records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, the National Archives—Denver Branch, and the Utah State Archives. The Family History Library also has military histories for the various military engagements. U.S. Military Records provide more information on federal military records and search strategies.

Forts
The forts were built as protection from the Indians, then as a place to house the troops sent to put down the rebellion of the Latter-day Saints. These forts and camps are listed in alphabetical order by place, disregarding the words "fort" or "camp".


 * Fort at Battle Creek — During the Walker Indian War in the 1850s, citizens of what is now Pleasant Grove, Utah Valley, built a fort with walls two or three feet thick and six feet tall that occupied an area the size of sixteen city blocks. The settlers in the area at the time built homes inside the fort.The town was previously called Battle Creek after a battle which took place there in 1849 between Latter-day Saint settlers and a small band of Ute Indians.
 * Fort Cameron — Located just east of Beaver City, it served as a military post from 1872 to 1883. It later became a school, the Beaver Branch of Brigham Young Academy. That school closed when the state legislature required each county to provide tuition-free schools. One of the original buildings now serves as a private residence and some evidence of other remains of the fort exists.
 * Cedar Fort
 * Fort Crittenden— Camp Floyd was renamed Fort Crittenden in 1860 and abandoned in 1861.
 * Fort Deseret — Fort Deseret was built in 1865 during the Utah Black Hawk War to protect settlers in western Utah from the attacks of local Utes. Location is in present-day Millard County, Utah.
 * Fort Douglas — Located on the east bench of Salt Lake City, adjacent to the University of Utah. It was created in 1862 as Camp Douglas and was renamed Fort Douglas in 1878. It continued in use as a U.S. military post until 1991. It still is headquarters for several reserve units. Many of the buildings are preserved and a museum is open to the public. Textual records of this fort, 1869-1907, 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 Duchesne — Established in 1886 to replace Fort Thornburg in the Unitah Basin. It continued as a U.S. military post until 1912 when it was transferred to the Bureau of Indian Affairs as the headquarters for the Uintah-Ouray Agency.
 * Camp Floyd — Established in 1858 when "Johnston's Army" came into the Salt Lake Valley and marched 40 miles south to Cedar Valley. The post was built by the soldiers assigned there, with the help of local settlers. It was renamed Fort Crittenden in 1860.
 * Hamilton Fort — A local fortification near Cedar City known initially as Fort Walker. It was never considered an official U.S. Army post.
 * Fort Robidoux(Uninta Basin) — Old Fort Kit Carson
 * Fort Thornburg — Established as a post for U.S. troops in 1881. It was located in the Ashley Valley in Eastern Utah until its closure in 1883. The troops stationed there assisted in building a road from Vernal to Fort Bridger.
 * Fort Utah — This original settlement at Provo, Utah, was established March 12, 1849. Incidents at the fort were part of the Provo War and the later Walker War. (See replica of Fort Utah above.)
 * Fort Walker — The original name of Hamilton Fort.
 * Union Fort — A small fortification was built in the Salt Lake Valley by local settlers in 1853-1854. Only a marker remains to identify the site.

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.


 * 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.)


 * The Mexican War Index to the Compiled Service Records of the Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Mexican War 1845-1848. FHL films 1205336-1205357


 * 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.

Mormon Battalion

In July 1846 Mormon Battalion volunteers were officially organized at Council Bluffs, Iowa, to reinforce the United States Army in California during the Mexican War. The battalion consisted of five companies who enlisted for one year. Due to illness, about a third of the battalion did not complete the two-thousand-mile march but were sent to Pueblo, Colorado. The remaining members arrived in California in January 1847. They served in San Diego and Los Angeles. At the end of the one year, the army tried to reenlist all of its members, but only one company was organized in Los Angeles on 20 July 1847. This company only served for six months. After they were discharged, most battalion members went to Utah.


 * Mormon Battalion Association
 * Mormon Battalion Association: Journals and Diaries

 Compiled Military Service Files 
 * United States National Archives.Compiled service records of volunteer soldiers who served during the Mexican War in Mormon organizations FHL films 471465, 471517, and 471518


 * United States. Record and Pension Office. Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Mexican War in Mormon Organizations. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0351. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1961. (Family History Library ). These alphabetically compiled service records usually include the soldier’s name, rank, dates of enlistment and service, and the unit in which he served. It often contains abstracts of entries relating to the soldier as found in the original muster rolls and returns. Cross references were included for each soldier’s name that appear with more than one spelling.

 Pensions and Bounty Land Application Files 


 * Mormon Battalion Pension Applications, 1846-1923 contains about 373 names of those who applied for pensions of the about 500 who served in the Mormon Battalion. For more information read the wiki article about them.
 * United States. Bureau of Pensions. Selected Pension Application Files for Members of the Mormon [sic] Battalion, Mexican War, 1846–48. National Archives Microfilm Publications, T1196. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Record Service, 1934. (Family History Library .) These films contain an alphabetical list of applications from veterans, widows, and dependents. Not all soldiers are included, and some files are not in order. They may show name, unit, rank, enlistment and discharge dates, disability, details of service, witness affidavits, marriage and family information.

 Bounty Land Application Files
 * Mormon Battalion Bounty Land Application Files Coverage Table Application Files

For more records about the Mormon Battalion see:


 * Jeppsen, Maren, comp. Bibliography of Mormon Battalion Sources Found in the Genealogical Library.'' ( June 1992). FHL Digital images


 * Nelson, Glade I. "The Mormon Battalion: A Selected Bibliographic List." Genealogical Journal 26, no. 2 (1998): 59–79. (Family History Library .)

Additional sources on the Mormon Battalion with the be found in the Latter-day Saint Military Records Wiki Article.

Utah Militia (1849-1887)
The Constitution of the Provisional State of Deseret officially created the Utah Militia in 1849 to protect the settlers. The Constitution required all men between the ages of 18 and 45 to participate. Organizations for boys ages 14 to 17 and men ages 45 to 75 also existed. The federal government took control of the militia in 1887 with the passage of the Edmunds-Tucker Act.

Utah State Archives
 * The archives has the largest collection of territorial militia records (Series 2210). An online index is also available. Territorial Militia Indexes
 * Territorial Militia Service Cards, 1850-1880. Series 6195

 Family History Library


 * United States. War Department. Utah Territorial Militia Muster Rolls, 1849 to 1870. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. (Family History Library .) These are arranged by military districts. Most districts are connected to each county.
 * Utah State Archives. Utah Territory Militia; Nauvoo Legion Correspondence Orders and Reports, 1–2126. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. (On six Family History Library .It is indexed by place names, subjects, and personal names.
 * Also digital images in the FamilySearch Historical Records collection Utah, Territorial Militia Records, 1849-1877) This manuscript includes correspondence, orders, and reports. The muster rolls, pay rolls, and officer lists have been indexed.
 * Gardner, Hamilton. Pioneer Military Leaders of Utah. Typescript, 1952. (University of Utah, Marriott Library, Ms 57.) This is a military history of Utah from 1847 to 1898, focusing on the activities of the Territorial Militia. A register is available.

Indian Wars (1849s-1890s)
Although Native American and pioneer relations were generally peaceful, there were a few conflicts, including:


 * Incident at Battle Creek, 1849
 * Walker War, 1853–1854
 * Goshute War, 1863
 * Battle of Bear River, 1863 (partially in Idaho)
 * Black Hawk War, 1865–1868
 * Ute Indian Campaign, Colorado and Utah, 1879–1880

United States troops from Fort Douglas were involved in the Goshiute War and the Battle of Bear River. In the other Indian wars, only the settlers and Native Americans were involved.

Online:


 * Index to Indian Wars Service Affidavits, 1909–1919 at the Utah State Division of Archives and Records with links to the image of the documents.
 * images are available. At this time they are not indexed, but they are arranged alphabetical. For more information, see the wiki article Utah, Indian War Service Affidavits.

Published:


 * Utah State Archives. (Salt Lake City, Utah). Card Index to Military Records of the Indian Wars in Utah, 1866–1867; A–Z. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. (Family History Library .) In alphabetical order except for the sections from J. M. Smith to Robert William which are filed after James Barlow.
 * Utah. Board of Commissioners of Indian War Records. Service Records of Indian Wars in Utah, 1853–1868. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. (Family History Library These records give the name, town of residence, years in the county, age, service information, residence and age at joining, length of service, date of release, engagements, and affidavits of two witnesses.
 * Correspondence Records Concerning Indian War Pensions (1914–1928). Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. (Family History Library .) These records are arranged alphabetically. They include proof of service which entilted pensioners to benefits. This is the online version.
 * House of Representatives. 41st Congress. 1st Session. Misc. Doc. No. 19 Indian Depredations in Utah:memorial of the legislative assembly of Utah Territory, praying for an appropriation to pay for Indian depredations and expenses incurred in suppressing Indian hostilities. Washington D.C.: House of Representatives, 1869?

Beside the Utah records of correspondence for pensions, federal records exist for these men. For information about federal pension records see United States Military Records.

Historical accounts of the Indian war period are in:


 * Peterson, John Alton. Utah's Black Hawk War. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, 1998. (Family History Library.) This history includes a personal name index.
 * Gottfredson, Peter. History of Indian Depredations in Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah: Skelton, 1919. (Family History Library .) Contains accounts from histories, diaries, newspapers, and interviews. It identifies many of the settlers who were killed during the Indian wars and is indexed in Family History Library.

 National Archives 
 * Records Supporting Claims for Service During Indian Wars, 1892 -1931 NAID 560995
 * Records Concerning Claims of the Utah Militia for Expenses Incurred in Suppressing Indian Hostilities, 2.4.1850-2.14.1855. NAID 12061544

The Utah War (1857-1861)
The Utah War began when President James Buchanan appointed a governor to replace the Latter-day Saint leader Brigham Young. He ordered several thousand United States troops to the Utah Territory in 1857 to enforce the appointment and repel an alleged Mormon rebellion. The Army arrived in 1858 but the conflict was settled peacefully. The army built Camp Floyd southwest of Salt Lake City. Soldiers remained there until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.
 * Camp Floyd Administrative History Note NARA
 * Camp Crittenden Administrative History Note NARA

 Camp Floyd Cemetery
 * Curtis R. Allen. Who is Buried at Camp Floyd ? Crossroads: Utah Genealogical Association 3 (December 2007): 207-232. FHL 973 D25gj

 Printed Sources 
 * Mackinnon, William P. At Sword's Point: a documentary history of the Utah War to 1858, part 1. Norman, Oklahoma: Arthur H. Clark, 2008. FHL 289.373 H2b v. 10
 * Hafen, LeRoy R. and Ann W. Hafen.The Utah expedition, 1857-1858 : a documentary account of the United States military movement under Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston, and the resistance by Brigham Young and the Mormon Nauvoo Legion Glendale, California: Arthur H. Clark, 1958. FHL 973 H2haf v. 8
 * Hammond, Otis G., ed. Jesse Augustus Gove. The Utah expedition, 1857-1858 : letters of Capt. Jesse A. Gove, 10th Inf., U.S.A., of Concord, N. H., to Mrs. Gove, and special correspondence of the New York Herald. Concord, N.H. : New Hampshire Historical Society, 1928 FHL fiche 6119361

Soldiers are found in the Utah Militia records mentioned previously. The United States Army records have information about troops involved in this "war." Registers of Enlistment in the U.S. Army, 1798–1914 includes the U.S. troops who came to Utah. Information about these records is found in the United States Military Records.

 The Family History Library has several published accounts of the Utah War and Camp Floyd such as:


 * Hance, Irma Watson and Irene Warr. Johnston, Connor, and the Mormons: An Outline of Military History in Northern Utah [Salt Lake City, Utah: N.p.], 1962. (Family History Library ].) This book is a history of Camp Floyd and Fort Douglas. It includes burials in the post cemeteries, and a few marriages from 1863 to 1868. It also includes a bibliography.
 * Furniss, Norman F.  The Mormon Conflict, 1850-1859. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1960. FHL 979.2 H2fu
 * Moorman, Donald R. Camp Floyd and the Mormons, the Utah War. Utah Centennial Series, Volume 7. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, 1992. (Family History Library .) This history of the Utah War includes a name and subject index and a bibliography.
 * Godfrey, Audrey M. A Social History of Camp Floyd, Utah Territory, 1858-1861. Logan,Utah: Utah State University, 1989. FHL 979.2 M2g
 * Nielson, Roger B. Roll Call at Old Camp Floyd, Utah Territory. S.l.: R.B. Nielson, 2006. FHL 979.2 M2n

 Related Collections
 * National Archives - Records from Camp Floyd and Fort Crittenden, 1859-1861, FHL 1666080
 * Utah State Archives - Camp Floyd Burials, 1857-1861. FHL fiche 6081187
 * U.S. AGO. Military returns and records of the Utah expedition, 1857-1861

War Department. Department of Utah, 1.1.1857-7.3.1861
 Records of U.S. Army Continental Commands, Record Group 393 - National Archives 
 * Letters Sent, 7.1857-7.1861, NAID 1693141
 * Endorsements Sent, 7.1857-7.1861 NAID 1693152]
 * Registers of Letters Received, NAID 1693155
 * General and Special Orders and Circulars Issued, 7.1857-7.1861 NAID 1693160
 * Letters Sent by Ordnance Officers Jesse L. Reno and Lieutenant Francis J. Shunk, 1857-1860 NAID 1696136
 * Letters Received by Ordnance Officer Lieutenant Francis J. Shunk, 1857-1860 NAID 1696143
 * Letters Received by Ordnance Officer Captain Jesse L. Reno, 1857-1858 NAID 1696147
 * Records of Ordnance Officers, 1857-1860 NAID 1696151


 * Regulations Army of the United States 1857
 * Registers of Enlistments, United States Army

 Societies 
 * Friends of Camp Floyd
 * Fairfield, Utah Historical Society

 Camp Floyd State Park Museum 

Civil War (1861 to 1865)

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index'''

'''See Utah in the Civil War for information about Utah Civil War records, websites, etc. with links to articles about the Utah companies involved in the Civil War.

 Fort Douglas 
 * Charles G. Hibbard.  Fort Douglas, 1862-1916: pivotal link on the Western frontier. Ann Arbor,Michigan: University Microfilms, 1981. FHL 979.2258 M2h

 Troops Stationed at Fort Douglas 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.


 * 3rd Regiment, California Infantry (Union)
 * 2nd Regiment, California Cavalry (Union)
 * 1st Battalion, Nevada Cavalry (Union)

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.

 Lott Smith Company, Utah Cavalry 
 * Lott Smith's Company, Utah Cavalry, April - August, 1862 service records

Veteran Organizations 

The Department of Utah Grand Army of the Republic was organized in 1883 and consisted of Union veterans living in Utah that joined the organization
 * Membership Records (Union Veterans living in Utah that joined) of the Grand Army of the Republic, 1879-1934 of the Department of Utah

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 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 Utah State Archives in Salt Lake City, Utah has the Spanish-American War; Index to Utah Units Salt Lake City, which is muster-in rolls for 1898 to 1899. The Family History Library has:


 * Military Records, Spanish-American War, 1898–1899 (Utah). Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. (Family History Library .) It contains soldier's names, rank, age, place of birth, and occupation. The muster-out rolls have date last paid, destination, and place of discharge. Published histories of Utah volunteers include:
 * Prentiss, A. The History of the Utah Volunteers in the Spanish-American War and in the Philippine Islands. Salt Lake City, Utah: W. F. Ford, 1900. (Family History Library ) This source includes the names of volunteers for wars from 1898–1901. It gives biographical sketches of officers and men from Utah. There is a roster of men listing name, rank, and residence along with the official reports.
 * Mabey, Charles R. The Utah Batteries: A History. [Spanish American War 1898] Salt Lake City, Utah: n.p., 1900. (Family History Library .) This book includes each soldier's name and place of residence at time of enlistment.
 * United Spanish War Veterans, Department of Utah. Muster Rolls of Members, 1929–1957. - Lists the veteran’s name, age, residence, final discharge date, and unit. Some entries may contain additional data.

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

Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902)
Utah units fought in the Philippines and also served in Florida, San Francisco, and Hawaii.

Mexican Border Campaign (1916-1917)
In 1916 the United States had trouble along the United States-Mexico border. The Utah National Guard served with other state units on the Border from March 1916 to February 1917.

The Family History Library has some Utah State Archives' records on this campaign. These records include the Mexican Border Service muster rolls and the Index to Utah participants:


 * Utah State Archives (Salt Lake City, Utah). Mexican Border Campaign (15 March 1916 – 5 February 1917). Index to Those Who Participated From Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. (Family History Library .) This record is arranged alphabetically by surname. It gives each man's name, rank, unit, and dates and places of enlistment, muster, and discharge

The pension index for soldiers from this campaign is found with the federal pension indexes. See U.S. Military Records for further information.

World War I (1917-1918)
World War I was a global war fought on multiple continents with several nations involved. Over four million men and women served from the United States. More than 24,000 men from Utah served in World War I.

The Family History Library and Utah State Archives have service records which list residences, date and place of birth, injuries, enlistment place, residence at time of enlistment, service and discharge dates. They are arranged alphabetically.


 * United States. War Department. World War I Service Records of Utahns. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. (Family History Library .)


 * United States. Marine Corps. World War I Service Records, Marines (from Utah). Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Archives and Record Service, 1973. (Family History Library .)


 * United States. Adjutant General's Office. World War I Service Records, Army (Utah). Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Archives and Record Service, 1973. (Family History Library .)


 * 1914-1918 - at FamilySearch — index


 * 1914-1918 - at FamilySearch — index


 * 1917-1918 - at FamilySearch — index


 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1917-1940 - at FamilySearch — index


 * 1917-1918 - at FamilySearch — index


 * at FamilySearch — index

Utah State Archives Collections
 * State Historical Society World War I Records, Series 6307
 * World War I Service Questionnaries, Series 85298
 * Military Service Cards, 1898-1975, Series 85268
 * World War I Draft Board Registers, Series 2229
 * Utah Militia, 1917-1918 for Salt Lake City and County
 * World War I Service records, Series 2793
 * National Guard 145th Field Artillery Scrapbook, 1917-1918 Series 10339 Digital Images

A published roster of soldiers is found in:


 * Warrum, Noble. Utah in the World War. Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Council of Defense, 1924. (Family History Library .)This book lists soldier's name, place of residence upon enlistment, and dates of service.
 * Battery E 145th Field Artillery (1st Utah)Camp Kearny, Cal.
 * Lilliebell Falk. "Lest We Forget:" our world war heores(Ogden, Utah)


 * United States. Selective Service System. Utah World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1987–1988. (On 20 Family History Library ) Also available at:


 * at FamilySearch — index and images — free

See WWI Draft Records for more information.


 * With the Colors Fort Douglas, Utah, 1925.104th "Frontier" Division Area.

World War II (1941-1945)
More than 65,000 Utah men and women served in the armed forces during this World War II. They are included in an alphabetical card index that lists date and place of birth, name and address of next of kin, marital status, name and address of spouse, and military history for each individual.


 * Utah State Archives (Salt Lake City, Utah). Index to Military Records of World War II. Veterans from Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. (Family History Library.) This record is arranged separately by each branch of the service, then alphabetically by surname.
 * 1929-1954 - at FamilySearch — index

On April 27, 1942, the Selective Service conducted the fourth of six draft registrations related to WWII. The "World War II Selective Service Draft Cards: Fourth Registration, 1942" is often referred to as the “Old Man’s Registration” or the “Old Man’s Draft" because it included men with a date of birth from April 28, 1877 to February 16, 1897. Since there is overlap in the WWI and WWII Selective Service registration, men born in the years 1877 to 1900 may have registered twice and have both WWII and WWI draft records.


 * (FamilySearch) - free
 * (images with partial index) (FamilySearch) - free


 * Also available at:


 * Ancestry ($)
 * Fold3 ($).

Relocation Records
 * 1942-1946 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II United States Military Records provides additional information.

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.

Vietnam War (1964–1972)
The Vietnam War was a conflict between North Vietnam (and its communist allies) and South Vietnam (with support of its anti-communist allies, including the United States). See the Vietnam War wiki article for information on records and their availability.

Additional Military Records
For information about veteran burials in Utah, see the "Veteran Burial Records" portion of the Utah Cemeteries Wiki article.

The Utah State Archives has a large collection of military records. A current listing of their holdings is available at their Internet site. A published inventory of their military holdings in 1981 is:


 * Utah State Archives and Records Service. Inventory, Military Department, Record Group 027, Microfilms and Microfiche. Salt Lake City, Utah: Archives, 1981. (Family History Library.) This gives the accession number, title, period covered, subject, and geography covered by the records.