Maryland Military Records

Many military records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The U.S. Military Records Research Outline provides more information on the federal records. Important sources unique to Maryland are listed in the following sections.

Forts
Fort Henry

Fort McHenry -- Textual records of this post, 1855-1912, 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).

Colonial Wars (1632-1775)
Maryland Muster Rolls, Fort Cumberland, 1757-58. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949. The original papers are at the Maryland Historical Society. (FHL film 013158 item 1.) The Maryland State Archives has a card index to muster and pay rolls for the colonial wars from 1732 to 1772.

Clark, Murtie June. Colonial Soldiers of the South, 1732-1774. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1983; FHL book 975 M29c). Pages 1-123 include lists of Maryland militia from 1732 to 1763. The source sometimes lists residence. It is indexed.

Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
A man born between 1730 and 1765 who lived in Maryland is probably listed in some form of military record. If he supported the Revolution, he may be mentioned in the records as a rebel, patriot, or Whig. Those who opposed the Revolution were Loyalists or Tories. For Revolutionary War patriot records, see:

White, Virgil D. Genealogical Abstracts of the Revolutionary War Pension Files. Four Volumes. Waynesboro, Tennessee: National Historical Publishing, 1990. (FHL book 973 M28g.) The abstracts may contain name, unit, service and application dates and places, age, birth date, marriage date, residences, and names of relatives. These abstracts are mainly from the following collection of records:

United States. Veterans Administration. Selected Records from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land-Warrant Application Files. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1969. (FHL films 840256-406).

Other patriot records include:

United States. Veterans Administration. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land-Application Files. National Archives Microfilm Publications, (FHL films 970001-2670, NARA M0804). This collection contains 80,000 complete pension files organized alphabetically by surname.

White, Virgil D. Index to Revolutionary War Service Records. Four Volumes. Waynesboro, Tennessee: National Historical Publishing, 1995. (FHL book 973 M22wv.) This source shows the name, rank, and unit of over 390,000 patriots. The index is a transcript of:

United States. Adjutant General's Office. General Index to Compiled Military Service Records of Revolutionary Ward Soldiers. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1942. (FHL films 882841-98, NARA M881).

The service records and pension files for Revolutionary War patriots are available at the Family History Library. You can also use NATF Form 86 for service records and NATF Form 85 for pension files to obtain copies of records from the National Archives for a fee.

Muster Rolls. Muster and pay rolls and other records of Maryland continental and state troops, have been published in:

Muster Rolls and Other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution: 1775-1783. Archives of Maryland. Vol. 18. Baltimore, Maryland: Maryland Historical Society, 1900. (FHL book 975.2 B4m vol. 18; film 908302 item 1.) This book may include officers, regiments, rank, service dates, or residence.

Pension and Land Records. Abstracts from pension and bounty land applications are in:

Newman, Harry Wright. Maryland Revolutionary Records. . . 1938. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967. (FHL book 975.2 M2n 1967; film 1036487 item 2.) The information comes from pension claims and bounty land applications. It may include regiment, rank, land grant acreage, or marriage information.

McGee, Mrs. Carl W., comp. Maryland Revolutionary War Pensioners, War of 1812 and Indian Wars. Washington, D.C.: C.W. McGhee, 1952. (FHL book 975.2 M24m; film 496676 item 6.) May include rank, date of pension, age, residence, or emigration to another state.

See the "Land and Property" section of this outline for records of land (Bounty Land) paid to Revolutionary soldiers.

History. To learn more about the Maryland Continental Line, see:

Kilbourne, John Dwight. A Short History of the Maryland Line in the Continental Army. Baltimore, Maryland: The Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland, 1992. (FHL 975.2 M2k.) This book describes the seven regiments formed in Maryland, as well as an eighth regiment sometimes called the "German Battalion."

Indexes. The Maryland State Archives has several card indexes related to service in the militia. Names of men found in surviving militia records are listed in:

Clements, S. Eugene, and F. Edward Wright. The Maryland Militia in the Revolutionary War. Silver Spring, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1987. (FHL 975.2 M28c).

Loyalists. In the fall of 1777, a regiment of Loyalists was raised in Maryland. To learn more about these men, see:

Clark, Murtie June. Loyalists in the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1981. (FHL 975 F2cm.) May include regiment, officers, service dates, rank, and where mustered.

Online Resources

http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4260&amp;o_xid=9872&amp;o_lid=9872&amp;o_xt=9872&amp;offerid=0%3a694%3a0 ($)

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pensions/revwar/mdindex.htm

http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/refserv/genealogy/html/revwar.html

War of 1812 (1812-1815)
Service Records. These records have not been microfilmed, so you must order photocopies from the National Archives. The Family History Library does have a microfilm copy of the index to these records.

A roster of soldiers and sailors with their rank and unit, compiled by Louis Henry Dielman, is in:

Marine, William M. The British Invasion of Maryland, 1812-1815. 1913. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1977. (FHL book 975.2 M2m; film 1036720 item 2).

Published abstracts of muster, pay, and receipt rolls of soldiers who served in the militia are in:

Wright, Frederick Edward. Maryland Militia War of 1812. Seven Volumes. Silver Spring, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1979-. (FHL book 975.2 M2w).

A list of American prisoners kept at Dartmoor Prison in England is found in:

Huntsberry, Thomas V. and Joanne M. Dartmoor Prison. Baltimore, Maryland: J. Mart, 1984. (FHL book 975.2 M2h vol. 3.) 6,554 Americans were kept at this prison. Approximately 581 died while prisoners.

Pension Records. These records have not been microfilmed, so you must order photocopies from the National Archives. The Family History Library does have a microfilm copy of the index to these records (on 102 FHL films beginning with 840431, NARA M0313).

The library also has the following index to pension records:

White, Virgil D. Index to War of 1812 Pension Files. Transcribed by Virgil D. White. 2 vols. Waynesboro, Tennessee: National Historical Publishing Company, 1992. (FHL book 973 M22i 1992).

Mexican War (1846-1848)
A list of Maryland volunteers is found in:

Wells, Charles J. Maryland and District of Columbia Volunteers in the Mexican War. Westminster, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1991. (FHL book 975.2 M2we.) This book lists the soldier’s rank, unit, city of enlistment, and age.

Civil War (1861-1865)
Maryland was officially a Union state, but some men—particularly from southern Maryland—did serve in the Confederate Army.

For service records of Union soldiers, see:

Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Maryland. (On 13 FHL films beginning with 881522).

Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Maryland. (On 238 FHL films beginning with 1477976, NARA M0384).

For service records of Confederate soldiers, see:

Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Maryland. (On 22 FHL films beginning with 1292663, NARA M0321.) The index is on FHL films 821887-8.

Pension Records. The Family History Library has an index to Civil War pension records (FHL films 540757-541300, NARA T0288). You must order photocopies of Union pension applications from the National Archives.

The state of Maryland did not offer pensions to those who served in the Confederacy.

Rosters. Published rosters of Confederate and Union soldiers are in:

Goldsborough, William W. The Maryland Line in the Confederate Army, 1861-1865. 1900. Reprint, Gaithersburg, Maryland: Olde Soldier Books, 1987. (FHL book 975.2 M2g).

Hartzler, Daniel D. Marylanders in the Confederacy. Silver Spring, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1986. (FHL book 975.2 M28h).

Huntsberry, Thomas V., and Joanne M. Huntsberry. Maryland in the Civil War. Two Volumes. Edgemere, Maryland: J. Mart Publishers, 1985. (FHL book 975.2 M2hm).

Wilmer, L. Allison. History and Roster of Maryland Volunteers, War of 1861-65. Two Volumes. 1898-1899. Reprint, Silver Spring, Maryland: Family Line, 1987. (FHL book 975.2 M2wi; film 1466002; fiche 6082446).

Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the Navy of the Confederate States: To January 1, 1863. (FHL 975 M3r; film 1035530 item 8).

History. The Family History Library has some Maryland regimental histories. An example is:

Callum, Agnes Kane. Colored Volunteers of Maryland Civil War, 7th Regiment, United States Colored Troops, 1863-1866. Baltimore, Maryland: Mullac Publishers, 1990. (FHL 975.2 M2ca).

To learn more about Maryland Confederate forces, see:

Confederate Military History. Extended ed., 17 vols. Wilmington, North Carolina: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1987-1988. (FHL book 975 M2e.) Volume two deals only with Maryland.

Online Resources

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/3680/cw/cw-md.html

http://www.msa.md.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000367/html/index.html

http://www.lineages.com/InfoCenter/Databases/MarylandVolunteers.cfm

Spanish-American War (1898)
Roster of the Soldiers and Sailors Who Served in Organizations from Maryland during the Spanish-American War. Reprint. Westminster, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1990. Original is Baltimore, Maryland: W.J.C. Dulany, 1901. (FHL book 975.2 M2r).

Online Resources

http://www.spanamwar.com/marylandgraves.htm

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

United States. Selective Service System. Maryland, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On 57 FHL films beginning with 1654024).

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 more. Finding an ancestor's street address in a city directory will help you determine the board number if he lived in a large city. A map of Baltimore has been prepared which shows the draft board registration districts. The cities listed in the map are in alphabetical order by name of the city. For a copy of this map, see:

United States. Selective Service System. List of World War One Draft Board Maps. Washington, D.C.: National Archives. (FHL film 1498803).

Published lists of servicemen include:

''Maryland War Records Commission. Maryland in the World War I, 1917-19''. Military and Naval Service Records. Two Volumes. Baltimore, Maryland: Maryland War Records Commission, 1933. (FHL film 1670787.) The Family History Library has only volume two, which contains surnames beginning with J to Z.

Haulsee, W.M., F.G. Howe, and A.C. Doyle. Soldiers of the Great War. Three Volumes. Washington, DC: Soldiers Record Publishing Association, 1920. (FHL book 973 M23s; fiche 6051244.) Volume 1 lists the Maryland soldiers who died in World War I and provides photographs.

Online Resources

http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=List&amp;dbid=6482&amp;offerid=0%3a7858%3a0 ($) Has the complete set of records for all states and the digitized indexes.

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/military/ww1/draft.htm

http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/WWIdraft.html

World War II (1941-1945)
War Records Division, Maryland Historical Society. Maryland in World War II: Register of Service Personnel. Five Volumes. Baltimore, Maryland: Maryland Historical Society, 1965. (Not at FHL.)

Online Resources

http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8939 ($) Has U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/worldwar/maryland/index.htm

The Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog lists military records under:

MARYLAND - MILITARY RECORDS

MARYLAND, [COUNTY] - MILITARY RECORDS

General Online Resources for Military

http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/military.html

Web Sites
Maryland State Archives: http://www.msa.md.gov/