North Dakota Military Records

Portal:United States Military Records&gt;North Dakota

The United States Military Records Wiki article provides more information on federal military records and search strategies.

Many military records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. For North Dakota the following sources are also very helpful:

Forts
Fort Abercrombie -- 1857-1878 in Kansas

Fort Abraham Lincoln -- Textual records of this fort, 1872-1891, 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 Atkinson -- 1858-1859 originally a trading post - aka Fort Berthold

Fort Berthold 1862-1867 (also known as Fort James)

Fort Buford-- Textual records of this fort, 1857-1895, 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 Clark1830- 1860 Built by American Fur Company (Burned in 1860)

Fort Floyd1826-1827 built by the Columbia Fur Company

Fort Lincoln -- See Fort Abraham Lincoln

Fort Mandan

Fort Pembina -- Textual records of this post, 1876-1895, 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 Rice 1864-1878

Fort Totten -- Textual records of this fort, 1867-1890, 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 Union--1828-1865 Built by the American Fur Company

Fort Stevenson -- 1867-1883 in Montana

Fort Yates -- Textual records of this fort, 1870-1903, 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).

References

Encyclopedia of Indian Wars Western Battles and Skirmishes 1850-1890. By Gregory F. Michno. Mountain Press Publishing Co., Missoula, Montana C. 2003 ISBN 0-87842-468-7

Civil War (1861-1865)
An index to service records of Union volunteers from the Dakota Territory is at the library (Family History Library ). The library also has an index to pension applications, but the actual service and pension records are at the National Archives. A special census was taken in 1890 of Union veterans of the Civil War (Family History Library ).

Civil War Pension Index Cards - A free Internet index to pension applications of veterans who served in the US Army between 1861-1917 is available on FamilySearch Record Search. Each card gives the soldier’s name, application and certificate numbers, state of enlistment, and might include rank and death information. Other wars, of that time period, may be included.

Indian Wars (1798-1914)
The Family History Library has enlistment registers for soldiers who served in the regular army, 1798 to 1914. Many of them served in the western states during the Indian Wars. The enlistment registers provide the soldier's rank, unit, commanders, physical description, occupation, and birthplace. The records are arranged by year and by the first letter of the surname (Family History Library films beginning with ).

The library also has an index of soldiers who applied for pensions between 1892 and 1926, for service in the Indian Wars from 1817 to 1898 (Family History Library ). The pension records are only at the National Archives.

Spanish-American War (1898)
A published roster of the First North Dakota Infantry in the Philippine Islands is in Clement A. Lounsberry,Early History of North Dakota. Washington, DC: Liberty Press, 1919. (Family History Library ; ).

World War I (1917-1918)
World War I draft registration cards for men age 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 North Dakota, see:

Ancestry.com, a subscription web site, has indexed World War I draft registration cards.

United States. Selective Service System.North Dakota, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M1509. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1987-1988. (On Family History Library films beginning with .)

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 several. A map showing the boundaries of individual draft boards is available for most large cities. Finding an ancestor's street address in a city directory will help you in using the draft board map. There is an alphabetical list of cities that are on the map. For a copy of this map see:

United States. Selective Service System. List of World War One Draft Board Maps.Washington, DC: National Archives. (Family History Library .)

A published roster in alphabetical order of soldiers is Brigadier General G. Angus Fraser, Roster of the Men and Women Who Served in the Army or Naval Service (including the Marine Corps) of the United States or its Allies from the State of North Dakota in the World War, 1917-1918, Four Volumes. Bismarck, ND: Bismarck Tribune Co., 1931. (Family History Library book ; films ). In addition to the military information, the soldier's date and place of birth, and parents' nationality are also given.