United States, Burial Registers for Military Posts, Camps, and Stations - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of an index and images of burial registers for military posts, camps, and stations,1768-1921. This collection corresponds with NARA publication M2014, one roll consisting of two volumes of burials, most occurring between 1860 and 1890. The records are from Record Group 92, Records of the Quartermaster General, and are arranged by place of burial then date of death. See the descriptive pamphlet BURIAL REGISTERS FOR MILITARY POSTS, CAMPS, AND STATIONS 1768-1921 for a list of the posts, camps and stations.

The registers are arranged by the name of the military post, and thereunder usually in rough chronological order by date of burial. The burial registers primarily include soldiers of the Regular Army and Union Army (volunteers). Many civilians, usually wives or children of military personnel, are also listed, as well as some Confederate Army soldiers.

Record Content
The records generally contain the following: death, location of grave (section and number), and remarks. The remarks column may indicate the cause of death (i.e., "Drowned in Newport Harbor"), a civilian's relationship to a soldier (i.e., "Supposed to be wife of Capt. Tho. Grey"), or removal to another cemetery. The type of grave marker, such as headboard, cross, broken stone, or marble slab, is often included. The name of the contractor who supplied the headstone is sometimes indicated. The abbreviation "HS" under the remarks column means "headstone." Notations in the remarks column such as "2903 of 1873" refer to the number and year of correspondence received by the Quartermaster General that provided the information copied into the entries.
 * Name
 * Rank, company, regiment, date of

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know the following:


 * The person’s name
 * The approximate burial or death date

Search the Collection
Some of the volumes begin with an index. If the volume you are searching is indexed, be sure to search it first. The index lists names and page numbers.

To search the collection image by image select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "County" ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
Once you have located your ancestor’s burial record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Burial records are often brief so it can be easy confuse individuals. Compare what information is given with what you already know about your ancestor to make sure it is the correct person.

Next, look at the pieces of information given in the burial record for new information. Add any new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the birth date or year to search for birth records.
 * Use the birth date along with relative’s names to find the family in census records.
 * Use the locality and relative’s names to locate church and land records.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral records which often include the names and residences of other family members.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have been buried in the same cemetery or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The cemetery these records are from still exists today. Family members of those found in the records who died after the records were written may also be interred in this cemetery. Mesa Cemetery maintains a website with additional information on those later burials.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries.

Related Websites

 * Mesa Cemetery
 * BillionGraves page for this cemetery. All the records on this site, inscriptions of the headstones in the cemetery, will also appear in the BillionGraves Index (FamilySearch Historical Records) on FamilySearch. Burials through most of 2012 will be found in this index.

Related Wiki Articles
Arizona Cemeteries

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata &gt; San Ponciano &gt; Matrimonios 1884-1886 &gt; image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clemtina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata.

Sources of information for This Collection
"Arizona, Mesa City Cemetery Records, 1889-1953." Images. FamilySearch (FamilySearch). Mesa City Cemetery, Mesa, Arizona. FHL digital images. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.