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Military and Pension Records

Online Military Records for Edgefield County are in the SCGenWeb Archives for Edgefield County.
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Colonial Wars Revolutionary War War of 1812
Indian Wars Civil War
Spanish War 20th Century Wars Books

Military and Veteran Records

The South Carolina Dept of Archives and History has the most complete collection of military records for South Carolina.

Among the many military and veteran records that may yield vital statistic information, are:

Military records are available though the National Archives and Records. To obtain copies of these files, request a NATF Form 80 from the National Archives and return it with the requested information.

Records are also usually available though your local LDS Family History Center.

  • Colonial Wars
  • Since the United States did not exist prior to the Revolutionary War, there are no 'official' records of wars up to that point. However, some records did survive at the local level. The bulk of the information exists in rosters than provide the the soldiers name and military unit.
  • South Carolina Specific Information:
    Lists of soldiers who served 1715-1772 are in Leonardo Andrea, South Carolina Colonial Soldiers and Patriots.
    Miltia records for 1759-1760 are in Murtle June Clark, Colonial Soldiers of the South.
    The     State Archives has copies of the records related to the Cherokee War of 1760-1761.

    • Records are available though your local LDS Family History Center.

    • Revolutionary War

  • South Carolina Specific Information:
    The     LDS Research Outline for South Carolina lists two helpful sources of information for the Revolutionary War:
    • Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers and Patriots in South Carolina by Louise Milam Julich (1979)
    • Revolutionary Soldiers in South Carolina by Thomas M. Owen which is a roster of veterans living in South Carolina orignally printed in 1911

    Again, since the United States did not exist during to the Revolutionary War, there are no 'official' records of the war. However, some records did survive at the local level. The bulk of the information exists in rosters than provide the the soldiers name and military unit.

    Service Records

  • National Archives and Records has records which have been summarized from various sources such as muster rolls and pay rolls. There are three indexes:
    • 1) Master Name Index
      2) Name Index for the Continental Army
      3) State Index

    The information may include:

    • Name, Rank, Military Unit, State for which he Served,
      Dates that his Name appears, Date(s) of Enlistment or Appointment,
      Date of Separation (rarely)

    Other types of records may exists.

    National Archives and Records has these records in Record Group 93, War Dept Collection of Rev. War Records.

    • Veteran's Benefits

  • There are two main types of benefits:
    • Pension
      Bounty Land

    Pensions were provided to veterans (or their widows & orphans) which were disabled or killed during the war. Some payments began as early as 1789. However, it was in 1792 that one could apply for benefits. Although some records were destroyed by fire, many still survive (post-1800). National Archives and Records has these records indexed by the names of the soldiers. Copies of the indexes are widely available.

    The offer of free land was made to men in exchange for their service. Land was offered from approximately 1788 to 1855. 160 acres was provided to those that had served 14 days or had served in battle (Not only Revolutionary war veterans).

    The Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications in the National Archives is arranged by the veterans name. It lists the Name, State in which he served, Name of the applicant and the number of the pension or bounty land file.

    To obtain copies of these files, request a NATF Form 80 from the National Archives and return it with the requested information.

    • Records are also available though your local LDS Family History Center.

    • War of 1812

  • Service records are similar to those from the Revolutionary War. Most of the records for the War of 1812 are arranged by State or Territory, however the information available remains much the same. The Service Record index is Records for the War of 1812. There is both an index by name and state/territory. Veteran's Benefits are called the War of 1812 Series and cover the period of 1812-1815 but were not active until 1871-1878.

    For prior records, index is Records for the Period Between the Revolution and the War of 1812.

  • South Carolina Specific Information:

    Lists of approx. 26,000 soldiers' pension and service records are in Bobby Gilmer Moss, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution

    South Carolina Rev. War claims 1783-1786 are available in the State Archives. They also have many records and documents associated with the British Armies.

    An alphabetical list of pensioners is available in Janye C.G. Pruitt, Revolutionary War Pension Applicants Who Served from South Carolina.

    • Records are available though your local LDS Family History Center.

    • Indian Wars

  • South Carolina Specific Information:
  • The LDS Research Outline for South Carolina notes that an index to service records of volunteer soldiers from South Carolina is available as well as an index to pensioners.

    Actual pension records can be found at the State Archives.

    • Service records, again, are similar to those previously mentioned. The Service Record index is Records of Indian and Related Wars. There is both an index by name and state/territory.

    Veteran's Benefits are called the Mexican War Series and cover the period of 1817-1898 but were not active until 1892. The index is Index to Indian War Pension Files, 1892-1926.

    Records are available though the National Archives

    • Mexican War (1846-48)

  • Service records, again, are similar to those previously mentioned. The soldier's age may also be included. The Service Record name index is Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Mexican War. An index by State or Territory does not exists.

    Veteran's Benefits are called the Mexican War Series and cover the period of 1846-1848 but were not active until 1887. The index is Index to Mexican War Pension Files, 1887-1926.

    Records are available though the National Archives and Records.

    • Civil War

  • South Carolina Specific Information:
    The Confederate service records are available though the     National Archives and Records.
  • Through support from an IMLS grant and in collaboration with Project Perseus at Tufts University, the University of Richmond has digitized the Richmond Daily Dispatch newspaper for the Civil War years.  The project is not yet complete.  However the newspaper is now available for use and exploration.  We welcome your comments and feedback on this work in progress; just click on the survey link on the newspaper's homepage at http://dlxs.richmond.edu/d/ddr/index.html.  We hope this will be useful to a broad audience encompassing scholars, students, genealogists, Civil War buffs, re-enactors, and more.  Please feel free to bring it to the attention of other librarians and interested parties.

    The South Carolina Dept of Archives and History has compiled service and pension records for Confederate soldiers, musters and payrolls.

    • Service Records
    • Union Soldiers

      There is no master index to Civil War service records but there is a separate index by name for each state. Service Records for Union soldiers include all of the prior information along with these possible additions:

    • Date of Rank changes, date-place-nature of Discharge,
      Voluntary Enlistment Information which may have
      [Age, Place of Birth, Occupation, Personal Description],
      Injury Information [Age, Marital Status, Place of Residence,
      Date and Nature of Injury], Casualty Information [Date and Place of Death]
      •

      Draft records and Service Histories may also be available along with Burial Records and Headstone Applications. Headstone applications from 1879 to 1903 are arranged chronologically by State and County of burial.

      Confederate Soldiers

      Service records are available, although they may be as detailed. There are three indexes:

      • Records Filed by State
        Records for Troops in Non-State Organizations
        Officers and Enlisted Personnel - Job Related

      There is a consolidated index (alphabetical by Name) and an index by State.

      Service Records for the Confederate soldiers are available though your local LDS Family History Center. Service Records for both Confederate and Union soldiers are available though the National Archives and Records.

    • Veteran's Benefits

    Union Soldiers

    Pension Applications are the most widely available source of information. Two Indexes are available. An alphabetical Name index and an Organizational index.

    Confederate Soldiers

    Pension Records for Union soldiers are available though the National Archives and Records.

  • An excellent source of information is:

    • American Civil War Page

  • with links to many detailed roster lists plus much more.

    • Spanish War

  • Service Records are available for this time period. There is a master Name index and an index for Federal and State's volunteer Organizations. Pension Records are also available.

    Records are available though your local LDS Family History Center.

    • 20th Century

  • Records for this period have limited access. Most information will be provided with the written consent of the veteran or their next of kin.

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    This Page Was Last Updated On: Friday, 06-Apr-2018 17:41:48 MDT