military records
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The benefits and significance of Ohio military records in genealogical research for ancestors who have been veterans are apparent but Ohio military records can also be beneficial to researchers whose primary ancestors just weren’t soldiers in any war. A result of the amount of genealogical information and facts included in a number of Ohio military pension records they ought to never be overlooked during the research process.

The FHL and other genealogical libraries have extensive published, microfilmed, and indexed Ohio military records available to researchers. Bell’s Ohio Guide to Genealogical Sources lists many of those holdings, which include records from all of the following conflicts: Civil War, Mexican War, American Revolution, War of 1812, Spanish-American War, World War I.

Ohio is also home to many Loyalist records. Many of them can be found in Oxford, Ohio at Miami University. Others can be found at the University of Cincinnati’s Blegen Library, and at the Ohio Historical Society.

State pensions were not given in the state of Ohio. However, there are records available for all those who served in the military from Ohio for the time period from the War of 1812 through the Vietnam War. Those records can be found at the Ohio Adjutant General’s Department. The collection there includes only records from wars and is not indexed or published. National pension record information cannot be found there. The FHL holds a microfilmed index of Civil War records.

Service record information can be obtained by researchers at no charge. However, researchers can get more information by supplying the full name, date of birth, and other relevant information on the person in question. War of 1812 records are incomplete. Those records included names, units, and ranks. World War II or Korean records are easier to find if a service number is known. A social security number is required in order to access Vietnam records.

Several regimental histories from the Civil War can be found at the Ohio Historical Society. They are available for purchase. A roster of Ohio soldiers in the War of 1812 can also be found at the Ohio Historical Society. Its online database lists 1,759 officers, as well as 24,521 enlisted men. The Ohio Historical Society’s “Graves Registration File” also included hundreds of reels of microfilm with veteran burial locations for the state from the time of the Vietnam War. The microfilmed cards list war service, state, death date, burial location, and sometimes other information. Researchers can ask the Ohio State Historical Society to search those records, but a fee must be paid for the service.

County level military records may include burial information or discharge paperwork.

Ohio in the Revolutionary War

Revolutionary War Website Links

Ohio in the War of 1812

War of 1812 Website Links

Ohio in the Civil War

Civil War Website Links