Military Records

              T
Jesse White • Secretary of State and State Archivist
ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES
Genealogical Research Series Pamphlet No. 3
HIS PAMPHLET IS ONE IN A SERIES DESIGNED TO ASSIST THE GENEALOGICAL RESEARCHER
in using the most pertinent of related federal, state, and local governmental records in the
possession of the Illinois State Archives and its Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
system. Related state and federal records of military eligibility, service, benefit receipt
(including veterans’ home residence), and burial site location are the subjects of this pamphlet.
The Archives welcomes visiting patrons as well as those persons wishing to contact its
reference staff by mail, telephone, fax or e-mail. The Archives will provide, if located, an
uncertified and unofficial photocopy of a requested record. Because of limitations on staff
research time, the Archives can do no more than two searches per inquiry. Send inquiries to:
Illinois State Archives, Reference Unit, Norton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62756.
Telephone: (217) 782-3553. Fax: (217) 524-3930. E-mail: dmorse@ilsos.net
WAR VETERANS BURIALS (1774–1955)
The Honor Roll of Veterans Buried in Illinois (Springfield 1956) was published on the
instructions of the General Assembly. It covers the years 1774–1955. Entries for Illinois
servicemen who saw war service and who were buried in Illinois include the veteran’s name,
rank, service branch, war served in, unit or organization, date of death, cemetery name and
county location, and occasionally the grave location within the cemetery. (The Illinois
Department of Veterans’ Affairs maintains a record of all Illinois war veterans buried after
1955. The researcher may write this office at 833 S. Spring Street, P.O. Box 19432,
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9432 for further information.)
RESEARCHING ON YOUR OWN
The State Archives houses an index arranged alphabetically by veterans’ surnames for the
years 1774–1898. This index includes all the information found in the Honor Roll as well as
dates of enlistment and discharge. For the years 1899–1955, the published Honor Roll is
arranged alphabetically by county and then alphabetically by the names of cemeteries within
counties. If the genealogist is unaware of the county of burial, Archives staff will contact the
Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs to request a search of that department’s name
indexes to the Honor Roll for the years 1899–1955.
MAIL, TELEPHONE AND INTERNET REQUESTS
The Archives requires the veteran’s complete name, war of service, date of death, and after
1898 the county where buried, for an effective search. For veterans of wars prior to 1899, a
copy of the index card will be provided if one is located. If the veteran died after 1898 a copy
from the published Honor Roll will be sent if located.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR (1776–1783)
The State Archives has acquired from the National Archives the Revolutionary War Pension
and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, 1800–1900 (RS 955.001), on 898 rolls of
microfilm. Applications include the veteran’s name, rank, military unit, period of service,
residence, birthplace, date of birth or age, and if the claim was based on need, a listing of
property owned. For widows and heirs applications also include marriage date and place and
the veteran’s date and place of death. In these instances supporting documentation such as
affidavits of witnesses, discharge papers, and marriage and birth certificates may be
included.
#3:1
Military Records