United States, Index to Service Records, War with Spain, 1898

What is in This Collection?

The collection consists of a name index for the year 1898 to the compiled military service records of volunteer soldiers who served during the War with Spain. The compiled service records are abstracts from original muster rolls and pay rolls and other records from the War with Spain, see rolls 82-87. The records are a part of Record Group 94 Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917. The service files are located in the National Archives and have not been filmed with the exception of Florida. Search the browse images to locate the index card for your ancestor. It will identify the company and regiment of service. The "See Also" section may identify additional service.

• Indexes to the Carded Records of Soldiers Who Served in Volunteer Organizations During the Spanish-American War, 1899–1927
• Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Volunteer Organizations During the Spanish-American War, 1899–1927 RG 94 Records of the Adjutant General's Office

Interest in the Spanish-American War is increasing. The number of participants was small compared to the number who served in the Civil War and World War II. The smaller numbers are in part due to the short length of the Spanish-American War, which ended before many soldiers had even been transported to the war zone. But for the many Americans whose families came to the United States during the mass immigrations of the 1880s and 1890s, the Spanish-American War records are the first military records they can research.

Pension records were carefully compiled on grounds of injury, illness, or disability (and later on age) and often included:

• Application forms
• Branch of service
• Rank
• Military organization
• Proof of marriage
• Proof of children's births
• Summary of military service
• Death certificates

Service records document an individual’s involvement with the military and can be used for proving military service, or as a valuable tool in genealogical research. Records from the Spanish-American War are generally much more descriptive, complete, and accurate than those from earlier wars. Name spelling became more uniform and literacy more common. These improvements make it easier to locate birth dates, family members, and other important genealogical information. Additional military records will be can be located at the National Archives from the following coverage table. Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Related National Archives Collections

• United States, National Archives, Military Records of the Spanish-American War, 1898 NARA Finding Aid
• Regimental and Company Books of Spanish-American War Volunteer Organizations, 1898 - 1898 NAID 654694
• Carded Medical Records of Deceased Men in the War With Spain, 1898–1898 NAID 655653
• Papers of Individual Enlisted Men in the Hospital Corps During the War with Spain and the Philippine Insurrection, 1898–1899 NAID 5557967
• Lists of Officers, Soldiers, and Civilians Who Died During the War With Spain, 1898–1899 NAID 617059
• Returns of Spanish-American War Medical Officers, 1898–1901 NAID 1224998
• Quartermaster Dept. Philadelphia Depot. Correspondence Relating to Burial Expenses for Deceased Soldiers, 1898–1901 NAID 654888

Other Related Collections

• Indiana National Guard War with Spain
• Massachusetts Volunteer Aid Association During the War with Spain
• Official Records of the Oregon Volunteers Spanish War and Philippine Insurrection
• Rhode Island in the War with Spain...

Related Collections 1st Volunteer Cavalry - "Rough Riders"

• War Department. Cuban Expeditionary Force. 1st Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. 5.1898- 8.8.1898
• United States, National Archives, First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry (Rough Riders), Compiled Service Records - NARA Finding Aid
• Compiled Military Service Record of Theodore Roosevelt NAID 595275
• Report of Operations, 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, July 1 to 17, 1898. NAID 301978
• Casualty List, Rough Riders, July 1 - 3, 1898. Attachment to Report of Operations NARA NAID 301979 Digital Images

Publications

• Edward Marshall. The Story of the Rough Riders. 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry. The Regiment in Camp and on the Battle Field. New York: G.W. Dillingham Co., Publishers, 1899.
• Theodore Roosevelt. The Rough Riders. A History of the First United States Volunteer Cavalry. Philadelphia: Gebbie and Company, 1903.
• The Arizona Rough Rider Monument and Captain W.O. O'Neill Prescott, Arizona : Prescott Evening Courier, 1928?
• Rhode Island in the War with Spain...

Tip: Copies of compiled military service records are available from the National Archives. To request copies see: Requesting Pre-WWI Service Records

To Browse This Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for United States, Index to Service Records, War with Spain, 1898.

Tip: This collection contains searchable content in the NARA Catalog. They can be accessed by clicking on the National Archives identifier in the Record Description. Once inside the Catalog, click on the "Search Within This Series".

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Entries that refer to miscellaneous personal papers have no corresponding compiled service records. The papers themselves follow the jacket envelopes for most units. See the FamilySearch Catalog for complete information on film numbers.

Collection Content

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