Source Information

Ancestry.com. U.S., Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Original data:

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About U.S., Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914

This database contains a register of enlistments in the U.S. Regular Army from 1798-1914. The Regular Army is comprised of career soldiers and maintained through peacetime. Therefore, this database will not usually include individuals who enlisted as part of a reserve or during wartime for limited periods of time, or in a military unit raised by a state. Data in these registers was compiled from a variety of other military records, including enlistment papers, muster rolls, and unit records. Information listed on these records includes:

  • Name of enlistee

  • Age at time of enlistment

  • Birthplace

  • Date of enlistment

  • Enlistment place

  • Occupation

  • Physical description (eye color, hair color, complexion, and height)

  • Rank, company, and regiment

  • Date and cause of discharge

  • Remarks

Note: some of this information be only be obtained by viewing the register image. Also, the register images are usually two pages long. When viewing an image, be sure to scroll all the way to the right in order to see all pages that are part of that record.

These records are arranged chronologically and alphabetically according to first letter of the surname.