Utah Military Records: Wars and Conflicts

This guide lists military records relevant to various wars and conflicts and provides some historical background for those events, especially as they affected the collection and preservation of records. See Military Discharge and Benefit Records for information on those records that may provide proof of military service. The Military Service Records guide is a list organized by creator. Read how the Utah State Archives acquired its military records with the overview of the Military Records Collection from 1942 to about 1965.

Utah Territorial Militia (Nauvoo Legion) and Indian Wars

A heritage of the Mormon settlers' time in Illinois, the Nauvoo Legion was designated to serve as the territorial militia in the 1851 Laws of Utah, published in 1852:

Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the Governor and Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah, That the Militia of the Territory of Utah shall consist of one legion, to be called the Nauvoo legion.
Acts Resolutions and Memorials Passed by the First Annual and Special Sessions of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah, 1851

The Territorial Militia Records, Series 2210, however begin in 1849 when the Nauvoo Legion was reconstituted under the State of Deseret.

The members of the Nauvoo Legion were called to service in conflicts such as the Utah War, 1857-58, and between settlers and Indians (including the Black Hawk War, 1865-72). In the early 20th century, veterans of "Indian Wars" were able to claim a pension after providing proof of service with an affidavit submitted to the Commissioner of Indian War Records.

Throughout the 1870's and 1880's, the Nauvoo Legion became entangled in political struggles between territorial officials appointed by the federal government and local (often Mormon) leaders. Finally, in 1887, the Nauvoo Legion was disbanded as part of the Edmunds-Tucker Act (which also affected marriage records).

That all laws passed by the so-called State of Deseret and by the legislative assembly of the Territory of Utah for the organization of the militia thereof or for the creation of the Nauvoo Legion are hereby annulled, and declared of no effect ; and the militia of Utah shall be organized and subjected in all respects to the laws of the United States regulating the militia in the Territories.
Edmunds-Tucker Act, March 1887, 24 Stat. 635
Between that time and the creation of the Utah National Guard in 1894, there was no official territorial militia, though several groups did march in parades and otherwise try to maintain the spirit of a local militia.
State Archives and Records Service  
Territorial Militia Records, 1849-1877, 1905-[1917] Series 2210
Territorial Militia Service Cards, 1850-1880 Series 6195
Commissioner of Indian War Records  
Militia Name List, 1909-1918 Series 6330
Indian Wars Service Affidavits, 1909-1919 Index Series 2217
Secretary of State  
Indian War Veteran Medal Records, 1905-1940 Series 2220
Secretary of the Territory  
Territorial Executive Papers, 1850-1896 Series 241
Board of Examiners  
Indian War Veterans' Fund Records, 1918-1928 Series 323

Civil War, 1861-1865

The Territorial Militia was given federal duty to guard mail and freight routes.

State Archives and Records Service  
Territorial Militia Records, 1849-1877, 1905-[1917] Series 2210

Spanish-American War, 1898

State Archives and Records Service  
Spanish American War Service Cards, 1898-1899 Series 10318
Spanish American War and Philippine Insurrection Service Cards, 1898-1902 Series 24048
Military Service Cards, 1898-1975 Series 85268
National Guard  
Spanish American War and Philippine Insurrection Muster Rolls, 1898-1899 Series 10320
Adjutant General's Records, 1895-1965 Series 6308
Governor (1896-1905 : Wells)  
Spanish American War Scrapbook, 1898-1899 Series 84193

Philippine Insurrection, 1899-1902

National Guard  
Spanish American War and Philippine Insurrection Muster Rolls, 1898-1899 Series 10320
State Archives and Records Service  
Spanish American War and Philippine Insurrection Service Cards, 1898-1902 Series 24048
Military Service Cards, 1898-1975 (few records) Series 85268

Mexican Border Campaign, 1916-1917

State Archives and Records Service  
Mexican Border Campaign Service Cards, 1916-1917 Series 6131
Military Service Cards, 1898-1975 Series 85268
National Guard  
Mexican Border Campaign Records, 1916-1917 Series 6305
Mexican Border Campaign Muster Rolls, 1916-1917 Series 10319
Adjutant General's Records, 1895-1965 Series 6308
Photograph of WWI Soldier (Series 85298)

World War I, 1917-1918

Councils of Defense
Ogden City War Activities Committees records, 1917-1919 Online Series 10324
Tooele County Council of Defense Honor Roll, 1914-1919 Online Series 29647
Washington County Council of Defense records, 1917-1919 Online Series 29641
State Archives and Records Service
World War I Service Records, 1914-1925   Series 2793
Military Service Cards, 1898-1975   Series 85268
Military Separation Forms and Benefit Records, 1917-1979   Series 2794
World War I Draft Board Registers, 1917-1918 Online Series 2229
State Historical Society
World War I Service Questionnaires, 1914-1918 Online Series 85298
World War I Records, 1917-1923 Online Series 6307
World War Military Listings, 1917-1951 Online Series 19959
National Guard
Adjutant General's Records, 1895-1965   Series 6308
145th Field Artillery Scrapbook, 1917-1918 Online Series 10339

World War II, 1941-1945

State Archives and Records Service    
Military Service Cards, 1898-1975   Series 85268
Military Separation Forms and Benefit Records, 1917-1979   Series 2794
Veterans' Educational Benefits Records, 1944-1964   Series 2789
Military Death Certificates, 1941-1953 (servicemen who died overseas) Online Series 3769
State Historical Society    
Selective Service Cards, 1940-1957   Series 85289
World War Military Listings, 1917-1951. Online Series 19959
National Guard    
World War II Records, 1941-1945   Series 10327
Adjutant General's Records, 1895-1965   Series 6308

The National Archives also has publications prepared by the War Department to disseminate information on casualties during the war:

Korean War, 1950-1953

State Archives and Records Service    
Military Separation Forms and Benefit Records, 1917-1979   Series 2794
Military Service Cards, 1898-1975 (few records)   Series 85268
Veterans' Educational Benefits Records, 1944-1964   Series 2789
Military Death Certificates, 1941-1953 (servicemen who died overseas) Online Series 3769
State Historical Society    
Korean War Scrapbooks, 1950-1954   Series 10342
World War Military Listings, 1917-1951 Online Series 19959
National Guard    
Korean Conflict Index, 1950-1954   Series 6109

Vietnam War, 1964-1972

State Archives and Records Service  
Military Service Cards, 1898-1975 (few records) Series 85268

Persian Gulf Conflict, 1990-1991

No records at Utah State Archives

Peacetime

State Historical Society  
Selective Service Cards, 1940-1957 Series 85289
State Archives and Records Service  
Veterans' Educational Benefits Records, 1944-1964 Series 2789
Military Separation Forms and Benefit Records, 1917-1979 Series 2794
Military Service Cards, 1898-1975 (few records) Series 85268
Office of Veterans' Affairs  
Veterans' Case Files, 1973-1979 Series 2255
Discharged Veterans List, 1976-1979 Series 10343
National Guard  
Adjutant General's Records, 1895-1965 Series 6308
Duty Performed Reports, 1926-1941; 1947-1950 Series 6347
Biennial Reports, 1896-1956 Series 10347
Secretary of State  
Public Document Serial Set, 1896-1956 Series 240

Labor Strikes

National Guard  
Carbon County Coal Strike Records, 1903-1904; 1909 Series 6306
Carbon County Firearms Confiscation Correspondence, 1922-1931 Series 10113
Adjutant General's Records, 1895-1965 Series 6308
Biennial Reports, 1896-1956 Series 10347
Secretary of State  
Public Document Serial Set, 1896-1956 Series 240

Burial Listings

State Archives and Records Service  
Veterans' Burial Locations Cards and Forms, ca. 1950-1990 Series 5339
Veterans' Burial Location Data, [territorial]-1986 Series 8490
Veterans with Federal Service Buried in the State of Utah Report, 1965- Series 1560

Sources

"An act to amend an act entitled 'An act to amend section fifty-three hundred and fifty-two of the Revised Statutes of the United States, in reference to bigamy, and for other purposes,' approved March twenty-second, eighteen hundred and eighty-two." [Edmunds-Tucker Act]. United States Statutes at Large, Volume 24, p. 635. Accessed from www.constitution.org/uslaw/sal/sal.htm on November 5, 2009.

Acts, resolutions, and memorials : passed by the first annual, and special sessions, of the Legislative Assembly, of the Territory of Utah, begun and held at Great Salt Lake City, on the 22nd day of September, A.D., 1851 : also the Constitution of the United States, and the act organizing the Territory of Utah. Published by authority of the Legislative Assembly, Great Salt Lake City, 1852, p. 144-159. Accessed from content.lib.utah.edu/u?/uthisstat,448 on November 5, 2009. Also part of Utah State Archives and Records Service, Legislature, Laws of Utah, Series 83155.

Roberts, Richard C. "The Utah National Guard and Territorial Militias," The Utah History Encyclopedia. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1994. Accessed from www.media.utah.edu/UHE/u/UTAHNATIONALGUARD.html on November 5, 2009.

Page Last Updated April 2, 2019.