Why Military Records Matter
Military records can provide critical genealogical details, including age, residence, physical description, family members, and post-service benefits. For many families, military service is documented more thoroughly than any other aspect of an ancestor's life. Items in Bold below are on-site.
Frontier conflicts & Early Militia History
Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
- FamilySearch - Revolutionary War Service Records
- Ancestry - Revolutionary War Rolls
- Fold3 - Revolutionary War Records
- Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Genealogy
War of 1812
Civil War (1861-1865)
Kentucky was a border state during the Civil War, and individuals from Meade County may have served in Union or Confederate units.
- FamilySearch - U.S. Civil War Service Records
- Fold3 - Civil War Records
- Ancestry - Civil War Soldiers and Sailors
- National Park Service - Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database
World Wars and 20th Century Conflicts
- FamilySearch - World War I Draft Registration Cards
- FamilySearch - World War II Draft Registration Cards
- Fold3 - World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam
- Ancestry - U.S. Military Records
Pension and Bounty Land Records
- FamilySearch - U.S. Pension Records
- Fold3 - U.S. Pension Files
- National Archives - Military Service and Pension Records
Research Tips
Military service may appear in census records, probate files, and land records (especially bounty land). Always search for widows'and dependents' pension files, which often contain extensive genealogical evidence.
Because Meade County was formed in 1823, earlier service records may list an ancestor under a parent county or a different residence entirely.