How Do I Order Records from the National Archives for My Soldier?

Here's the summary of what we're saying: In order to find most any records at the National Archives, we need an index entry first. The indexes are in the blue boxes at the bottom of the page. Read on for more details though!

The National Archives in Washington, DC is an incredible place. It’s home to millions of original military and land records from the 1800s, and there’s a very real chance your ancestors have files there.

The way it operates may be different than you expect. It’s not set up like a public library where we can wander through the aisles and pull down a box with your ancestor’s name neatly written on the side.

Instead, because many of these records are hundreds of years old, they're stored in secure areas. The National Archives staff are the ones that find the files and bring them to us.

With millions of soldiers’ records housed there, trying to locate the right one without an index would be like searching the census records for “William Johnson” with no state, no county, and no age. Almost impossible, right?

That’s why finding them in the index matters. Before placing most orders, you’ll need the correct index entry for your ancestor. Without it, the National Archives staff would have no way of knowing which file to pull.

The guides below show you exactly which indexes to check for each war so you can narrow things down confidently before ordering.

In other words, the right index entry has to come first. Once that’s in place, we’re here to help you get the records!

If you're looking for pricing, all current rates are listed on the Place an Order page. (You can browse through there without placing an order)

Still have questions? I have a question that's not addressed here

Choose the war below. Each section has the relevant indexes plus help to order records or request help.