Source Information
Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida During the Florida Indian Wars, 1835–1858. Microfilm M1086, 63 rolls. NAID: 300395. Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780’s–1917; Record Group 94. The National Archives at Washington, D.C.
About Florida, U.S., Compiled Service Records, Florida Indian Wars, 1835-1858
This database contains compiled service records (CSRs) for volunteer soldiers who served with Florida military units during the Florida Indian Wars, 1835–1858.
Historical Background
The Florida Indian Wars that led to the compiled service records (CSRs) in this database stemmed from Native Americans’ resistance against encroachment on their lands and efforts to resettle them in lands to the west. Records in this database relate to three different wars or military actions. In the Second Creek War, only one unit of Florida volunteers mustered, which served for 11 days in the spring of 1839. The bulk of men listed in this database served in the Florida War (or Second Seminole War) between 1835 and 1842. About 700 Florida volunteers served in the Third Seminole War (1855–1858).
Troops were mustered on both a state and a federal level. However, the men listed in these records were volunteers in Florida units.
What You Can Find in the Records
Compiled service records consist of cards that record information about a soldier extracted from muster rolls, payrolls, regimental returns, and other lists. A new card was created each time a soldier’s name appeared on a new document. CSRs in this database typically include such details as name, rank, unit, term of service, time and place of enlistment, promotions or demotions. Some may include details on leave, death, or equipment.
NARA notes that this collection should not be considered a comprehensive collection of records for all volunteers who served during the Florida Indian Wars. A soldier will not appear among the records if (1) he belonged to a unit from another state or was Regular Army, (2) a record was not made or was lost or destroyed, or (3) references to his service were too vague to create a CSR identifying him by name and/or unit.
For more information on these records, consult NARA publication M1086, “Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida During the Florida Indian Wars, 1835–1858,” which provided most of the background for this description.
