Abraham Baker, Lt., 6 Regiment Virginia Milia (Roll 9 Image 47)
Daniel Baldridge, 2 Regiment (Zumalts'), Ohio Militia (Roll 9 Image 1412)
Benjamin Baldwin, Sergeant, Lieut. Guttery's Mtd. Co., Ohio Militia (Roll 9 Image 1486)

John Benham, Pvt, Adams' Regt (1812) Ohio Militia (Roll 15, Image 815) or
John Benham, Ensign 2 Regiment (Zumwalt's) Ohio Militia (Roll 15, Image 820)
David Bennett, Sergeant, 1 Regiment (Delong's) Ohio Militia (Roll 15, Image 2481)

INTRODUCTION

On the 234 roles of this microfilm publication is reproduced an alphabetical card index to the compiled service records of volunteer soldiers who served during the War of 1812. Each index card gives the name of a soldier, his rank, and the unit or units in which he served. There are cross-references for names that appeared in the records under more than one spelling.

The supposedly correct name or a soldier who served during the War of 1812 may not appear in the index for several reasons. First, he may have served in the Regular Army. Second, he may have served under a different name or used a different spelling of his name. Third, a proper record of his service may not have been made; or, if made, it may have been lost or destroyed in the confusion that often attended the initial mobilization, subsequent military operations, and disbandment of troops. Fourth, the references to the soldier in the original records may have been so vague that it was not practicable to determine his correct name or the unit in which he served.

The compiled service records to which the index applies consist of a jacket-envelope for each soldier, labeled with his name and containing (1) card abstracts of entries relating to the soldier as found primarily in original muster rolls and payrolls, but occasionally in other records such as returns and inspection reports; and (2) the originals of any papers relating solely to the particular soldier. A typical example of a compiled service record is filmed at the beginning of the index.

Most of the compiled service records are arranged alphabetically by State or Territory. The remainder are for units that were not limited to any one State or Territory; among them are U.S. Volunteers and Indians. The records are further arranged according to an organizational breakdown ending with the regiment or the independent battalion or company. Under each unit the service records are arranged alphabetically by surname of soldier. Unless the unit in which a soldier served is known, his compiled service record can be located only through the use of an index, such as the one reproduced here, which gives the name of the unit in which he served.

The compilation of service records of volunteer soldiers of the War of 1812 was begun in 1895 under the direction of Col. Fred. C. Ainsworth, head of the Record and Pension Office of the War Department. The abstracts made from the original records were verified by a separate operation of comparison, and great care was taken to ensure that the abstracts and the indexes were accurate.

Reproductions of specific compiled service records corresponding to entries in the index reproduced in this microcopy may be obtained from the National Archives for a fee. Requests for such reproductions should give the State, regiment or battalion, and company for each soldier, exactly as shown in the index.

The index here reproduced is part of Record Group 94, Record of the Adjutant General's Office. In the same record group are indexes for soldiers who served in units furnished by a single State or Territory and indexes for soldiers who served in organizations that were not limited to a single State or Territory. Each of these indexes, composed of cards that duplicate the ones reproduced in this microcopy, is arranged alphabetically by name of soldier. Microfilm publications of two "State" indexes have been issued (Louisiana and North Carolina, reproduced as Microcopies 229 and 250, respectively).

The National Archives has other records that contain information about soldiers who served in the War of 1812. Information relating to soldiers who served in the Regular Army is recorded in Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914 (reproduced as Microcopy 233) and in other records of the Adjutant General's office. If an application for a pension or a bounty-land warrant was made, additional information about the soldier may be among the pension and bounty-land warrant application files of the Veterans Administration in Record Group 15.