GENEALOGICAL RECORDS OF THE WAR OF 1812, PART II

6. Regimental & county histories
7. Lists of impressed seamen
8. Records of prisoners of war, enemy aliens, and privateers
9. Courts-martial records
10. Discharge papers

Regimental & County Histories. Histories in book form exist for some state and U.S. regiments that served in the War of 1812. Adjutant-general rosters for the various states often provide a brief history of a regiment as well as a roster for the regiment. St. Louis Public Library owns histories in book form for various regiments from various states. County histories often list soldiers from that county who participated in various wars, including the War of 1812, and biographical sketches in such books often mention ancestors who participated in the the American Revolution and the War of 1812. We own book histories of the "Goodspeed" type for most counties in Missouri and Illinois, and for some counties in many other states east of the Mississippi River.

Some county histories and regimental histories have been digitized--try Google Books, the Internet Archive, or the HathiTrust for subjects of interest.

Lists of Impressed Seamen. One of the factors contributing to the outbreak of the War of 1812 was the involuntary impressment of American sailors and merchant seamen by British press gangs. Two NARA microfilm publications contain lists of impressed seamen: Registers of Applications for the Release of Impressed Seamen, 1793-1802, and Related Indexes [M2025- 1 roll]; and Miscellaneous Lists and Papers Regarding Impressed Seamen, 1796-1814 [M1839- 1 roll]. St. Louis Public Library doesn't own either of these items, but we can get them for interested cardholders through Interlibrary Loan [NARA microfilm sets are also available through the Mormon Church, and sometimes from a state archives or state historical society].

You can also check subscription services Ancestry.com and Fold3.com to see if War of 1812 impressment records of interest have been digitized.

Records of Prisoners of War, Enemy Aliens, and Privateers. A War of 1812 soldier's Compiled Military Service Record may indicate that he was a prisoner of war during his time in the military. The microfilm set "War of 1812 Papers" of the Department of State, 1789-1815 [NARA series M588- 7 rolls] includes material on War of 1812 prisoners of war and on the registration of enemy aliens [British citizens living in the United States during the War of 1812]. Set contents include: Roll 1- Letters Concerning Letters of Marque and Enemy Aliens, 1812-1814; Roll 2- U.S. Marshal's Returns of Enemy Aliens and Prisoners of War, 1812-1815 [Part I]; Roll 3- - U.S. Marshal's Returns of Enemy Aliens and Prisoners of War, 1812-1815 [Part II]; Roll 4- Requests for Permission to Sail From the U.S., and Passenger Lists of Outgoing Vessels, 1812-1814; Roll 5- Correspondence Regarding Passports, 1812-1814; Roll 6- Agreements for Exchange of Prisoners of War, 1812-1813 & Miscellaneous Letters Received Concerning Prisoners of War, 1812-1815; and Roll 7- Miscellaneous Intercepted Correspondence, 1798-1814.

You can also check subscription services Ancestry.com and Fold3.com to see if War of 1812 prisoner records of interest have been digitized.

Courts-martial Records. A War of 1812 soldier's Compiled Military Service Record may indicate that he was subject to a courts-martial during his time in the military. Proceedings of general courts-martial against both regular and volunteer War of 1812 soldiers are located in the Records of the Judge Advocate General [NARA Record Group 153]. Proceedings of general courts-martial against War of 1812 sailors and marines can be found in the Records of the General Courts-Martial and Courts of Inquiry of the Navy Department, 1799-1867 [NARA series M273- 198 rolls].

You can also check subscription services Ancestry.com and Fold3.com to see if War of 1812 courts-martial records of interest have been digitized.

Discharge Papers. Discharge papers for an War of 1812 veteran of the U.S. Army, Navy, or Marine Corps may sometimes be found in his bounty land application file (housed at NARA-Washington, DC). The Records of the Adjutant General's Office [NARA Record Group 94] include some surgeons' certificates of disability issued to regular army soldiers during the War of 1812 [not microfilmed].

You can also check subscription services Ancestry.com and Fold3.com to see if War of 1812 bounty land records or surgeons' certificates have been digitized.