Kentucky's Military History
"Daniel Boone," by Chester Harding; National Portrait Gallery
Kentucky's military story reaches back to the earliest frontier clashes and continues through every major conflict. Kentucky families sent soldiers, scouts, militiamen, and volunteers into battles that shaped both the state and the nation. This project brings together resources for tracing Kentuckians who served in early conflicts. Each section includes a brief history of Kentucky's involvement in the conflict, additional resources for understanding context, and links to resources for service records, pension indexes, regimental histories, unit rosters, cemetery information, and county-level materials contributed by researchers. They can help you to identify your ancestor, and connect him/her to the larger history of the Commonwealth.
Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
- History - Kentucky did not yet exist when the war began, except as part of the unorganized western territory of the colony of Virginia; yet the area's settlers played a crucial role in the American Revolution.
- Resources
Northwest Indian War (1784-1795)
- History - While Congress tried to rebuild an army they had disbanded the year before, the help of the Kentucky Militia was essential to the government's attempts to demonstrate U.S. sovereignty and bring peace to the Western Territories.
- Resources
War of 1812 (1812-1815)
- History
- Resources
Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
- History
- Resources
Civil War (1861-1865)
- History
- Resources
World War I (1914-1918)
- Casualties - USGWArchives