Carded Medical Records for Soldiers in the U.S. Army, 1821–1912

Carded medical records for the Regular Army (1821–1884) are found in Entry PI-17 529 in Record Group 94 (National Archives Identifier 655638). Records can include the following information:

• Soldier’s name, rank, and organization
• Nature of complaint
• Date of admittance and name of military hospital
• Date returned to duty, deserted, discharged, sent to a general hospital, furloughed, or died
• Remarks
• References to the original hospital record

Cards cover enlisted men and noncommissioned personnel. Cards for commissioned officers are filed with their military service records.

Arrangement

Records are arranged first by the regiment number, then by the type of unit, and then by the initial letter of the soldier’s surname.

Regimental designations are followed by Ordnance, Engineers, Signal Corps, Scouts, and miscellaneous personnel (including recruits, prisoners, service troops, and the General Mounted Service).

Carded medical records for the Regular Army (1894–1912) are found in Entry PI-17 530 in Record Group 94 (National Archives Identifier 655639). Records can provide the following information:

• Soldier’s name, rank, and organization
• Age
• Race
• Birthplace
• Date entered service
• Date of disposition
• Nature of complaint
• Date of admittance and name of military hospital
• Date returned to duty, deserted, discharged, sent to a general hospital, furloughed, or died
• Remarks
• References to the original hospital record

Arrangement

Records are arranged first by the arm of service, then by the regiment number, and then by the initial letter of the soldier’s surname.

Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery regiments are followed by Coast and Field Artillery batteries, Philippine Scouts, Prisoners, Engineers, Ordnance, Signal Corps, Service School Detachment, Navy, Marines, Transports, men on duty at West Point, the Hospital Corps, and miscellaneous personnel.

Carded medical records for Volunteers from the Mexican and Civil Wars are found in Entry PI-17 534 in Record Group 94 (National Archives Identifier 655646).

Similar in nature to the Regular Army cards, these cards provide the following information:

• Soldier’s name, rank, and organization
• Nature of complaint
• Date admitted and name of military hospital
• Date returned to duty, deserted, discharged, sent to a general hospital, furloughed, or died
• Remarks
• Reference to the original hospital record

Arrangement

Records are arranged first by the state, then by the numerical designation of organization, and thereunder by the initial letter of the soldier’s surname. Mexican War records for each organization follow those of the Civil War.

U.S. Colored Troops and Veteran Reserve Corps are included in the alphabetical file, which is followed by miscellaneous personnel (persons whose organizations were apparently unknown); teamsters, laborers, and other employees and civilians; prisoners; recruits, substitutes, drafted, and unassigned; and persons belonging to named organizations (no state designations).

Note: Carded medical records for Volunteers from the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection are filed with the compiled military service records for those conflicts.