Enlisted Indian Scouts Registers of Enlistment and Carded Medical Records

U.S. Army records can provide information on both enlisted Indian scouts and Regular Army soldiers. The Army created registers of enlistments and carded medical records about many individuals who served regardless of their nationality.

Registers of Enlistment in the U.S. Army, 1798–1914

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Register of Enlistments for the 20th U.S. Infantry

National Archives Identifier 575272

Registers of enlistment can include a scout’s:

• Name
• Birthplace
• Age
• Physical description
• Term of service
• Date and place of discharge (including whether a scout died in service)

• Rank

The registers do not necessarily provide this information for all individuals. Multiple enlistment pages may be found if a person enlisted multiple times. Visit the National Archives Catalog for the full archival records description: National Archives Identifier 575272.

Prior to digitization, the registers were accessible via microfilm publication, M233, Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798–1914. Microfilm rolls 70 and 71, covering 1866 to 1914, exclusively pertain to enlisted Indian scouts.

The registers are now available online through Ancestry.com (database title: "U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798–1914"), FamilySearch.org (database title: "United States Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798–1914"), and Fold3.com (database title: "Army Register of Enlistments, 1798–1914").

For questions related to the registers, please contact the Archives 1 Reference Branch in Washington, DC.

Carded Medical Records for the Regular Army

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Carded Medical Record of Antonio, an Indian scout

National Archives Identifier 655638

Carded medical records describe Indian scouts who were admitted to hospitals for treatment during their service. A new card was created each time a hospital treated a scout.

Cards usually include the following information:

• Name
• Rank or organization
• Age
• Race
• Birthplace
• Date entered service
• Cause and date of admission
• Hospital

• Disposition of case

Knowing the scout's name and the general time period in which he served will enable a more successful search of these records.

These records have not yet been digitized. Visit the National Archives Catalog for full archival records descriptions: National Archives Identifiers 655638 and 655639. 

For more information, see Carded Medical Records for Soldiers in the U.S. Army, 1821–1912.

For questions related to carded medical records, please contact the Archives 1 Reference Branch in Washington, DC.