New to Military Research? — A 3-Step Guide

Start here. This quick path works across conflicts and helps you move from an index to the full file and burial. Jefferson County men served in units such as the 8th Pennsylvania Reserves (“Jefferson Rifles”), the 105th (“Wildcat” Regiment), the 149th, and others.

  1. Find the service unit or registration.
    Use the conflict sections below. For WWI/WWII, start with draft cards/enlistments; for earlier wars, use state rosters & compiled service records.
    Revolutionary War · Civil War · Mexican & Spanish–American · 20th Century
  2. Get the full service or pension file.
    Indexes are just the door — files can include affidavits, dependents, and residence details.
    Order from NARA (service & pensions) · Fold3 (digitized collections; subscription) · Pennsylvania State Archives (military records)
  3. Confirm burial & headstone.
    Headstone applications and interment registers tie the veteran to a place and next-of-kin.
    Jefferson Headstone Applications · U.S. Army Interments, 1827–1889 · Jefferson County Cemeteries
Pro Tip: After you identify a unit, search newspapers for company letters (“Co. D”), camp names, and casualty lists. Then map residences with our historic maps to follow the family between conflicts.
PA Records by War — quick reference

Birth ranges, typical service years, and go-to record types by conflict.

War / Conflict Typical Birth Years Service Years Go-to Records
Revolutionary War c. 1726–1767 1775–1783 Pensions, bounty-land, militia rolls, compiled service records
Civil War c. 1811–1848 1861–1865 PA regimental rosters, CMSR, pensions, GAR posts, 1890 Veterans & Widows Schedule
Mexican & Spanish–American c. 1828–1882 1846–1848 · 1898–1899 Adjutant returns, muster rolls, service cards; newspapers
20th Century (WWI/WWII & later) c. 1872–1907 1917–1918 · 1941–1945 Draft cards, enlistments, hospitals & veteran-home ledgers, headstone apps, honor rolls

Need state-level militia or National Guard material? See the Pennsylvania State Archives Military Records.

Getting the Full Service or Pension File

Indexes and abstracts are a starting point. The complete files often include affidavits, dependents, and residence clues.

Jefferson PDFs (auto-updating)

This list pulls from our PDF Index; it auto-updates as we add new scans. Prefer browsing everything? Visit the PDF Index or the file directory.

Pennsylvania Archives — Key Military Series

The Pennsylvania State Archives hosts statewide military material that often names Jefferson County men in militia lists, bounty-land files, adjutant returns, and compiled rosters. Use these alongside federal files.

Tip: Names can appear under neighboring counties; check Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, and Indiana for men who moved.

Local Regiments — Jefferson County Connections

Show regiment list
RegimentCompanyNotes
8th PA Reserves (37th Infantry)Co. G“Jefferson Rifles” — recruited Brookville area
105th PA Infantry (“Wildcat”)Co. HRecruited Jefferson & Clarion
149th PA InfantryCo. IJefferson County volunteers
191st PA InfantryCo. B & GMen from Jefferson & Clearfield
57th & 62nd PA InfantryVariousPartial Jefferson enlistments
13th PA CavalryVariousPunxsutawney enlistments

Pair these with the Civil War section and the 1890 Veterans & Widows Schedule (Jefferson).

National Guard & Militia (State-Level)

For state service outside federal wartime mobilizations, consult Adjutant General reports, service cards, and county muster rolls. These often name residence, company, and term of service.

Tip: If a resident appears in Guard records but not federal files, follow local newspapers for encampments and orders.

Women & Medical Service

Women from Jefferson County served as nurses, aides, and Red Cross volunteers. Hospital and veteran-home registers also document male and female staff and patients with local residence clues.

Also see 20th Century for WWI/WWII nurse and hospital resources.

Revolutionary War

Jefferson County did not yet exist during the Revolution, but many early settlers descended from soldiers who served in Pennsylvania or New England regiments. Pensions, bounty-land warrants, and militia rolls can link those ancestors to later families who migrated west into Jefferson County after 1800.

War of 1812

Pensions and Pennsylvania militia records identify service, residence, and bounty-land claims. Trace men who later moved into Jefferson County.

Civil War

Jefferson County furnished hundreds of men to Pennsylvania volunteer regiments. Local companies formed within the 8th PA Reserves, 105th, 121st, and 149th Infantry, as well as state militia and artillery units. Use these records to locate enlistment dates, pension applications, and the 1890 Veterans Schedule that lists surviving soldiers and widows living in the county.

Tip: Combine regimental histories with the 1890 Veterans & Widows schedule to place soldiers in specific townships.

Spanish–American War & Mexican War

Jefferson County residents served in the 1846–1848 Mexican War and the 1898 Spanish–American War as part of Pennsylvania National Guard and volunteer regiments. Records include state adjutant-general reports, muster rolls, and newspapers.

20th Century (WWI, WWII & later)

Draft registrations and enlistment files reveal birthplace and nearest relative; later sources include hospital registers, veteran-home ledgers, and headstone applications. Local honor rolls were compiled in Brookville, Punxsutawney, and area newspapers.

Tip: Hospital registers and veteran-home ledgers can reveal residence, next-of-kin, and prior service not obvious from draft cards.

Burials & Headstones

Veterans from all periods rest in Jefferson County’s cemeteries and in national cemeteries across the U.S. Use Headstone Applications and interment registers to confirm burial place, unit, and next of kin.

Tip: If the headstone app lists a different state or national cemetery, search that cemetery’s interment registers for fuller details.

GAR Posts & Veterans’ Homes / Hospitals

Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) posts existed in Brookville, Punxsutawney, and Reynoldsville; minutes and membership lists can name residences and units. Search PA GAR Records (FamilySearch).

Veterans’ Homes & Hospitals (federal and state) include admission registers with next-of-kin and prior service. See the Naval Hospitals registers and Homes for Disabled Veterans.

United States Military Old Soldiers Home Records Soldier Home Registers provide a snapshot of veterans’ lives, organized into three sections: military service (enlistment, rank, unit, discharge), personal background (birthplace, age, occupation, family details), and residency at the home (pension status, admission and discharge dates, death, and burial). These records offer rich insights into the lives of those who served. United States Military Old Soldiers Home Records - FamilySearch

FamilySearch Catalog — Jefferson County Military

Note: Many catalog items have image access only when signed in (and sometimes at a FamilySearch Affiliate Library).

Repositories & Local Sources

Note: Before traveling, contact each repository for hours and policies. Many archives can provide copies or digital scans on request.

Contribute Military Material

Do you have unit rosters, letters, plaque photos, or program books that name Jefferson County veterans? We welcome scans and transcripts. Email the coordinator (see footer) with files (.pdf/.jpg/.png) and a short description.