Nebraska State Genealogical Society

Another joint project by Ancestry.com and Nebraska State Genealogical Society is to digitize the Military Outpost Personnel Reports for the military forts and posts in Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma between 1800 to 1916.  During this 116 year period, the military posts created records or reports from dealings with the locals, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, and farmers who supplied animals and produce for the outposts.  The returns contain many monthly reports such as men present, absent, sick, or on extra or daily duty, and those under arrest.  Other reports may include infromation relating the establishment or abandonment of the post.

These Military Post Returns were prepared primarily by the Commanding Officer of each post as required by Army regulations. They are a personnel report prepared as often as monthly for the soldiers assigned to each post. Most are handwritten reports based on or drawn to match printed reports. Basically, these reports were designed to show units that were stationed at a particular post and their strength, the names and duties of the officers, the number of officers present and absent, a listing of official communications received and a record of events. 

We will be keying the names of the personnel present on these reports along with their numbers and letters of their unit, rank and dates of arrival as recorded in the return.

These records are located on the National Archives Microfilm Publication M617

You can participate in this project at http://community.ancestry.com/wap/download.aspx?st=t