Texas Adjutant General's Department:

An Inventory of Adjutant General's Department Texas Volunteer Guard Military Rolls (Part I: 1st thru 4th Regiment, Infantry) at the Texas State Archives, 1880-1903, undated

Agency History

The State Guard and Reserve Militia of the Reconstruction era were merged into a simple state militia by the 13th Texas Legislature on March 19, 1873. Although clear enabling legislation cannot be found for the next sixteen years, there is reference to "Volunteer Units" in the Adjutant General's biennial report of 1876; to officers of the "Militia and State Troops" in 1878; to "Texas Volunteer Guards"in 1880; etc.

The Militia Act was approved on April 5, 1889 by the 21st Texas Legislature, Regular Session. This law called for voluntary enlistments for a three-year period, of men in companies which (once approved by the governor) would elect their own officers. To quote Article 3304, "The Texas volunteer guard in time of peace shall consist of one major-general, two brigadier-generals, an adjutant-general's department, an inspector- general's department, a quartermaster's department, a subsistence department, an ordnance department, a medical department, a pay department, a bureau of military justice, and such organizations of artillery, cavalry, and infantry as the commander-in-chief may direct, not to exceed three thousand men rank and file including all departments of the volunteer guard, and which shall be organized into battalions, regiments, brigades, and divisions of suitable size, and changed from time to time as the commander-in-chief may deem for the best interests of the service." A company would be composed of not less than 40 nor more than 100 men. Not more than 10 companies would form a regiment (revised upward to 12 companies on June 5, 1899). Not more than 5 regiments would form a brigade (revised downward to not more than 4 regiments on June 5, 1899).

The Spanish-American War (1898) saw the nationalization of the Texas Volunteer Guard. The 28th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, reorganized the state militia into a Reserve Militia and a Texas National Guard, on April 1, 1903.

Scope and Contents of the Records

The Texas Adjutant General's Department received and maintained the military rolls listing the officers and enlisted men in the various companies of the Texas Volunteer Guard, comprising the state militia in the period after the end of Reconstruction and prior to the creation of the Texas National Guard in 1903.

This series consists of approximately 1,320 muster rolls (1880-1903), approximately 100 muster/payrolls (1881-1903), and 11 muster-in rolls (1902-1903), all interfiled, maintained by the Texas Adjutant General's Department, of companies in the Texas Volunteer Guard. Overall dates are 1880-1903 and undated. The rolls are on pre-printed forms. Since the letter designation of a given company--and even the regiment to which it was assigned--was in a constant state of flux during the two decades of the Texas Volunteer Guard's existence, an organizational cross-reference chart is included below.

Information included in the muster rolls for 1881-1900 includes: name, rank, date of enlistment, occupation, nativity, age, color of eyes, hair, and complexion. In addition, the company commanders were required to fill in answers to detailed questions concerning the state of the company: e.g., Is the company uniformed? How often are they drilled? Are they proficient? What is the rental paid for the armory? Number of guns? etc. The muster rolls for 1901 through 1903, which are in stapled booklets, include name, rank; when, where, by whom, and for what period enlisted; names present, years of continuous service, and remarks.

The muster and payrolls include: name, rank, dates from and to, period, pay per month, amount of pay, signatures, remarks, amount of stoppages, and balance due.

The muster-in rolls (1902-1903) include: name, rank, age, height, complexion, eyes, hair, where born, occupation; when, where, by whom, and for what period enrolled; residence, signature to the oath, married or single, name and address of wife or (if single) parent or guardian, and remarks. These are in stapled booklets.

Except for 1900-1903, most of these rolls have been included in the card index to individual guardsmen in the Archives search room, labelled "Texas Volunteer Guard."

In addition, there is a roughly alphabetical index to a roster of the Frontier Battalion and the militia, dated 1874 (but possibly incorporating later dates as well). This index is to both individuals and to companies, with companies underlined in red ink.

There are a series of rosters of officers of the Texas Volunteer Guard, arranged chronologically, and internally by regiment and company. Five of these are unbound, and include the following information: for the Staff Corps, name, rank, department, residence, date of commission, on duty with, date qualified, and remarks; and for the line officers, letter of the company, name, rank, name of the company, date of commission, station, date organized, date qualified, and assignment (usually the General Order/Special Order number and date). Roster Number 1 is dated January 1, 1882. A piece of cardboard contains the following notation: "Roster No. 3 has disappeared. It covered the time from January 1, 1886-October 15, 1886 (9 months)...." Roster Number 4 covers October 15, 1886 through August 31, 1888. Roster Number 7 is dated December 1, 1891; Roster Number 8, March 1, 1893; and an undated roster [Number 9] appears to cover 1894-1895.

Finally, a bound volume contains a Roster of Officers for 1899-1903, including the following information: date of commission, name, rank, company to regiment to which assigned, date of oath of service, age, state where born, post office address (town and county), service in the Texas Volunteer Guard and the U.S. Volunteer Army, etc., and remarks.

A cross-reference chart follows, to match the company to the town/city.

Note: Occasionally a researcher knows the name of a company commander, but does not know which military unit (Ranger or militia or otherwise) he commanded, or where to search for the appropriate military roll. Researchers using the finding aid electronically may search for names of captains. For researchers using a print copy, an alphabetical list of captains is provided in the Texas State Archives search room, matching the captain with the military organization. All of the non-Civil War military rolls (muster rolls, payrolls, etc.) held in the Texas State Archives are included in this index. To repeat, this index of company commanders does NOT include Civil War units except for Union troops, listed as Army of the United States (1860-1861, 1864-1865).

This finding aid describes one series of military rolls. If you are reading this electronically, click here for an overview of the Texas Adjutant General's Department, Military rolls. If you are reading this in paper, the overview is at the beginning of the first binder labeled Military rolls.

This finding aid has been arbitrarily split into two parts due to electronic file size limitations imposed by TARO. Click here on Part II (5th Regiment, Infantry thru Rosters of Officers) for the second part of the container listing.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room (Room 100). Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

None.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Adjutant General's Department Texas Volunteer Guard military rolls. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession number: 1933/001

In 1920, approximately 800 muster rolls and payrolls, dating 1860-1886, were transferred by the Texas Adjutant General's office to the Texas State Archives. Other military rolls were transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas Adjutant General's Department on February 21, 1934.

Processing Information

Tony Black, July 1986, April 1988

Detailed Description of the Records