Texas Adjutant General's Department:

An Inventory of Texas National Guard Military Rolls at the Texas State Archives, 1902-1913, 1915, 1917, 1935, undated

Agency History

The Texas Volunteer Guard was reorganized by the 28th Legislature, Regular Session, on April 1, 1903, as the Texas National Guard. All able-bodied citizens between the ages of 18 and 45 were liable to militia service. The state militia was divided into two classes: a Reserve Militia composed of all persons liable to militia duty; and the Texas National Guard composed of volunteers accepted as such by the commander-in-chief. The Governor of Texas would serve as commander-in-chief until such time that the National Guard was called into the service of the United States. The National Guard could be called "to execute the laws, to suppress insurrections, repel invasions, and protect the frontier from hostile incursions by Indians or other predatory bands." In peacetime, the Texas National Guard was not to exceed 5,000 officers and enlisted men. As of 1987, "the Texas National Guard may not exceed 37,000 officers and enlisted persons except in case of war, insurrection, invasion or the prevention of invasion, the suppression of riot, or the aiding of civil authorities to execute state law."

The Governor (commander-in-chief), with advice and consent of the Senate, appoints an Adjutant General with the rank of brigadier-general, plus all other officers of the Texas National Guard. The commander-in-chief also originally appointed a Quartermaster General, who would also be Chief of Ordnance. (The current law calls for the appointment of Assistant Adjutants General.)

On August 5, 1917, the Texas National Guard was drafted into federal service, forming the 36th Division, which was to be mobilized during World War II as well.

Return to the Table of Contents

Scope and Contents of the Records

These records comprise the muster-in rolls, muster rolls, muster/payrolls, payrolls, and rosters of officers of the Texas National Guard, dating 1902-1913, 1915, 1917, 1935, and undated. The majority of the rolls are sewn or stapled pre-printed booklets. These military rolls list all of the officers and enlisted men enrolled in each unit, plus additional information on each man which varies with the type of roll.

Information on the muster-in rolls includes: name, rank, age, height, complexion, eyes, hair, where born (town or county, state or kingdom), occupation; when, where, by whom, and for what period enrolled; residence, signature by the oath, whether married or single, name and address of wife (if married) or parent or guardian (if single), and remarks.

Information on the muster rolls, which normally cover six-month periods, includes: name, rank; when, where, by whom, and for what period enlisted; names present, years of continuous service, and remarks.

Information on the muster/payrolls includes: name, rank, dates from and to, period, pay per month, amount of pay, signatures, remarks, stoppages, and balance due.

Information on the payrolls includes: name, grade, date of present enlistment or (of officers) date of rank, dates of days for which pay is due, total days, pay per day (state rate), total pay due (state rate), pay per day (U.S. rate), total pay due (U.S. rate), amount paid, signature, and witness. The time periods covered on the payrolls are the one to two weeks during each summer, when camps of instruction were held.

Finally, there are several rosters of officers in the Texas National Guard.

An organizational chart is included below to facilitate matching town or city with company at any given period.

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 (with three subseries) 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.

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

None.

Technical Requirements

None.

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Related Material

Return to the Table of Contents

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

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

Accession Information

Accession number: 1933/001

These records were apparently transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas Adjutant General's Department on February 21, 1934.

Processed by

Tony Black, July 1986

Return to the Table of Contents

Detailed Description of the Records