World War I Draft Registration Cards



On May 18, 1917, the Selective Service Act was passed, allowing President Woodrow Wilson to temporarily increase the size of the military forces in the U. S. Local draft boards were established to register, evaluate and induct men. As the war progressed, three registrations were held, each calling in a broader portion of the population. In all, about 24,000,000 men registered, about 23% of the U. S. population at that time.

The first registration, on June 5, 1917, was for all men between the ages of 21 and 31. The second, on June 5, 1918, registered those who attained age 21 after June 5, 1917. A supplemental registration on August 24, 1918, for those becoming 21 years old after June 5, 1918, was included in the second registration. The third registration was held on September 12, 1918, for men age 18 through 45.

When searching for ancestors, keep in mind that not all men who registered for the draft served in the military. Some were not called. Others were called up, but soon sent home from training camp due to lack of physical fitness, as related in newspaper articles from the time. Men who had volunteered for military service did not register for the draft. Likewise, a few tried to evade the draft registrations altogether.

The draft registration cards for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in the Carolina Room are on two reels of microfilm. The cards are roughly arranged in alphabetical order by first letter of the last name and are grouped by the date of registration.

The information collected at each registration differed, but it generally included name, date and place of birth, race and citizenship, marital status, occupation, physical description and signature.

The registration cards from Mecklenburg County appear to have been filled out by the clerk in most instances and signed by the draftee. The handwriting of some clerks is difficult to read and contains spelling errors (i.e. Savana, GA). When the draftee did not know his birth date, the clerk estimated it. Some men were not literate and signed their card with an "X". When a signature is available, it was used to determine the spelling of the name for this database, rather than using the clerk's spelling (i.e. the card is signed Joe Cathey, but filled out as Joe Cathy).

The 1917 draft registration form asked if men had parents, a wife, children under the age of 12, or siblings under the age of 12, who were solely dependent on them for support. These could all be a reason for exemption from service. This form also allowed the draft board clerk to comment on the validity of these exemptions. The 1917 form also asked about prior military service and the precinct of residence. If the man was from Mecklenburg County but working elsewhere, the card may indicate that city and state.

Every physically able man was being considered for service by 1918. Family dependents were no longer necessarily considered exemptions. Exemptions were considered for mental disability or severe physical disability, such as loss of a hand, foot, limb or both eyes.

The 1918 draft registration cards asked for nearest kin. Quite often this gave the name and relationship of the kin, but sometimes only one or the other. For example, it might say Tammy Baker- mother, or Mrs. Baker, or just mother. If a relationship was defined, this kin is listed in the appropriate category instead of the "Biographical Notes" field in our database. The registration cards used in June and August 1918 ask for the birthplace of the father. The September 12th, 1918 draft cards contain boxes to check for race: White, Negro, Oriental, and Indian citizen or Non-citizen.

Entries have been recorded as given. Occasionally, unusual comments were also given, such as height in inches, disease description or race of Ethiopian. Sometimes fields were left blank on the form. An asterisk "*" is used in this project to indicate that an entry is in error and not a typo. This problem is most common in the "Age" and "Birth date" questions. Entries that are illegible have been translated to give the database user the benefit of our experience, and a "?" placed next to a word or letter is in question. Place names throughout the database are in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina unless otherwise indicated.

Although great effort has been made to ensure accuracy when transcribing these records, the researcher should always review the source material. Additional information about the family may be found by looking at the next of kin and employer questions. Historians will find that the registration cards reveal "a snapshot in time" for neighborhoods or townships.

Copies of this microfilm are available in the Carolina Room of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, the North Carolina Office of Archives and History in Raleigh and for a rental fee from the Church of Latter Day Saints' Family History Centers.

The draft registration card is just one of many sources that have been used to compile these patriot files. Other source materials are listed in the source field with each patriot record.