Finding Your Revolutionary War Ancestor

From FamilySearch Wiki
Flag of the United States (1777-1795).png


Background[edit | edit source]

The Revolutionary War began on April 19, 1775 in Lexington, Massachusetts. Men between the ages of 16 and 60 may have served sometime during the war in either the Continental Army, State Line Troops, or local militia mustered to help the Continental Troops. Those who supported the rebellion may be mentioned in records as a rebel or patriot. Loyalists or Tories were those who opposed the rebellion.

Step 1 - Identify an ancestor who may have served in the Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]

Look at your ancestors' information to determine which match the following criteria:

- Ages: Most soldiers and sailors were men between their late teens of early to mid twenties so they would have been born in the 1750s or earlier.
- Death: Did your ancestor die between April 1775 and 1783? Did he die in a different state different than where his family was living? Most of the soldiers served in a local militia (ages 16-60) or enlisted in a volunteer military unit raised in their state. Others may have joined the Continental Army or navy.
- Family Members: Check with other members of your family to see if they have and records of records of information of Revolutionary War service.
You may also have an ancestor that served during the French and Indian War, 1754-1763

Step 2 - Identify the county and state where your ancestor lived between 1775-1783[edit | edit source]

If you do not know the county and state where your ancestor lived at the start of the war, check the following:

  • Land and property records, tax records, court records, published town or county histories.
  • TheUnited States Census, 1790 for his family. May help in identifying a soldier shortly after the war.
  • TheUnited States Census, 1840 This census includes Revolutionary War Pensioners or other Military Service.

Step 3 - Find your Ancestor's Military Unit or Naval Service[edit | edit source]

The following National Archives collections may be helpful in identifying military service they are part of Record Group 93 War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records. Revolutionary War Records in the custody of the War Department were destroyed in fires in 1800 and 1814. Available records should not be considered complete. See also the National Archives page on the American Revolution

  • Search the National Archives Compiled Military Search Records

The collection corresponds to the National Archives and Records Administration publication M881. Each envelope/jacket contains information and cross references to original records relating to the soldier. The compiled service records are abstracts of original records available to the War Department which were abstracted to create compiled military service records for individual soldiers. The list is arranged by military unit. General Fred Crayton Ainsworth was appointed head of the Record and Pension Division (R&P) of the Surgeon General's office in 1886. Ainsworth had clerks copy the name, rank, military organization, and medical history of each soldier onto paper cards. After completing that task information from additional records were added. For information on the military units of the Continental Army see the Research Wiki article United States, Revolutionary War, Continental Army Military Unit Names The soldiers’ name will be the one he most often went by or found in the original records that were carded. Names could also be listed by initials. The index card will identify the company and military unit and rank of each soldier entering the service and at discharge. A soldier could have served in multiple units and a separate compiled military service record would exist for each unit. Across reference may be found on some cards for multiple spelling or service in additional units. A volunteer may have enlisted under a different name or alias.

Tip: Copies of compiled military service records are available from the National Archives. To request copies see: Requesting Pre-WWI Service Records
  • Search the National Archives Revolutionary War Rolls

National Archives publication M246. The collection contains images of muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other personnel, pay, and supply records of the American Army during the Revolutionary War. The main function of the many Revolutionary War rolls kept by the American Army was to provide basic information about the identities, numbers, condition, equipment, and pay status of the men and units of the Army to make administration easier. The collection is arranged by type of service, military unit, and jacket or folder number.

Additional collections that may be helpful in identifying military service include:

Some sources that can help to identify an ancestors' Continental or volunteer military unit are:

Step 4 - Search Online Databases[edit | edit source]

Lineage societies organized around American Revolution service have online databases that identify ancestors with patriotic military of civilian service.

For more information on these organizations see: DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and SAR (Sons of the American Revolution)

Step 5 - Search for Pension Files and Bounty Land Warrants[edit | edit source]

If your ancestor survived the war he may have applied for a pension or a bounty land warrant. His widow may also have applied after his death. The records are part of Record Group 15 Records of the Department of Veteran Affairs. Pensions were first granted by state governments before the Constitution was ratified. The pension and land warrant applications consist of about 80,000 files from 1800-1900. Each file may be a single card or may contain from 1 to 200 pages or more. A typical file is about 30 pages and includes an introductory card, an application, sworn affidavits, and other supporting documents that verify a veteran’s identity and service. The file also includes papers that show decisions made concerning the claim. In 1912 the Survivor, Widow, Rejected, and Bounty Land Warrant files were consolidated into a single alphabetical series. Pension acts were passed and amended many times between 1776 and 1878. In 1776 the first pension law granted half-pay for life to soldiers disabled in the service and unable to earn a living. A pension law passed in 1818 permitted compensation for service, regardless of disability, but was later amended, making eligible only those soldiers who were unable to earn a living. The pension act of 1832 allowed pensions again based on service and enabled a veteran’s widow to receive pension benefits. See also the National Archives Project to transcribed Revolutionary War pensions.

Awarded by State Governments

  • Lloyd de Witt Bockstruck,Revolutionary War pensions: awarded by State governments 1775-1874, the General and Federal governments prior to 1814, and by private acts of Congress to 1905 Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, c2011 FS Library 973 M2bLd
  • Lloyd de Witt Bockstruck. Revolutionary War bounty land grants: awarded by state governments Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, c1996 FS Library 973 R2bo

Pension Lists

Many soldiers fought for only a few days or weeks. Those with limited service may not have been eligible for a pension or bounty land, even though they may have fought in several battles.

Tip: Copies of pension files are available from the National Archives. To request copies follow the instructions in the following link. Requesting Pre-WWI Service Records

Step 6 - Decide what else you want to find.[edit | edit source]

Focus your research by deciding to find just one or two things, such as age, death date and place, pension record, or service record. The chart, US Military Record Finder, shows which type of military record has the various types of information you may want to find. You should also contact the state archives or historical society in the state your ancestor served from for any additional Revolutionary War records. Lineage Societies may also have information on a soldier, sailor of citizen with patriotic service.

Step 7 - Check sources listed on the following Wiki pages and the FamilySearch Catalog[edit | edit source]

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

  • James C. Neagles and Neagles Lila L. Neagles. Locating Your Revolutionary War Ancestor: A Guide to the military Records. Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, Inc., 1983. FS Library 973 D27ne 280396 FamilySearch Digital Library
  • J. Todd White and Charles H. Lesser, eds. Fighters for independence: a guide to sources of biographical information on soldiers and sailors of the American Revolution Chicago, [Illinois:] University of Chicago Press, c1977 FS Library 973 D33w
  • National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Centennial Administration. ‘’ DAR patriot index’ 3 volumes. Washington, D.C. : National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, c1994 FS Library 73 C42da
  • Virgil White, transcribed Index to Revolutionary War service records 4 vols. Waynesboro, Tennessee: National Historical Pub., 1995 FS Library 973 M22wv
  • Virgil White. Genealogical abstracts of Revolutionary War pension files 4 vols. Waynesboro, Tennessee: National Historical Publishing Co.1990-1992. FS Library 973 M28g
v • d• e
Links to Revolutionary War-related articles
Topics
State Pages
Colonies
Loyal to Britain
Province of Quebec (modern-day Ontario and Quebec)
Foreign Forces
English • French • Hessians • Spanish

FamilySearch Center (FSC); formerly called, Family History Center (FHC)

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Finding_Your_Revolutionary_War_Ancestor&oldid=6134668"