United States, Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
For a complete list of the NARA roll numbers contained in this collection, see the United States, Pension Payment Ledgers Coverage Table.

This collection contains images of pension payment ledgers created by the Treasury Department to record semiannual payments to veterans and widows of the Revolutionary War from 1818-1872. A few records for the War of 1812 are also included. A coverage table for localities and dates can be found under User Guidance. Click the Learn More link to access this table and more information regarding how to use this collection. This collection is from Record Group 217, Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, and is National Archive Microfilm publication T718.

For a list of records by pension type currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
The content of the records differ depending upon whether the record is for a pensioner, invalid, or widow. You may find any of the following:


 * Name of person receiving payment
 * Name of spouse if recipient is a widow
 * State and sometimes city
 * Rank
 * Amount of money allowed
 * Dates of payments
 * Death dates
 * Additional comments

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know the name of your ancestor and some other identifying information such as residence and rank.

In the case of a widow you need to know her name, residence, and spouse's name.

Search the Collection
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse through images" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "NARA roll number, volume letter, and pension type" which takes you to the images

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. This information will often lead you to other records. For example:


 * Death dates may lead to church or burial records.
 * Use the name and residence or locality to search for church records, land recods, and census recirds.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * These records are brief so it is easy to confuse individuals
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been seeking the pension.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the surnames and nicknames.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby counties.

Related Websites
Follow the Money Tracking Revolutionary War Army Pension Payments, Prologue Magazine

Related Wiki Articles
Revolutionary War Pension Records and Bounty Land Warrants

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation

Image Citation