United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes a database and images of records for the years 1775-1783. Records are of published state rosters of Revolutionary War soldiers from the states of Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia and the Census of Pensioners 1840 census.

Record Content
Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors records may contain the following information:


 * Name of soldier or sailor
 * Estimated birth year
 * Date of enlistment/muster
 * Place of enlistment/muster
 * Death date
 * Place of death
 * Age at death
 * Name of spouse/widow
 * Residence
 * Military unit
 * Other name
 * Event type
 * Page number
 * Image number
 * GSU film number
 * DGS film number
 * Volume

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Soldier/Sailor full name
 * State of residence
 * County or town of residence

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection by image. ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "State" category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the soldier's age and residence to find his family in census, church, and land records.
 * Use the death date to locate original death records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * 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.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * If your ancestor used multiple names throughout their life, look for all their names.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * Try alternative search methods such as filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then do the search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You can then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring locality.

Related Websites

 * Revolutionary War Service Records (Fold3) ($)
 * U.S. Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records, 1775-1783 (Ancestry) ($) Note: Records on Ancestry are not indexed by name. See the index mentioned below under indexes or use Fold3 or FamilySearch to first determine what state the individual fought under, then use the browse option on Ancestry to locate an individual in the records.

Related Wiki Articles

 * Revolutionary War Rolls
 * Revolutionary War Census Records
 * Revolutionary War Service Records
 * Revolutionary War Unit Histories
 * United States, Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: