Delaware in the War of 1812

United States   War of 1812    Delaware Military    Delaware in the War of 1812



Introduction
The declaration of war in June 1812 caused the Delaware government to take action. In November 1812, it activated the militia and began ordering military supplies.

On 26 December 1812, the British declared a blockade of the Delaware and Chesapeake bays though the British Fleet did not arrive in the area until 4 Feb 1813. The British did not start activities on the Delaware Bay until March 1813.

On 6 April 1813, the British ship, Pocitiers, bombed the town of Lewes, Delaware. Several houses were destroyed, but no one was killed. Until the end of the war, one or more British ships were in the area and destroyed a few smaller American boats.

During the war, Delaware furnished 3,316 infantry men, 147 cavalry men, 318 artillery men, and 57 men in miscellaneous units for a total of 3,838 men.

Explanation of the Major Record Types

 * Pearson, Thomas A., comp. Genealogical Records of the War of 1812: an Introduction and Selected Bibliography of Materials in the Collection of St. Louis Public Library. (St. Louis, Missouri: St. Louis Public Library, July 2004).

State Records
The Delaware Public Archives and the Delaware Historical Society have records of soldiers who served in this war. Delaware in the War of 1812 Delaware Public Archives

Service Records

 * Ancestry. War of 1812 Service Records ($). This database gives name, company, rank at time of induction and at time of discharge of 600,000 men mustered from all states into the armed forces between 1812 and 1825. (Accessed 11 May 2012).

Pension Records
A soldier may have been recorded in state records (see below) or in federal records (see US War of 1812 Pension Records).


 * Fold3. Delaware War of 1812 Pension Files.(Free) Alphabetical by surname shows the entire pension file for those digitized. Incomplete as of 1 June 2012.

Rosters

 * Peden, Henry C. Jr. The Delaware Militia in the War of 1812, (Lewes, Delaware: Colonial Roots, c2003), 353 pages;.

Important National and International Sources

 * United States in the War of 1812 has lists of records, books, etc. for the United States, not just one state. The federal records are listed here rather than on each state page. Two of the most important are:


 * FamilySearch Historical Records Collection On line Database:


 * FamilySearch Historical Records Collection On line Database:


 * War of 1812, 1812 to 1815 has lists of general books and documentaries, as well as a list battles with links to web sites about the battles, and other information not tied to one country.