Rhode Island in the War of 1812

United States   War of 1812    Rhode Island Military    Rhode Island in the War of 1812



Introduction
During the War of 1812, Rhode Island supplied 746 infantry men and 164 artillery men for a total of 910 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).

Service Records

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


 * The Family History Library also has state military papers that include some enlistment certificates for soldiers.

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. Rhode Island War of 1812 Pension Files. (Free). Alphabetical by surname. Shows entire pension file for those digitized. Incomplete as of 1 June 2012.

State Records

 * Rhode Island State Archives, Military papers- War of 1812 : 1792-1794, 1812-1816 ( Salt Lake City, Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1974)

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 websites about the battles, and other information not tied to one country.

Other Sources

 * Perry, Oliver Hazard Items of interest concerning Oliver Hazard Perry in Newport and Newport in the War of 1812 (Newport Historical Society Rhode Island - 1913) pages 32