Get Free Family History Tips, News and Updates. Finding a revolutionary war ancestor holds special appeal for many people because of the prestige of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and the satisfaction of having an ancestor who participated in the struggle which helped create the freedoms we enjoy today. In beginning Revolutionary War research, it is important to review the basics regarding military records. Specifically, recall the major types of military records, review what kinds of information can be obtained from each, and then begin to apply that knowledge to the Revolutionary War era. Service records, in the most general sense, are any documents that indicate that a particular person or persons served in one of the branches of the armed services.
Most individuals think of muster rolls first when looking for an example of a service record.
Pension records are the documents that relate to payment by the government for military service rendered or disability suffered as a result of military engagement. Disability suffered can include loss of life, in which case a person's spouse or dependents would file for the pension. Claim records are those documents generated when individuals make claims against the government for loss of real or personal property as a result of military actions or engagements, or for compensation due because of military activity. Military histories are those monographs, daybooks, and diaries, which chronicle the people and events surrounding a particular engagement or war. They can be as specific as the particular battles and hardships of a regiment as seen through the eyes of an individual soldier, or as general as the history of an entire campaign or war.