US researchers typically think of the National Archives as being the place to obtain records related to military service. Some state archives also have records related to your ancestor's military career. Don't let you search stop in Washington, DC. The appropriate state archives may have some enlistment materials, muster rolls, etc.
Never hurts to take a look.
This is particularly relevant for countries that were not always a union of independant states. (e.g. USA, Australia). Even after the Union, some states remained separate for a while.
ReplyDeleteThe current issue of the National Genealogical Society's 'NGS Magazine' has an excellent in-depth article by Sharon Cook MacInnes, PhD "No federal pension file for a Pennsylvania Revolutionary War soldier?" In a clear. concise way she takes the reader step by step from a search of Federal files to first the published Pennsylvania State Archives and then the records in Harrisburg PA at the brick & mortar Pennsylvania State Archives. Included is a table of microfilm roll numbers for the PHMC (Penn. Historical & Museum Commission) to be found at the archives with their corresponding FHL roll numbers and a brief description. The FHL references will be helpful to those who cannot travel to Harrisburg. Sharon's article is a model for researchers who have searched the federal records for a Pennsylvania Rev War ancestor with no success. I encourage readers of this comment from other states to write a similar article plumbing the depths of the comparable records in their state archives to find & document a Rev War ancestor.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the wonderful idea.
ReplyDelete