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Information Gathering:
- For some reason, the Internet is inundated with Civil War materials,
while Revolutionary War information proves a bit more scare. In particular,
access to rosters. Adding to this scarcity is the fact that an overwhelming
number of American soldiers of the Revolution were not soldiers at
all. Like in the Civil War, many were volunteers and not officially
attached to any military unit. If rolls do exist for these men, they
are often available only at the local or state level in which the
patriot fought
- If you have a name, the location, a town name, and the dates of
the person you're looking for, you might try searching local newspapers
of the time for mention of soldiers, battles or obituaries. Your local
library may also do a look up for you in any number of available indexes.
Another possibility is to try the local Historical Society of the
relevant county. And whenever researching people of any generation,
never forget the good people at your local Family
History Center.
Letter writing:
- When looking for a patriot soldier, don't be afraid
to write a letter or two. Or make a phone call. Especially if you're
further along than the zero information mark. A current listing of
state offices to contact is available through the National Military
Park Service, useful for both Civil War and Revolutionary War inquiries:
http://www.nps.gov/vick/other/archives.htm
Local Library Help:
- Don't neglect your local library. A good librarian can be your best
friend and even a bad one is worth all the smiles you can conjure.
Three lovely services of your local library:
- Databases/Indexes: Keep in mind libraries subscribe to quite an
impressive number of private, professional, and commercial information
databases and indexes, some with subscription fees only Bill Gates
could afford. And they do it just for you. Ask your librarian about
them. You'll be amazed at what's available.
- E-Books: Another recent phenomenon some libraries are experimenting
with is the e-book. In most cases, you will have to specifically
inquire as to your library's own participation in this experiment.
It's worth the inquiry. The actual hardware device, a palm pilot
looking reader, is lent out as well, so you may read the database
information at home. E-books are now quietly being tested at many
libraries throughout the United States.
- The Interlibrary Loan: A wondrous, if mundane,
service of your local library. Most libraries provide this service
free of charge. Some, however, charge a fee to cover costs, usually
nominal, under a dollar. Whenever you find the name of a book you're
wanting, say for example Pension
Lists of 1792 1795 With Other Revolutionary War Pension Records
by Murtie June Clark, go to your librarian and see what she can
do for you. Some libraries may even order the book for you if it
is not available at the local branches, especially if it's of local
historical interest. (I cannot stress how important a good relationship
with your librarian can be.)
Jump-starting Online:
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