Military Track

Virginia's "Forgotten" Revolutionary War Records: Treasures in the Library of Virginia

Bevin Creel

Friday, 9 May 2014, 9:30 a.m., F315

Sponsored by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
http://www.dar.org

My interest in Virginia’s Revolutionary War records began after I became a Genealogist for the DAR in 2005. I was surprised to discover that, in spite of Virginia’s massive contribution to the success of the Revolution, the breadth of its records related to the war remained to be fully understood, much less “available” to the researcher. My presentation is a modest attempt to highlight this dilemma and to offer some strategies for the exploration of lesser known Revolutionary War records in the Library of Virginia.

Many researchers are familiar with LVA’s major collections related to the war, such as records specifically related to bounty land, or perhaps the county court booklets related to public claims. Information regarding such records is readily available elsewhere and attendees will not hear much about them from me. My attendees may expect to hear about muster rolls, accounts, militia lists and other records related to soldiers buried within the LVA collection, particularly in Record Group 48, Auditor of Public Accounts. They may also expect to hear about non-military records related to organizations that played a crucial support role in the Revolutionary effort, such as the Point of Fork Arsenal, the Public Rope Walk, the Lead Mines, etc.

My presentation will include records related not only to present-day Virginia, but also to present-day Kentucky and Illinois, which where part of Virginia during the war. Whether your interest is in Illinois, Kentucky or Virginia, surprises should be in store!  

Military Track