The Most Valuable Resource

Revolutionary War Pension Files contain a wealth of information on veterans of the war. The earliest pensions were awarded to men who were disabled in the war or to the widows of men killed in the war. Most pensions were issued after laws passed by Congress in 1818 and 1832 which expanded the class of veterans who could claim pensions. Pension applications always included declarations by the veterans or their surviving family members. Those deposition provide key information on family relationships and places of residence that may not be available from any other sources. The veterans testified before a court in their communities, and the depositions allow us to gain insights into the veteran's lives. In most cases, they are the only opportunity to hear the voice of the veteran himself. What they had to say was often quite informative and in some cases, quite surprising. In the case of Oliver Farmer of Chelmsford MA, he tells us he was 11 years old when he volunteered in 1776. Thomas Dazey of Baltimore Hundred DE tells us the land he owned was 'quite unproductive' and 'waste land'.

Another class of files included in the Pension File recored group at The National Archives is Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. the lands of the Northwest Territory were opened to settlement in the ealry 19th century, and Revolutionary War (and War of 1812) vets were provided the opportunity to claim land based on their service. In some cases, the widows, children, or even grandchildren applied for bounty land based on their family members's service. Veteran Thomas Clark, and free man of color from Sussex County DE can be found in a Bounty Land Claim by his children, which provided key information about his family not available anywhere else.

I just posted an analysis of 26 Revolutionary War veterans of Sussex County DE. This includes 2 men wounded and 1 man who was killed in battle. pPension files document the service of these patriots, often in great detail.