If you are interested in the United States Revolutionary War, then head over to Fold3 and view records free until the end of July. This is a great deal. Years ago, I purchased the Revolutionary War records for my grandfather of that era Shadrach Claywell and paid about $40 for the documents (not sure what the fee is now).
Based on Shadrach’s records, the documents have quite a bit of information in them. In the case of Shadrach, I learned in 1778 he served three months under Capt. Robert Adams as a private — and that, when he enlisted, he lived in Bedford County, Virginia. The file contained about 20-30 pages so I was able to learn about his other tour of duties — including his capture at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.
An email from Fold3 describes the collection as:
- Revolutionary War pension files
- Service records
- War rolls,
- Payment vouchers and,
- The Revolutionary War Manuscript File
The email further states:
If you’re interested in the historical aspects of the war, you can explore the captured vessels prize cases, Revolutionary War milestone documents, Pennsylvania Archives, Constitutional Convention records, and the papers and letters of the Continental Congress, among others.
You can access the free records here until July 31.
by Linda Lawrence Hunt is a story about grit, hope, despair, betrayal and loss. It is a story that would be forever lost if a 8th grade student had not written an essay about his great-great-grandmother’s walk across the United States. When historian Linda Hunt read the boy’s essay, she tracks down articles and pieces the story together.
Charlie R. Claywell 