Military records are often a good source of genealogy information. These free genealogy resources are for researching ancestors that served in the Revolutionary War. Please note that not all states are represented here because some are only available through subscription sites such as Ancestry.
Georgia Land Lottery-In 1820, 1827 and 1932, there were land lotteries in Georgia for veterans of the Revolutionary War. While not all veterans were included in these lotteries, many were. The index is free to search. If you do find your ancestor, you will be able to learn their county of residence, the county in which the lottery was drawn, the lottery participated in, the date their land grant was issued, the land lot number, district and section.
Kentucky Revolutionary War Warrants-Many veterans of the Revolutionary War were paid in land, rather than cash. This database will give you the warrant ID, veteran's name, their rank and unit, their assignee (if applicable), the size of the land warrant, and the date. If the land warrant was authorized, details will be given. At the bottom of the page, you will find the actual document. It is important to note that the warrant does not list the actual location of the land.
West of Tennessee River Military Patents-After the Jackson Purchase in 1818, some of the Kentucky war veterans settled in the area covered by these patents. This database will give you the patent ID, the grantee's name, the surveyer's name, the acreage of the grant, dates, the warrant ID, and the general location of the land. Clicking on the color images link will bring you to a page with all the associated documents.
Maryland Muster Rolls and Other Records of Service-While this database does not include every Revolutionary War veteran from Maryland, it does cover a large number of them. If you know the regiment your ancestor served in, it makes the search a little easier. If you don't, there is an index available so you can find them easier.
Official Register of Officers and Men of New Jersey-This link takes you to a page with several searchable databases. The database you want is just above the search box. You can learn the individual's rank, home and in some cases what unit they served with.
Pennsylvania Military Abstract Card File-This is one of the easier to search databases in my opinion. Click the letter of your ancestor's surname, then scroll down to find what page their name is on, click that, and then scroll until you find their card. Depending on whether they were active or inactive duty, you will get their name, rank, county and township, who they were assigned to and dates. Some cards also have remarks.
Valley Forge Muster Roll-This will give the individual's name, rank, rank type, brigade, company, state, regiment and division. Some also include the monthly muster roll status (ie-whether or not they were fit for duty) and other remarks.
Virginia Military Dead Database-This database covers Virginians who have died while serving in the military. Information is compiled from a variety of sources and includes (when available) name, rank, unit, branch of service, conflict, race, gender, date and place of death, cause of death, residence, original source of the data, note, and links to other databases. To search Revolutionary War deaths, just select American Revolution as the conflict from the search screen.
Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Research System (GRS)-Those who can trace direct lineage to an ancestor that served in the American Revolution are eligible for membership. The GRS allows you to search for ancestors that may be in the database. If they are, information you can gain may include date and location of birth, date and location of death and service information. Of genealogical interest is the fact that many of the entries also include descendant information. Please note that the guidelines to DAR were not always as strict as they are today. Therefore, some information may be suspect.
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