Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War
Pension Files abstracted by Virgil D. White (National Historical Publishing
Company, 1990-1992, Hardcover, 5265 pages) is a set of 4 volumes which
includes an index and lists every Revolutionary War Pension file in
alphabetical order by the applicant's name. The pension file number is given
and is preceded by S, R, or W (Service, Rejected, or Widow's) indicating the
category of the pension file. Following the file number is a summary of
genealogical information in the pension file. The State from which the man served,
his birth location and date, where the applicant applied, where he served, and
where the applicant lived since the Revolutionary War are generally in the file
and listed in the abstract. Sometimes reference will be made to the names of
the wife and children of the applicant. Occasionally, the wife’s maiden name is
listed.
The actual pension records are available online but the
original records are handwritten and sometimes not very legible or faded out. White’s Abstract is valuable because an expert genealogist has examined the files in light of what they reveal about the history of the patriot, his movements after the war, his health at the time of filing the pension applications and often names wives, widows and family members. Consulting White’s volumes can be a time-saving first step to narrow down the online search for more detailed records. It is also useful for determining at a glance where other patriots with the same surname were located and where they settled after the War.
original records are handwritten and sometimes not very legible or faded out. White’s Abstract is valuable because an expert genealogist has examined the files in light of what they reveal about the history of the patriot, his movements after the war, his health at the time of filing the pension applications and often names wives, widows and family members. Consulting White’s volumes can be a time-saving first step to narrow down the online search for more detailed records. It is also useful for determining at a glance where other patriots with the same surname were located and where they settled after the War.
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| An example of what information you can find in Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files (click on image to enlarge) |
Contributed by: Jeri Martinez