United States, Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783

What is in This Collection?

Index to compiled service records of soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The collection corresponds to the National Archives and Records Administration publication M881 and is part of Record Group 93 War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records. Each envelope/jacket contains information and cross references to original records relating to the soldier. The compiled service records are abstracts of original records available to the War Department which were abstracted to create compiled military service records for individual soldiers. The list is arranged by military unit. General Fred Crayton Ainsworth, was appointed head of the Record and Pension Division (R&P) of the Surgeon General's office in 1886. Ainsworth had clerks copy the name, rank, military organization, and medical history of each soldier onto paper cards. After completing that task information from additional records were added. For information on the military units of the Continental Army see the Research Wiki article United States, Revolutionary War, Continental Army Military Unit Names

See also The Numbered Record Books NARA M853 and The Miscellaneous Numbered Records (Manuscript Series) NARA M859. Both are indexed in the Special Index to Numbered Records NARA M847. For more information about these collections see research wiki article United States, National Archives, Revolutionary War Records Additional records may also be found at a state archive or historical society that were not available for carding. Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Related National Archives Collections

• Second Continental Congress. Continental Army. (06/14/1775 - 03/02/1781) NARA Organization Authority Record
• Second Continental Congress. Continental Army. 6/14/1775-3/2/1781 NARA Organization Authority Record
• Congress of the Confederation. Continental Army. 3/2/1781-1783 NARA Organization Authority Record

Record Group 93 War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records

• Indexes to Revolutionary War Compiled Military Service Records, 1894–ca. 1912 NAID 572371
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War, 1894–ca. 1912 NAID 570910
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, M246, 138 rolls
• Revolutionary War State Records, 1913–1913 NAID 598215
• Lists of Organizations NAID 602416
• Records of Revolutionary War Stations, NAID 602417
• Registers of Muster Rolls, 1894–1913 NAID 602412
• General Pay Abstracts for Revolutionary War Units, 1894–1913 NAID 7459403
• Lists of Revolutionary War Officers, 1894–1913 NAID 602418
• Military Service Cards of Revolutionary War Medical Officers, 1894–1912 NAID 2555208
• Copies of Warrants Issued to Surviving Officers and Soldiers of the Revolutionary War, March 1828–November 21, 1828 NAID 18501151
• List of New York Soldiers, 1894–1913 NAID 602420
• Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Served in Volunteer Units During the Post-Revolutionary War Period, 1899–1927 (1784-1811)

Numbered Record Books Concerning Military Operations and Service, Pay, and Settlement of Accounts, and Supplies in the War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records
NARA microfilm publication M853, 41 rolls, the following volumes were used in creating the compiled service records:

• 1-11: Lists of Continental and State Troops and Militia. 1775-83
• 1: List of Connecticut Troops, 1776-83
• 2: List of Delaware Troops, 1776-83
• 3: List of Massachusetts Troops, 1776-83
• 4: List of New Jersey Troops, 1775-80
• 5: List of New York Troops, 1776-83
• 6: List of North Carolina Troops, 1776-83
• 7: List of Pennsylvania Troops, 1776-83
• 8: List of Rhode Island Troops, 1776-83
• 9: List of South Carolina Troops, 1776-83
• 10: List of Officers and Men of Col. Moses Hazen's 2d Canadian Regiment, Col. Benjmain Flower's Artificer Regiment, and Col. Jeduthan Baldwin's Artificer Regiment, 1776-83
• 11: List of Officers and Men of Sheldon's and Moylan's Dragoons and Lee's Legion, 1776-83
• 136 1/2: Ledger of Money Accounts with Officers of the North Carolina Line, 1777-83
• 139: Account Book of Payments made to Officers and Men of the Virginia Line by Lt. Charles Stockley, 1782-83
• 142: Record of Disbursements, Paymaster General's Office, New York, 1788
• 143: Paymaster General's Ledger of Accounts with Officers of the Army, 1775-78
• 145: Receipt Book of George Reid, Assistant Commissioner of Army Accounts, Charleston, S.C. Apr. 1785-Jan. 1786
• 147 1/2: Receipt Book of John White, Assistant Commissioner of Amry Accounts, Annapolis, MD. Aug.-Nov. 1785 and Mar. 1786
• 170: Paymaster General's Record of Money Due to Officers and Men of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire Regiments, and to Capt. Robert Walker's Company of Col. John Lamb's Artillery Regiment, 1776-83
• 171-172: Records of Settlement of Pennsylvania Officers, and Men's Accounts. Sept. 21, 1818
• 173: List of Pennsylvania Officers and Men Entitled to Donation Lands, Feb. 27, 1830
• 175-176: Records of Pay and Service of Officers and Men of Virginia, New York, and Georgia, 1775-1856

Related Articles

• Claire Prechtel-Kluskens. Dig Deeper into Less Well Known Revolutionary War Records. NGS Magazine 35 #2 (April-June 2009): 52-55.
• Bryna O'Sullivan. "Two if By Sea" : Patriot Sailors during the Revolutionary War NGS Magazine 50 #2 (April-June 2024): 11-16

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

Sample of indexed information:

Inventory

For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see United States Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records - Inventory