United States, Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783

What is in This Collection?

The United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 collection contains an index for and images of muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other personnel, pay, and supply records of the American Army during the Revolutionary War. The main function of the many Revolutionary War rolls kept by the American Army was to provide basic information about the identities, numbers, condition, equipment, and pay status of the men and units of the Army to make administration easier. This collection was obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) from microfilm publication M246 which is part of Record Group 93 War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records. The collection is arranged by type of service, military unit, and jacket or folder number. The microfilm publication pamphlet may be downloaded from NARA’s Microfilm Catalog.Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

After the French and Indian war ended 1773, the British Parliament imposed a series of taxes on their American colonies in an attempt to recover some of the cost of the war, to have the colonies pay for their own defense, and to assert authority over the colonies. The taxes were not well received by the colonists, who felt that as they lacked representation in the Parliament, their rights as Englishmen were being violated and the taxes were unlawful. The colonists attempted to gain representation in the British Parliament without success. When gaining representation failed each colony began to form their own parliaments or governments. These colonial government bodies would then overturn British laws that they felt were unlawful and created an undue burden. In response, Britain sent in more soldiers, and the colonies were occupied by a standing army. The already overburdened colonists were required to feed and clothe the army. This series of events led to the outbreak of war on April 19, 1775. The colonists’ original aim was to restore their rights as Englishmen; however, by early 1776 the idea that the American Revolution was a bid for independence began to form and take root, and by July the Colonists had declared their independence from the rule of the British Empire.

In 1775, when war seemed like a possibility, a congress was formed with delegates from all 13 original colonies. This congress, the Continental Congress, was a loose confederation of the colonies soon to become states. As part of their duties, the Continental Congress formed an army originally of enlisted men of short duration, but over the course of the war became a standing army of both enlisted men and conscripts, soldiers who were drafted into service. In addition to the Continental Army formed by the Congress, states, counties, and towns formed militias who fought and protected around their local area or for with the Continental Army. Revolutionary War records are the enlistment or muster roles both for the local militias and the Continental Army, pension files, and bounty land warrants. These records may include information on leave, mustering out or separation from the army, and any pension or benefits received as part of service or upon separation from the army or the militia.

Military Rosters and Enlistment or Muster Rolls provide a record of when a soldier or sailor served, where they served, and for how long. They also provide details of who they served under, rank, promotion, leave information, and when their service ended. These records tell where a soldier or sailor lived and where the enlisted which were not always the same place.

Related National Archives Collections

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

Numbered Record Books NARA, M853

• Numbered Record Books, NAID 300355
• Index to Revolutionary War Rolls, 1930–1930 NAID 602383
• Rosters of State and Continental Troops. Roll 14
• List of Connecticut Troops NAID 600983
• List of Delaware Troops NAID 600984
• List of Massachusetts Troops NAID 600985
• List of New Jersey Troops NAID 600986
• List of New York Troops NAID 600987
• Record Book Pertaining to New York Troops and Inhabitants and to Activities in New York State NAID 600823
• List of North Carolina Troops NAID 600992
• List of Pennsylvania Troops NAID 600998
• List of Rhode Island Troops NAID 600999
• List of South Carolina Troops NAID 601002
• Receipt Books of John Pierce, Paymaster General and Commissioner of Army Accounts, and Joseph Howell, Commissioner of Army Accounts NAID 607397

Record Group 93 -War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records

• General Pay Abstracts for Revolutionary War Units, 1894–1913 NAID 7459403
• Lists of Revolutionary War Officers, 1894–1913 NAID 602418

Record Group 112 - Records of the Office of the Surgeon General (Army)

• Military Service Cards of Revolutionary War Medical Officers, 1894–1912

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

Sample Image

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  1778 Revolutionary War Rolls

Inventory

A table showing the contents of each folder in this collection can be found at United States Revolutionary War Rolls - Inventory. This table identifies which regiments are in each folder.