I had always known I had ancestors who fought in the American Revolutionary War, and kept promising myself that I would join a Lineage Society like the Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR. Then one day my friend, Terry, announced that she had bought me a ticket to the DAR Christmas Dinner and told me when and where to meet her. I just needed a not so subtle push. I joined after proving my lineage to Eleazer Bliss who served in the American Revolution from Massachusetts
If your ancestors lived in any of what became the 13 Colonies, you probably have family who fought in the Ward of Independence. To find ancestors during the Revolutionary Ward period (1764-1783), you want to look for someone who was born between 1710 and 1765, though there may have been older men who served.
You may not be just looking for someone who served in a military capacity, but someone who supplied food, served in the Continental Congress, cared for soldiers families, ministers who encouraged patriotic service, persons who gave material aid to the soldiers, which includes Dr.s and Nurses. Your ancestors may also have given service by serving in town governments and other civil service responsibilities.
My ancestor, Adaonijah Bidwell, was a minister who donated 3 years of his salary to help fund the War. Jedidiah Dewey, another ancestor, was also a minister and was part of what is called the Black Robe Regiment. While not an actual fighting unit, it was comprised of ministers who kept the spirit of the revolution alive in their congregations by promoting American Independence and mustering support. Both men are considered Patriots. I have others who served in local militias and one who was killed at the battle of Saratoga, If you find one ancestor who served you probably have more, as fathers, sons, and grandfathers often rotated their service times to have someone at home caring for fields and herds, and their wives families often lived close, and the wife’s father and grandfather may also have served.
The following Databases are free to search;
- DAR Patriot Database where you can find your ancestor’s name, their Patriot ID number, rank, where they served from, death date and location of records., unit name and commanding officers.
- The DAR Descendants Database, which allows you to find out if you have an ancestor in the database by searching starting with your 4th g grandparents.
- There is also a ‘learning document’ found on Finding A Patriot that can guide you through this process if you need help. Scroll down the page to where you see the Databases listed, and you will find the tutorials.
Whether or not you decide to join an organization such as the DAR of SAR [Sons of the American Revolution] these records give documentation to help you prove your ancestry.
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