Revolutionary History – Piscataquis Observer

By Nancy Battick

On July 4, 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Many organizations are planning contributions to this auspicious occasion, including our National Archives in Washington, D.C.

In 2023, the National Archives announced that they were seeking volunteers to transcribe over 2.5 million pages of Revolutionary War pension records. To date, over 83,000 pages have been transcribed in whole or in part. The Archives will now begin tagging these pages, making them more accessible to genealogists and historians.

It is important to realize that not every veteran of the Revolution applied for a pension. In order to qualify for a pension for service in the Revolutionary War, veterans had to prove that they had served for at least six months. This often excluded members of local militias who served when needed, or men who volunteered for a specific fight in their area.

Congress did not begin authorizing pensions until 1818. Many veterans were already dead or had long since lost their discharge or supporting documents for their service. In addition to their original documents, they often had to obtain supporting documents from their former officers or others who served with them, if those men could still be found. All of these documents are part of the original pension applications.

These pensions were intended to provide for needy veterans who needed help for themselves and their families. A veteran who could support himself and his family would not qualify for a pension, which means the pension list is a great resource, but not entirely inclusive. But for those who did qualify, the data is priceless.

To prove that a veteran was disabled or indigent, these applications listed everything of value that belonged to the applicant, as well as dependents. Once widows could apply for a pension, proof of marriage had to be submitted. If a widow did not have her original marriage certificate, she could provide a letter from the minister who performed the ceremony, or from those who were present at the time, or from people who knew the couple were married.

For genealogists and family historians, all this information is a goldmine. It is also the diamond standard for anyone joining a lineage society such as the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution.

The Archives is still looking for volunteers to help with the transcription or tagging project. Transcribing these early documents can be challenging due to the passage of time, the varying education levels of applicants, spelling variations that were virtually unregulated, abbreviations used, and even handwriting, not to mention local expressions. The brave genealogists who are helping to bring these documents online for researchers deserve our thanks.

The Tagging Project allows volunteers to tag applications to identify the names listed, areas of interest, such as POWs, and even National Park Service sites associated with the application, such as Valley Forge. You can learn more about volunteering at www.archives.gov/citizen-archivists.

Dover-Foxcroft columnist Nancy Battick has been researching genealogy for over 30 years. She is a past president of the Maine Genealogical Society, the author of several genealogical articles, and co-transcribed the Dover-Foxcroft Vital Records. Nancy holds an MA in History from UM and lives in DF with her husband Jack, another avid genealogist. Readers can email her at [email protected].