How many of you have ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War?

Question

I've been working on my family history and think I've found five assorted great-great-great-etc. grandfathers who fought in the Revolution. Just wondering how many others out there have had ancestors in America that long ago.

Thanks. I had a lot of help. My dad's dad's family was always interested in that stuff and my great-aunt did a lot of research that was handed down to me.

Answer 1

I have a couple that fought in the way as patriots. One William Donaldson was a member of the New Jersey Continentals, I also have one that orginally was a Hessian mercenary, until King George decided not to pay them-he switched sides for a land grant, and then there is the one that signed the Virginia Declaration of Independence.

Answer 2

Most of mine were in Canada at the time, but hubby has half a dozen or so who fought in the Revolution. Shocking for his mother, I also found those on her side of the family who were turncoats who got kicked out of the US after the war and were shipped up to Nova Scotia. She wasn't so pleased with that little find :-D

Answer 3

I had a g-g-g-g-grandfather who was a Revolutionary War soldier. I have found records on the Internet of him receiving a pension for having served. His name was William Smith, Sr.

You would be surprised what you can learn on the Internet. You are probably aware of a website called ancestry.com. Through their message boards, I was able to find information on the maternal side of my dad's family which dated back to the 1700's. Also, through a county genealogical society here in Texas, I was able to locate reems of material on members of the paternal side of my dad's family. I found full biographies of a great-grandfather and great-grandmother, a great-great-grandfather, several great-uncles and numerous more distant relatives. Also, through them, I located the cemetery where no fewer than four generations of the paternal side of my father's family members were buried, dating all the way back to one of my g-g-g-grandmothers, who was born in 1796.

Answer 4

Yes, I have several. Did you know that Revolutionary War pension papers are online? You can find them at Heritage Quest, but you can only get to that site via your public library; your local librarian will show you how.

Another way to get help is to find out if any cousins are members of the Daughters (or Sons) of the American Revolution. To get into that organization, you have to provide a proven genealogy with certified copies of records, etc. My DAR cousins were very generous in sharing their findings with me.

Answer 5

I found a couple. One of them had a cool nickname: "Vulcan of the Big Sandy Valley" - he was a gunsmith. In the war he was a drummer.

I have documented an ancestor born in America as early as 1647 and living here as early as 1634. Not quite the first immigrants, but darn early.

Answer 6

Yes, both sides, in fact! One of my ancestors was a Hessian Mercenary that deserted to stay in America when the unit headed home.

The bearers of my last name arrived in New Amsterdam and were greeted by Peter Styvescent himself. And one of my ancestors founded Rhode Island.

Answer 7

I found a Revolutionary War veteran on my Mom's side.
Also, Dicey Langston, a female Revolutionary War hero, is one of my ancestors.

Answer 8

I wish I could trace my family history half that far. You're blessed to be able to do that... many people don't even know who their parents or grandparents were.

God bless.