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Virginia Military Records

Browse Virginia Counties

See Also Researching in Military Records and Research In Colonial & United States Wars From Earliest to 1865

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.

Below is a list of online resources for Virginia in the Colonial Wars. Email us with websites containing information on Virginia in the Colonial Wars by clicking the link below:

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Revolutionary War in Virginia

Search Revolutionary War 1775-83 Service Records, Rejected Pensions, Loyalists Records, 1775-1783 Pay Rolls, Courts-Martial, Officers, Pension Index, 1841 Pensioner Census

The Militia - Colonial Virginia did not maintain a standing army. Nearly everyone was engaged in agriculture, and needed to plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. The Virginians were not wealthy enough to afford full-time soldiers. Whenever there were colonial "alarms" about pirates or Indians, riders on horses would spread the word to various farms and the men would assemble as needed.

The militia was organized by county. In theory, there were regular training sessions of the militia at the county courthouse. In times of peace, however, these became largely social events. The County Lieutenant was often a candidate for the House of Burgesses, and strict discipline of essentially volunteer soldiers was rare. More often, the drinking during the militia assemblies was more intense than the target practice.

In times of war, those with crops to plant and harvest were reluctant to serve for more than a few weeks. When a militia unit received orders to march to another colony, their reluctance was based in part on a desire to return home soon rather than a misguidance allegiance to Virginia. Bounties were often offered to attract the "idle poor" who had less to lose, and were more willing to volunteer. These were rarely the most-disciplined or hardest-working members in the county, however. In addition, they often arrived in camp without the required clothing, guns, powder, and ammunition. Whatever was issued to such soldiers had a tendency to be lost or damaged... though some items were obviously sold or kept for personal profit. The militia motivations were basic, with patriotism towards the colony far down the list.

During the French and Indian War, George Washington struggled to obtain and trained enough soldiers for a sustained campaign. Some were recruited through financial incentives, while others were forcibly drafted. One author has described the conditions of serving at the front - Winchester, in Frederick County - in 1757:

Nearly all the militia remained law abiding in their idleness except the contingent from Prince William County who became violently abusive in claiming their superiority not only to the privates but also the officers of the Virginia Regiment. As a result, one militiaman was seized and locked in the guardhouse for his insolence. This insult was not to be endured. A militia officer gathered his comrades, stormed the guardhouse, released their compatriot and proceeded to demolish the building. The leader of the mutiny swore that the Virginia Regiment officers were all scoundrels and that "...he could drive the whole Corps before him...

" Although the Regiment was anxious for reinforcements from the militia, insults were not to be countenanced. The mutinous militia leader was personally acquainted, in a manner left unexplained, with military law and enforcement by irate members of the Regiment. The next morning the chastened militia officer tendered his apologies at headquarters. Washington chose not to punish the leader as the fright he had suffered at the hands of the Regiment "...sufly attoned for his imprudence."

The Continental Army - The Revolutionary War may have been another one of those "rich man's war, poor man's fight" - but many Virginians did fight. They were recruited to serve intially in the First Virginia Regiment. Additional regiments were raised, and then many were transferred to the emerging "national" Continental army - where they served outside of the new state, in the northern colonies and then in South Carolina.

George Washington was given command of the first multi-colony army. He had not-so-subtly dressed in his old French and Indian War uniform, while Congress debated who was trustworthy enough to lead the military forces... but not try to become a dictator on the process. He left the Philadelphia, where the Continental Congress was meeting, and did not return to Virginia for six years (when he stopped at Mount Vernon on the march to Yorktown). Martha managed to join him for winter camps, providing some moral support to the troops as well as to her husband.

The Continental Army was organized by state, and the Virginia troops were in the Virginia Line. Almost all Virginians serving in the Continental Army were captured in the disastrous surrender by General Benjamin Lincoln of the army at Charlestown, South Carolina in 1780.

An additional 350 under Colonel Abraham Buford in the 3rd Virginia Cavalry were killed or wounded at Waxhaws, South Carolina. They were reinforcements who arrived too late to help the Charleston garrison, and were caught by Banastre Tarleton's dragoons while retuning to Virginia. In the "Waxhaws Massacre," Tarleton's men killed over 100 while they apparently tried to surrender. However, there's another perspective:

"As Tarleton came forward to discuss surrender, his horse was shot from under him and he was pinned under it while his dragoons, thinking he had been killed under a flag of truce, gave the Virginians no quarter. There is a monument a half a mile from the battle site, which is now known as Buford Crossroads and surrounding community known as Buford"

Below is a list of organized military Virginia units in the Revolutionary War.

Below is a list of online resources for Virginia in the Revolutionary War.

  • Virginia Revolutionary War Books at Amazon.com
  • Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
  • Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 from the State of Virginia.
  • Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
  • Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War: This database includes the summary of the Militia's military movements arranged by counties, declarations of Virginia Militia Pensioners, Militia officers appointed in various counties, and pensioners residing in and outside of Virginia in 1835 who received pensions as Virginia militiamen. This record is an attempt to present a bird's-eye view of the field movements of the Revolution, which concern Virginia.
  • Virginia Navy in the Revolution: This database is a history of Virginia's Navy of the Revolution, which was the largest of all the State navies. It presents individuals who played significant roles in this organization, as well as the achievements and failures of the Navy. Sources for this work include the Journal and the Letter Book of the Virginia Naval Board, Revolutionary pension claim papers, and other documents concerning the Virginia Navy.
  • Virginia Revolutionary War Records: This database represents a variety of records of Virginia's army and navy forces in the Revolutionary War. The lists include names of officers, seamen, marines, and soldiers; service rendered; and compensation, if any. Material was obtained from Federal and State archives. Also included are extensive lists of Bounty Land Warrants issued by Virginia, indicating many thousands of the Revolutionary war soldiers, sailors and marines, and their heirs.
  • Virginia Soldiers of 1776, Vol. 1: Published in 1927, this important reference work identifies many military men serving from Virginia in the Revolutionary War. Information about each soldier has been compiled from documents on file in the Virginia Land Office, or from material in the Archives Dept. of the Virginia State Library. Entries often contain information about heirs, spouses, witnesses, and other people as are associated with the proceedings of probate and other legal processes.
  • Revolutionary War Public Service Claims - index to documents relating to claims for compensation made by Virginia citizens.
  • Revolutionary War Land Office Military Certificates - land Office Military Certificates are printed forms on which the names of Revolutionary War officers, soldiers and sailors are filled in as well as the details of their service in the State or Continental line.
  • Revolutionary War Virginia State Pensions - index to and scanned images of the surviving records that veterans and their widows presented to the county courts to certify their eligibility for pension.
  • Revolutionary War Rejected Claims - index and images of the documents of applicants who had military service of insufficient length to qualify for the bounty land requested.
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War of 1812 in Virginia

See Also The War of 1812

Below is a list of online resources for Virginia in the War of 1812.

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Civil War in Virginia

See Also The American Civil War

Virginia was the 8th state to suceed from the Union on April 17, 1861. Virginia provided 192,924 of her sons for the war effort which translates to 5.0% (ranked 6th out of 44 states and territories) of the total men who served on both sides of the conflict. There were a total of 2,154 raids, skirmishes and battles in the state.

Virginia had 3 Union P.O.W. Camps at Fort Monroe, Fort Norfolk, Newport News and Libby and 35 Confederate P.O.W. Camp at Alexandria (Prince Street Jail), Atkinson's Factory, Barrett's Factory, Belle Isle, Castle Godwin (Lumpkin's Jail), Castle Lightening, Castle Thunder (Richmond, Gleanor's Factory, Palmer's Factory, Whitlock's Warehouse) , Danville, E.D.M. Prison, Edward's Prison, Franklin Street, General Hospital #1 (Shockoe Hill), Grant's Factory, Gwathmey Warehouse, Harwood's Factory, Libby Warehouse, Ligon's Warehouse, Lynchburg, Howard's Factory, Gordonsville, Henrico County Jail, Libby *, Mayo's Factory, McCurdy's Warehouse, McDaniel's Warehouse, Pemberton Warehouse (Crew's), Petersburg (Castle Thunder), Richmond (15 prisons- Virginia State Penitentiary), Ross's Factory, Scott's Factory, Smith's Factory, Taylor's Factory, Warwick & Barksdale Mill, Winchester (Frederick County Jail)

In 1861, the Virginia State Convention passed an ordinance establishing a design virtually identical to that in current use. This flag has a deep blue field with a circular white center. The obverse of the great seal of the Commonwealth has been identically painted or embroidered on each side of the flag. A white silk fringe adorns the edge farthest from the flag staff.

The Virginia State seal depicts the Roman goddess Virtus representing the spirit of the Commonwealth. She is dressed as an Amazon, a sheathed sword in one hand, and a spear in the other, and one foot on the form of Tyranny, who is pictured with a broken chain in his left hand, a scourge in his right, and his fallen crown nearby, implying struggle that has ended in complete victory. Virginia's motto, Sic Semper Tyrannis (Latin for "Thus Always to Tyrants"), appears at the bottom.

Confederate - 15 States and Territories
Total number of men recruited 155,000
% of Confederate Army 15.0%
Overall rank 1
% of South's population 9.7%
Overall rank 8
Regiments of foreign-born soldiers
Pelham's Horse Artillery (mixed)
Rains Artillery (German)
Virginiua Foreign Legion (British)
11th Infantry: 1 Company (Co. H, Irish)
17th Infantry: 2 Companies (Co. G, Irish; Co. I, Irish)
Confederate Army Deaths
Killed Officers 266
Killed Enlisted 5,062
Died of Wounds Officers 200
Died of Wounds Enlisted 2,319
Died of Disease Officers 168
Died of Disease Enlisted 6,779
Total 14,796
State Military Units
Artillery 10 regiments
11 battalions
96 companies
4 batteries
1 legion
Cavalry 35 regiments
23 battalions
7 companies
Infantry 70 regiments
27 battalions
4 companies
Engineers 1 battalion
Sharpshooter 1 regiment
Union - 43 States and Territories
Total number of men recruited 37,924
% of Union Army 1.4%
% of state's population 2.4%
Overall rank 17
Union Army Deaths
Killed/Mortally Wounded 10
Disease 16
Disease in Prison 13
Accidents/Drowning 2
Murdered 1
Military Execution ??
Executed By Enemy ??
Known/Not Classified ??
Unknown ??
Total 42
State Military Units
Artillery ??
Cavalry ??
Infantry 2 regiments

Below is a list of organized military Virginia units in the Civil War.

 

 

Below is a list of online resources for Virginia in the Civil War.

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