"Demographic Study of AWI in the South" Topic

Latest in a series of articles in the Journal of the American Revolution, looking at the demographics of soldiers in the AWI 1775 – 1783; based on pension applications.

Sections differ a little but cover 10 -12 areas including Birthplace, Battles, terms of enlistment, and race (7 characteristics of Freemen of Color – NC only so far).

So far NC, GA and SC data has been published – I believe VA is next up

NC Continental Line
link

NC State Troops and Militia
link

GA Continental Line and Militia
link

SC Soldiers
link

Cool!

I had at least one ancestor who served in the Continental Army, most likely from North Carolina. According to family lore, he was at Yorktown. He named his son, born after the war, Washington in honor of the general (and president).

I know of other relatives, probably from Virginia, who were at Valley Forge, though I don't know the exact relationship to our branch of the family, or what service came after that (their names are on the rolls accessible at the Valley Forge Visitor Center; I've looked them up there). My ancestors stem from early colonial Massachusetts and Virginia, moved down into North Carolina, and eventually Georgia (probably post AWI, so could be among the pension applications— the family still owns considerable rural property in north eastern Georgia, probably the result of a land grant). Other ancestors were actually from Georgia, the descendants of a British (Scottish) army officer during the days of Oglethorpe, who led a small body of troops tasked with defending the colony from natives and the Spanish. While he obviously did not fight in the AWI on either side, I don't know what his descendants did— but I would suspect they were on the Patriot side, as in their area (south Georgia) the family became very prominent and wealthy (alas, that wealth is long gone). Don't really see that happening for a loyalist family post-war, even in Georgia.

Thanks for the links!

Thank you very much!

Those of you who haven't worked the southern pensions, do remember the limitations: they start after most of the combatants are dead, and the first pensions covered only poverty cases, so expect the applicants to be younger and at least claim to be poorer than the average AWI combatant. How much younger and poorer? We don't know. If a man served on both sides--and some unquestionably did--they're not likely to mention the Tory service. Supporting evidence runs the gamut from neighbors who always heard he served to "Chief Justice Marshal will vouch for me." (I actually ran into that once.)

Read and enjoy. But remember the systemic biases.

The trick with pensions is to read a lot of them and look for patterns. Because individually, yes, they are quite unreliable in some ways.

Good points Robert and doc – while there are warnings in the documents – always good to be a healthy skeptic when reading historical data

People didnt always apply or were told they couldnt or were pressured not to apply for pensions

Doesnt cover the people who served in more limited ways, died etc…

and points above among others

Babits made excellent use of them in his books on Cowpens and Guilford--exact positions of the militia regiments relative to one another, and percentages of regulars vs militia, for instance.

I've been caught up a little lately with bounty land warrants. (The late claims are much like the pension applications for information.) Maryland is paying off with land so poor that 300 acres--a captain's share--might sell for $12 USD, or not even be worth claiming.