Over 420 African Americans who were born free during the colonial period served in the American Revolution from Virginia. Another 400 who descended from free-born colonial families served from North Carolina, 40 from South Carolina, 60 from Maryland, and 17 from Delaware. At least 24 from Virginia and 41 from North Carolina died in the service. Over 75 free African Americans were in colonial militias and the French and Indian Wars in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Although some slaves fought to gain their freedom as substitutes for their masters, they were relatively few in number. By the same token, those who were not serving under their own free will are not included in this list. It was simply not their fight.

While the information on each of the free black veterans of the War for Independence varies, in most cases the author has provided the individual’s name, state and county, unit served in, military theater, some family information, often a physical description, pension applied for or received, sometimes other information, and the source. The case of Isaac Brown of Charles City County, Virginia, is illustrative of many of the descriptions found in the volume:

Isaac Brown was born in Charles City County and enlisted there in the Revolution for 1-1/2 years on 12 September 1780: complexion black, 5’2-1/2″ high, a farmer [Register & description of Noncommissioned officers & Privates, LVA accession no. 24296, by http://revwarapps.org/b69.pdf (p.45)]. He was taxable in Lower Westover Precinct of Charles City County in 1786 [PPTL, 1783-7], head of a Charles City County household of 10 “other free” in 1810 [VA:959] and 4 “free colored” in 1820 [VA:13]. He applied for a pension in Charles City County at the age of 69 on 19 May 1829, stating that he enlisted in Charles City County in the fall of the year 1780 and served in Captain Sanford’s Company in Colonel Campbell’s Regiment for 18 months. He was in the Battle of Guildford Courthouse, the Siege 14 of Ninety Six, and the Battle of Eutaw Springs. He owned 70 acres in Charles City County [NARA, S.39,214, M804, Roll 366, frame 240 of 893; http://fold3.com/image/11713004].

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The six volumes of Migration from the Russian Empire cover the first half of this immigration era, from January 1875 through June 1891, identifying hundreds of thousands of persons of Russian nationality who immigrated to the United States. This information was extracted from the original ships’ passenger lists held by the Temple-Balch Center for Immigration Research, the only records that furnish proof of the arrival in the United States for these immigrants. Each volume in the series provides the name of passenger, his/her age, sex, occupation, country of origin, place of residence, and destination; additionally, each passenger list is headed by the name of the ship, the port of embarkation, the port of arrival, and the date of arrival. The concluding volumes in the series, covering the early 1890s, also specify the passengers’ last place of residence in Europe and their precise destination in the U.S.

For researchers investigating their Russian family origins, this type of information is the very bedrock on which all American family history is built.

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Founded in 1837, The Baltimore Sun published numerous articles characterizing local, national, and international events relating to and impacting people of color. Beginning with the Reconstruction year of 1870, Margaret D. Pagan has performed the yeoman’s task of scouring the newspaper for all such accounts and summarizing their contents through 1927. To quote historian Donna T. Hollie, who wrote the Foreword to the compilation, “The author has selected articles for this publication which provide an expansive overview of experiences chronicling the African diaspora. For example, the reader will learn of the evolution of ‘Jim Crow,’ regarding housing and interstate travel.  Also included are summaries covering sports, lynching, entertainment, and political, educational, economic and religious activities. The accomplishments of well-known activists such as Frederick Douglass, and lesser-known ones such as Henry Highland Garnet, both Maryland born, are detailed.”

Genealogists searching for Baltimore connections will appreciate that Mrs. Pagan has also included references to marriage license applicants and obituaries. Obituaries, of course, sometimes provide details about the decedent’s family and organizational connections.  Among the more than 800 entries in this chronology, researchers will find references to James B. Parker, the African American who subdued Leon Czolgosz, President McKinley’s assassin; meetings of Baltimore’s Brotherhood of Liberty, the precursor to the Niagara Movement and founding of the NAACP; and efforts to install black teachers in Baltimore’s segregated schools for African Americans. For the researcher’s convenience, the author has included a comprehensive index to names and events referenced in her chronology. For all these attributes and Mrs. Pagan’s careful attention to detail, African American News in the Baltimore Sun, 1870-1927 must certainly be the starting point for anyone interested in black history and genealogy during the era under investigation.

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Volume III contains articles of varying lengths about the following families (names in bold refer to 70 families newly added to 6^th edition): Moore, Mordick, Morgan, Morris, Morrison, Mosely, Moses, Moss, Mozingo, Muckelro, Mumford, Munday, Muns, Murphy, Murray, Murrow, Nash, Neal, Newman, Newsom, Newton, Nicholas, Nickens, Norman, Norris, Norton, Norwood, Nutts, Oats, Okey, Oliver, Otter, Overton, Owen, Oxendine, Page, Palmer, Parker, Parr, Parrot, Patrick, Patterson, Payne, Peacock, Peavy, Pendarvis, Pendergrass, Perkins, Peters, Pettiford, Phillips, Philipson,  Pickett, Pierce, Pinn, Pittman, Pitts, Plumly, Poe, Pompey, Pool, Portions, Portiss, Powell, Powers, Press, Price, Prichard, Proctor, Pryor, Pugh, Pursley, Rains, Ralls, Randall, Ranger, Rann, Ransom, Raper, Ratcliff, Rawlinson, Redcross, Redman, Reed, Reeves, Revell, Reynolds, Rich, Richardson, Rickman, Ridley, Riley, Roberts, Robins, Robinson, Rogers, Rollins, Rosario, Ross, Rouse, Rowe, Rowland, Rudd, Ruff, Russell, Sample, Sampson, Sanderlin, Santee, Saunders, Savoy, Sawyer, Scott, Seldon, Sexton, Shaw, Shepherd, Shoecraft, Shoemaker, Silver, Simbler, Simmons, Simms, Simon, Simpson, Sisco, Skipper, Slaxton, Smith, Smothers, Sneed, Snelling, Soleleather, Sorrell, Sparrow, Spelman, Spiller, Spriddle, Spriggs, Spruce, Spurlock, Stafford, Stephens, Stewart, Stringer, Sunket, Swan, Sweat, Sweetin, Symons, Syphax, Taborn, Talbot, Tann, Tate, Taylor, Teague, Teamer, Thomas, Thompson, Timber, Toney, Tootle, Toulson, Toyer, Travis, Tudor, Turner, Twopence, Tyler, Tyner, Tyre, Underwood, Valentine, Vaughan, Vena/Venie, Verty, Vickory, Viers, Walden, Walker, Wallace, Warburton, Warrick, Waters, Watkins, Watts, Weaver, Webb, Webster,Weeks, Welch, Wells, West, Wharton, Whistler, White, Whitehurst, Whitmore, Wiggins, Wilkins, Wilkinson, Williams, Wilson, Winborn, Winn, Winters, Womble, Wood, Wooten, Worrell, Worsham, Wright, and Young.

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Volume II contains articles of varying lengths about the following families (names in bold refer to 70 families newly added to 6^th edition): Driggers, Dring, Driver, Drury, Duncan, Dungee, Dunlop, Dunn, Dunstan, Dutchfield, Eady, Edgar, Edge, Edwards, Edwell, Edwin, Elliott, Ellis, Elmore, Epperson, Epps, Evans, Fagan, Faggott, Farrar, Farthing, Fears, Ferguson, Ferrell, Fielding, Fields, Findley, Finnie, Fletcher, Flood, Flora, Flowers, Fortune, Fox, Francis, Franklin, Frazier, Freeman, Frost, Fry, Fullam, Fuller, Gaines, Gallimore, Garden, Gardner, Garner, Garnes, George, Gibson, Gilbert, Gillett, Gilmore, Godett, Goff, Goldman, Goodman, Gordon, Gowen, Grace, Graham, Grant, Grantum, Graves, Gray, Grayson, Gregory, Grice, Griffin, Grimes, Groom, Guy, Gwinn, Hackett, Hagins, Hailey, Haithcock, Hall, Ham, Hamilton, Hamlin, Hammond, Hanson, Harden, Harmon, Harris, Harrison, Hartless, Harvey, Hatcher, Hatfield, Hatter, Hawkins, Hawley, Haws, Haynes, Hays, Heath, Hedgepeth, Hewlett, Hewson, Hickman, Hicks, Hill, Hilliard, Hitchens, Hiter, Hobson, Hodges, Hogg, Hollinger, Holman, Holmes, Holt, Hood, Horn, House, Howard, Howell, Hubbard, Hughes, Hulin, Hull, Humbles, Hundley, Hunt, Hunter, Hurley, Hurst, Ivey, Jackson, Jacob, Jacobs, James, Jameson, Jarvis, Jasper, Jeffery, Jeffries, Jenkins, Johns, Johnson, Joiner, Jones, Jordan, Jumper, Keemer, Kelly, Kendall, Kent, Kersey, Key/ Kee, Keyton, King, Kinney, Knight, Lamb, Landum, Lang, Langston, Lansford, Lantern, Lawrence, Laws, Lawson, Lee, Lemon, Lephew, Lester, Lett, Leviner, Lewin, Lewis, Lighty, Ligon, Limas, Linegar, Lively, Liverpool, Lloyd, Locklear, Lockson, Locus, Lomack, Longo, Lowry, Lugrove, Lynch, Lynam, Lyons, Lytle, McCarty, McCoy, McCullum, McDaniel, McGee, McIntosh, Maclin, Madden, Magee, Mahorney, Major, Malbone, Male, Manly, Mann, Manning, Manuel, Marshall, Martin, Mason, Matthews, Maxfield, Mays, Meade, Mealy, Meekins, Meggs, Melvin, Miles, Miller, Mills, Milton, Mitchell, Mitchum, Mongom, Monoggin, and Month.

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Contained in Volume I are articles of varying lengths about the following families (names in bold refer to 70 families newly added to 6^th edition): Abel, Abshier, Acre, Adams, Africa, Ailstock, Alford, Allen, Alman, Alvis, Ampey, Ancel, Anderson, Andrews, Anthony, Archer, Armfield, Armstead, Armstrong, Arnold, Artis, Ashberry, Ashby, Ashe, Ashton, Ashworth, Atkins, Atkinson, Aulden, Avery, Bailey, Baine, Baker, Balkham, Ball, Baltrip, Banks, Bannister, Barber, Barlow, Barnett, Barrow, Bartly/Bartlett, Bass, Bates, Battles, Bazden, Bazmore, Beckett, Bee, Bell, Bennett, Berry, Beverly, Bibbens, Bibby, Biddie, Bilberry,  Bing, Bingham, Binns, Bizzell, Black, Blake, Blango, Blanks, Blizzard, Blue, Bluford, Bolton, Bond, Boon, Booth, Bosman, Bow, Bowden, Bowers, Bowles, Bowman, Bowmer, Bowser, Boyd, Bradby, Branch, Brandican, Brandom, Brandon, Braveboy, Braxton, Brewington, Bright, Britt, Britton, Brogdon, Brooks, Brown, Bruce, Brumejum, Bryan, Bryant, Bugg, Bullard, Bunch, Bunday, Burden, Burke, Burkett, Burnett, Burrell, Busby, Bush, Buss, Butcher, Butler, Byrd, Campbell, Cane, Cannady, Carpenter, Carroll, Carter, Cary, Case, Cassidy, Castella, Causey, Cauther, Chambers, Chandler, Chapman, Charity, Chavis, Church, Churchwell, Churton, Clark, Cobb, Cockran, Cole, Coleman, Collins, Combess, Combs, Connaly, Conner, Cook, Cooley, Cooper, Copeland, Copes, Corn, Cornet, Cornish, Cotanch, Cousins, Cowigg, Cox, Coy, Craig, Crane, Credit, Croston, Cuff, Cuffee, Cumbo, Cunningham, Curle, Curtis, Custalow, Cuttillo, Cypress, Dale, Dailey, Dalton, Davenport, Davis, Day, Dean, Deas, Debaptist,  Debrix, Decoudrey, Demery, Dempsey, Dennis, Dennum, Derosario, Dial, Dixon, Dobbins, Dolby, Donathan, Douglass, Dove, Drake, and Drew.

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Part Eleven of Scots Irish Links, 1575-1725 attempts to identify more of these Scottish settlers. It is based on research carried out into both manuscript and published sources found in Scotland, Ireland, and England. This volume is heavily based on documents in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the National Records of Scotland, especially those that establish the economic links of the period, such as the contemporary port books of both Scotland and Ireland, and records from the High Court of the Admiralty of Scotland. Such records identify the ports and trading links that facilitated immigration to Ireland. Within a few generations, the descendants of these Ulster Scots emigrated in substantial numbers across the Atlantic where, as the Scotch-Irish, they made a major contribution to the settlement and development of Colonial America.

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A major source of employment for these Highlanders was in military service with the British Army, commencing with the Seven Years War [the French and Indian War] from 1756 to 1763, the American War of Independence from 1776 to 1783, and the French Wars from 1789 to 1815.  Many of these veterans, encouraged by the British government, decided to stake their futures in the U.S. and Canada.

At the same time, the Industrial Revolution was creating a demand for wool for the textile industry. This demand resulted in a restricting of agriculture in the Hebrides. By abandoning traditional farming–either by raising rent or by “clearing the land”–landowners could generate more income, but at a social cost. Exacerbating the new agricultural practices, the potato blight and the famine of 1837 and 1838 meant that many families were living in poverty. In the end, unemployment, destitution, and the large-scale evictions were the main reasons for emigration from the Highlands and notably from the Hebrides.

This book attempts to identify early-nineteenth-century residents of the Hebrides, especially those from the islands of Skye, Islay, Mull, Lewis, and Harris, and Hebrideans who chose to immigrate to the Carolinas, Maritime Canada, and Australia.  Most modern Hebridean place names are Anglicized versions of the original Gaelic place names. The Hebrideans were Gaelic speakers, so the Gaelic place names that they would have used have been added. What is different about Highlander emigration is that people–including the Hebrideans–emigrated as family groups, settling together where they could maintain their Gaelic language, culture, and religion, often in frontier locations such as Cape Breton or the Cape Fear Valley.

In all, this work, drawing upon primary sources in Scotland and abroad, identifies close to 1,500 heads of household from the Hebrides by name, a date, a place in the islands, and the source. Since most of these travelers were accompanied by family members, the listings provide the names and relationships of three or four times as many persons overall.

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The vast majority of War of 1812 records consist of (1) pension records, (2) compiled military service records, and (3) bounty-land warrant application files. There are other records, of course, but these are the three main entry points in genealogical research. The purpose of this guide is to show you where these records are located, what they contain, and whether they are indexed, microfilmed, digitized, or found online. Regular army and navy records, prisoner of war records, lineage societies, state records, and published sources are also highlighted here.

With an updated and expanded list of online resources and record sources, and a handy checklist for finding militiamen, this updated edition of Genealogy at a Glance: War of 1812 Research is the best, and most current, guide for those wishing to trace their War of 1812 ancestors.

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For eighty years the Dutch fought to maintain their independence from Spain, and aiding them in their struggle were thousands of Scottish soldiers, who formed the Scots Brigade. The Scots Brigade in Dutch Service was founded in 1572 and continued in existence until 1782, during which time a significant number of men from Scotland fought and later settled in the Netherlands. A number of them and their descendants immigrated to the Dutch settlements in America, stretching from the Hudson River to the West Indies and Surinam.

This book, the fourth in the series, identifies some of the Scots with links to the Low Countries, especially seafarers and merchants, but also planters in the Dutch colonies in and around the Caribbean. It is based mainly on primary sources, notably the records of the High Court of the Admiralty of Scotland. In each case, Dr. Dobson states the individual’s name, occupation (soldier, merchant, student, etc.), date of the reference, and the source. Marriage entries typically give the Scot’s name and place of origin, those of his spouse, and sometimes the name(s) of parents, or more. In a few cases, the references are to Dutch persons who migrated in the opposite direction, lured by Scotland’s offer of full naturalization.

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