Pennsylvania Archives series 2, 5, and 6 each hold records from the time of the French and Indian War all the way through the end of the Mexican War, including names of both sailors and soldiers. Researchers should also consult similar records at the National Archives and the Pennsylvania State Archives.
The David Library of the American Revolution has several interesting documents on file and their collection has been indexed and microfilmed.
All of the colonies along the Mid-Atlantic had some Loyalists living within their borders, and Pennsylvania was no exception. Most of its Loyalist population was located in the southeastern region. Many of them later left to go to Canada and England. “Opponents of the Revolution Whose Pennsylvania Estates Were Confiscated,” Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 30 (1978): 237-53 lists some of those Loyalists. Pennsylvania Archives series 6 volumes 12 and 13 “Forfeited Estates Accounts” may also include useful information on Loyalists. The Library of Congress and the Public Archives of Canada each have Pennsylvania Loyalist Regiment muster roll copies on file.
The Pennsylvania State Library and the National Archives Mid-Atlantic Region each have a microfilmed index called Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers in Pennsylvania Organizations on file. The Pennsylvania State Archives also has an every-name index available.
Many records relating to the Spanish-American War, the American Revolution, the Civil War, and other military conflicts and issues can be found on the website for the Pennsylvania State Archives.
The World War II draft’s fourth registration original cards can be found at the National Archives Mid-Atlantic Region. They contain information on men who were between the ages of 45 and 64, as of April of 1942.
The county recorder of deeds generally holds soldier discharge papers from the Civil War onward, but there is restricted access to those records. The Office of the Director of Veterans’ Affairs in each county generally has burial records for veterans. The Pennsylvania State Archives also holds copies of those records.
- Pennsylvania Military Records (Fold3.com)
- Pennsylvania Military Record Books (amazon.com)
Pennsylvania in the Colonial War
Colonial War Website Links
- Names of Foreigners Who Took the Oath of Allegiance to the Province and State of Pennsylvania, 1727-1775
- French & Indian War Records at the Pennsylvania State Archives (portal.state.pa.us)
- The French Invasion of Western Pennsylvania 1753 (1981) by Donald H Kent
- The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania. 2d ed., with A Supplement. by C. Hale Sipe
- The French and Indian War in Pennsylvania, 1753–1763: Fortification and Struggle During the War for Empire by Jerry A. Clouse
- Pennsylvania Colonial War Books (amazon.com)
Pennsylvania in the Revolutionary War
See the Pennsylvania Revolutionary War Site Page
Pennsylvania in the War of 1812
War of 1812 Website Links
- Research in the War of 1812 1812-1815 (uswars.net)
- War of 1812 Records at the Pennsylvania State Archives (portal.state.pa.us)
- Pennsylvania Volunteers in the War of 1812
- The building of Perry’s fleet on Lake Erie, 1812-1813
- Muster Rolls of the Pennsylvania Volunteers in the War of 1812– 1814. Reprinted from Pennsylvania Archives. 2d series, vol. 12.
- Pennsylvania War of 1812 Books (amazon.com)
Pennsylvania in the Civil War
See the Pennsylvania Civil War Site Page
Pennsylvania Modern Wars
War Website Links
- Record of Pennsylvania volunteers in the Spanish-American War, 1898 by
Pennsylvania. Adjutant-General’s Office - Record of Pennsylvania volunteers in the Spanish-American War, 1898