Militia Lists in APA 225, Library of Virginia

Library of Virginia, Record Group 48, Auditor of Public Accounts, Inventory Entry 225, “Militia Lists 1779-1782” contains two inches of militia muster rolls or “lists” submitted by militia officers to Virginia’s Auditors for payment. The inventory entry (Salmon and Kolbe, Auditor of Public Accounts Inventory [Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1992], 51) reads

This series consists of a collection of revolutionary war militia lists. Although most of
the lists record the names of the men in the militia and their pay, the lists for Henry and
Loudoun counties also record the soldiers’ occupations, heights, and places of residence.
Lists are included for the following counties: Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Essex,
Fauquier, Frederick, Gloucester, Henry, King George, Loudoun, New Kent, Prince
William, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Washington and Westmoreland.

A few remarks are in order regarding these lists. First, these are not the only militia lists and muster rolls in LVA…there are others scattered in various locations throughout the collection. Second, it is important to note that there are notations on some of these lists indicating that they were not honored or paid by the Commonwealth. Any number of explanations may be offered for this: the men were not entitled to pay; they had been paid for the services on a previous occasion; etc. Third, a select few of the lists, as noted in the inventory entry, are “size rolls” of sorts, which give physical descriptions of each soldier. Fourth, while most of these lists were for services in the expeditionary militia, there are exceptions, the most notable being a 1782 New Kent County class list of 482 individuals, which does not prove active militia duty.

Many of these lists have been abstracted and/or transcribed, particularly in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. Susan Chiarello, in particular, is to be commended for her recent transcriptions of these records. A small few remain untranscribed, such as the New Kent County class list mentioned above. The following is my inventory of all records in the file:

1. Albemarle County-Capt B. Harris’ company 19 Sept 1781
2. Amelia County-Capt Edwd. Munford’s company march’d to Cabin Point 1781
3. Amherst County (two)-Capt Azariah Martin’s company June -Sept 1780; Capt William Tucker’s company Jan-March 1781. Both published in Sweeny, “Amherst Co in the Rev.”
4. Caroline County- Capt Edmd. Jones’s Company 29 April 1781
5. Essex County-Militia ordered out 4 Sept 1781 under Col Smith
6. Fauquier County (two)-Capt John Ball’s company July -Sept 1781; Capt William Triplett’s company 1781
7. Frederick County (two)-Capt Samuel Glass’s company against the tories in Hampshire County, no date; Col David Kennedy’s Batt. guarding prisoners at Winchester 1781
8. Gloucester County (two)-Capt Billups’ company on duty during the invasion, Aug-Oct 1781; Capt Thomas Baytop’s company May-June 1781
9. Henry County (three)-List of recruits raised under Act of Assembly Oct 1781 [a size roll]; Capt Daniel Carlin’s company July -Sept 1779; Capt Daniel Carlin’s company Feb-March 1781
10. King George County-List of recruits 1781
11. Loudoun County (three)-Capt Henry McCabe’s company May-July 1781; Capt Samuel A. Noland’s company 1782; Recruits raised by Act of Assembly Oct 1780 [a size roll]
12. New Kent County-Class List made by the field officers for New Kent Aug 1782 [class list of 428 individuals]
13. Prince William County-List of recruits 1781
14. Rockbridge County-Capt James Gilmore’s company under Gen. Morgan in SC 1780
15. Rockingham County (two)-Capt George Baxter’s company guarding British prisoners at Winchester Feb-March 1782; List of recruits 1781
16. Shenandoah County (three)-Capt Linefield Sharpe’s company Aug-Oct 1781; List of men drafted or enlisted 19 March 1781 agreeable to Act of Assembly; List of men from whom money received for recruiting soldiers 24 June 1782
17. Washington County (four)- Capt James Dysart’s company of light horse in service in NC 1781; Lt Reece Bowen’s company on expedition to King’s Mountain 1781; Capt David Beatie’s company on expedition to King’s Mountain 1781; Ensign Robert McFarland’s militia patroling on the frontier Oct 1780
18. Westmoreland County (two)-List of recruits 1780; Account of Commissioners to raise troops 1781