Using the Revolutionary War Pension and Warrant Index at FamilySearch

FamilySearch has the full-name index to “United States Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications, 1800-1900” online on their site. This database is an index only and does not link directly to the images at FamilySearch. The index was created by Fold3.com and FamilySearch links (apparently) to the images at Fold3.com and those are available by subscription. The images of the applications are on FamilySearch. They just are not linked to the index. A little work will allow the user to use the index on FamilySearch and find the actual image of the record.

James Abby appears in the application file for James Walker of Connecticut. Viewing the “Document Information” (click the arrow to see it) provides the GS film number, Affiliate Publication Number (M804-which in this case is the NARA micofilm publication number), Digital Folder Number, and the Image Number. Clicking on the film number takes you to a list of names on that film (apparently pulling up an index of the names on that roll and that roll only) and does not apparently take one easily to the image.

There is a workaround. One just needs to get to the actual images of the microfilm on the FamilySearch site. I did this by searching the catalog for the microfilm’s actual entry in the card catalog (not the entry for the database of names) as I wanted the images.

It was easily located and I checked the “series” reference to make certain that I had the correct item and not some other derivative item made from the applications (such as another book or finding aid, etc.).

The roll can be found by the GS film number (97274) or the actual veteran’s name (James Walker) and see what roll his file appeared on. Then clicking on the camera icon pulled up the “roll” that I needed.

Then I entered in the image number in the box and upon navigating the image, the desired name was located.

The link to search the database and then view the images are:

• The index–database of names only with no direct link to FamilySearch images.
• The catalog entry for the digital rolls of microfilm which include the images–navigating as above.