Patriot Records Committee

About

1931 – PG Judge Josiah S. Van Orsdel initially designated the Revolutionary Graves Registration Committee: Dr. John F. Streeter, Chairman, Massachusetts, Monroe Hopwood, Pennsylvania; Benjamin F. Johnson, Massachusetts.

1993 – PG Clovis Brakebill wrote a 672-page book; a compilation of the graves registered to date.

1994 – PG Robert B. Vance announced the formation of the Patriot Index Project and included $80,000 seed money.

1998 – Patriot Index CD was first published for sale at $60 each and SAR published the Revolutionary War Graves Register CD. Progeny Publishing Co: Buffalo, NY.

2004 – SAR published the Patriot Index Edition III (CD: PP2210, Progeny Publ., 2002) plus data.

2012 – The Patriot Index Committee was published online by Del White, Michel Keen, Dennis Boyer, and Erick Krueger –Included were the two CDs and PG Brakebill’s book entry. All files were added without a sustained effort to remove duplicates. Recognized Volunteers with Lafayette Volunteer Service Medal.

2014 – PG Lindsey Brock added the Patriot Biographies Committee.

2017 – PG Larry Guzy combined the Graves Registry, Patriot Biographies and Patriot Index Committees to become the Patriot Records Committee.

2018 – The Patriot Research System was developed by Erick Krueger, Jamie Callender, Jim Wood, Gary Green, and Dennis Boyer.

PRS

Patriot Research System Website

The PRS is a combination of the previous NSSAR Patriot and Graves Registry (Online), NSSAR Revolutionary War Graves Registry (Book and CD), information from the NSSAR Patriot Index CD (2002), and additional information and updates from various State Grave Registry Databases. The SAR Patriot Biographies project began in 2014 to collect the biographies of the ancestors of SAR members.to perpetuate the memory of our Revolutionary War Patriot ancestors by providing a media for the SAR members to submit biographies of their patriot ancestor(s), which will enhance the recruitment of new members for the SAR.

This database will continue to expand as new patriots and graves are found and new members are approved.

Please be aware that the Patriot and Grave Registry is NOT a comprehensive list of all the individuals who served in the American Revolutionary War, nor is it an indication than an SAR membership application (Record Copy) exists for every Patriot listed herein.

In addition, the Patriot Research System is a searchable online database of patriots which catalogs known information about those patriots, their grave location, and information about their descendants who have joined the SAR. There are several ways to search for information on this system:

• Patriot Search – Search the database based on Patriot Name, Patriot Number, and other criteria.
• Search the database based on a SAR member. This allows for viewing all known descendants of a given member.
• Search the database based on a Descendant name. A descendant is someone who sits between a SAR Member and a Patriot in their lineage. This search is a work in progress, as not every record has lineage data in this database today, and won’t be included in the results.
• Search the database specifically for finding Biographies that have been submitted. Search results are limited to those Patriots who have had a biography submitted.
• Revolutionary War Graves Project

The Revolutionary War Graves project was first initiated in 1992 by PG Clovis H. Brakebill and continues to be a fixture in the life of each Chapter and State Society. As Patriot graves are located the appropriate type of ceremony should be conducted to recognize the service and life of a Patriot.

PRS Volunteers and Training

Over 800 volunteers work at putting in application lineages and patriot records. Any member can become a volunteer by contacting the Chairman of the Patriot Records Committee at prs@sar.org. and providing name, society name, member number and email address. You will be set up as a volunteer for your state society. Accumulating 40 hours of work leads to being awarded the National Lafayette Medal.

For more information on what volunteers do review the video or written training instructions at the links provided below:

PRS Basic Course

Video – Getting Work

Work Instructions – How To Get Your Work

Video – Header Fields

Work Instructions – Working with Header Fields

Video – Transcribing Generations

Work Instructions – Transcribing Generations

Patriot Grave Marking

Specifically, the committee has developed a template for grave marking ceremonies intended to promote the activity and has put a mechanism in place to recognize participation in these events. The ​Patriot Grave Marking Handbook V7 provides an outline of a grave service and provides suggestions on how to conduct a service. Members should record their individual participation in Grave Marking ceremonies on the Patriot Grave Marking Medal Application or the Patriot Graves and Biography Report found in Member Forms.  The completed applications should be sent to patriotgraves at (replace at with @ symbol) sar.org. Each of the ceremonies should be documented and reported using the Patriot Grave Marking Medal Application and submitted to patriotgraves at (replace at with @ symbol) sar.org

Ceremony Examples

• Col Frederick Hambright
• Col Richmond Pearson
• Col William Bratton
• Gen William Davidson
• Harrison Taylor
• James Paris
• Jonathan Hunt
• Lt George Locke
• Maj Thomas Young
• Private George Plummer
• Randolf White
• Rev Henry Wood
• William Peeples ​
• ​Pvt Andrew Keyser, Sr​​
• William Suttles

Compatriot Grave Marking

The Compatriot Grave Marking Medal recognizes each Compatriot’s contributions to the Sons of the American Revolution and honors our deceased Compatriots (while simultaneously honoring each Compatriot’s Patriot Ancestor) while publicizing the value of membership to their descendants. This medal was initiated on 5 March 2017 with a look back period to 1 January 2012.

Reporting of Compatriot Grave Markings should be accomplished via the website form below.

Patriot Biographies Project

One of President General Lindsey Brock’s goals during his 2014-2015 term in office was to collect the biographies of the ancestors of SAR members. All of the patriots to which our members trace back have rich histories and stories to tell. By compiling these biographies, SAR members are helping to honor their ancestors’ contributions to the American Revolution. Over a thousand biographies have been collected to date. To submit a new biography use the Patriot Graves and Biography Report found in Member Forms and send it to Patriotbios at SAR.org   References to source documents should be included as footnotes in each biography.

By James Willard Wilbur

Oliver was born 14 March 1755 in Scituate/Providence/RI to Abner Wilbur and Elizabeth Benjamin Wilbur. Abner and Oliver are both listed in The Rhode Island Military Census of 1777. Oliver enlisted for a term of one year on 30 May 1775 in the 1st Rhode Island Regiment and served during the siege of Boston. He was discharged in December 1775 and reenlisted for one year beginning 1 January 1776. He was promoted the rank of Corporal at that time. His regiment fought at White Plains, New York, 28 October 1776, where it is believed that he was wounded. His regiment was then posted to Peekskill, New York and then ordered to march south to join General Washington for the Christmas Eve attack on the British army at Trenton, New Jersey. It is stated in the letters supporting Oliver’s claim to a soldier’s pension that “being left alone in Peekskill due to his illness” he discharged himself and went home on 1 January 1777. Oliver married Elizabeth Benjamin on 23 October 1777 and resided in Delhi/Delaware/New York working as a farmer until his death 27 October 1837. Oliver received an invalid Pension on 2 June 1820. Invalid Pensions were awarded to servicemen for physical disabilities incurred in the line of duty. Records relating to Oliver’s and his father Abner Wilbur’s service are found at Fold3.com. Oliver’s last will and testament is filed in the courthouse at Delhi/Delaware/New York.

By Eric Troutman

Johannes Lamm was born December 1, 1759 in Heidelberg Twp., Berks County, PA. He was the son of Peter & Anna Margareta (Heckert) Lamm who arrived in Pennsylvania from Germany in 1742. Johannes Lamm married Anna Margaret Brossman (1764-1826) the daughter of Johannes & Anna Maria (Heilman) Lamm. Together Johannes and Anna Margaret raised a family of 8 children: Rosina, John, Elizabeth, Daniel, Peter, Anna Maria, Benjamin and Margaret. Johannes Lamm was a farmer his entire life in Heidelberg Twp., Berks County, PA. He died October 28, 1817 probably at his homestead. Johannes and Anna Margaret are buried at the St. John’s Hain’s Church Cemetery, Lower Heidelberg Twp., Berks County, PA. During the Revolutionary War Johannes Lamm served as a private in Captain Filbert’s Company, Berks County, Pennsylvania Militia and he is also noted as guarding prisoners near Reading, PA under Lieut. Jacob Rherer. Johannes Lamm signed the Oath of Allegiance to the State of Pennsylvania on June 19, 1778 in Berks County, PA.

By George Geoffrey Bagget

William Addison was born December 29, 1766. He entered the service in 1780 as a substitute for his brother Christopher Addison. He was a mere 13 years of age. After a short period of service under Captain Camp Strother, he was discharged. Later in 1780 he re-enlisted in Fairfield County in a company of Rangers (Mounted Militia) commanded by Captain John Gray. He served primarily in a local force that engaged and rounded up Tory soldiers until the unit received orders to join the army of General Green shortly before the famous Battle of Eutaw Springs. The unit joined General Pickens on the day before the battle and entered into the engagement. He was wounded by a spent round (ricochet) during the battle. He served in the active service for a total of three years. His service is confirmed by Brigadier General Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox), whose Pay Book L, entry 1, lists William Addison as being paid for service in the South Carolina Militia. In 1788 he immigrated to Kentucky and settled in Madison County. After being in Kentucky only nine weeks, he joined the company of Captain Jacob Starnes in the war against the Northwestern Indians. He was mobilized for a total of nine weeks in that campaign. He later relocated to Todd County, Kentucky, where he was granted a pension for his service on June 3, 1833, in the amount of $80 annually. He died on May 20, 1853, and is buried in the Gant Cemetery in the Sharon Grove community of Todd County.

By Lance Gregory Rose

Johannes Roosa, was the 6th great grandfather of Compatriot Lance Gregory Rose, DMD. Johannes Roosa, born 17 January 1742 in Kingston, Ulster County, New York to parents Arie Roosa and Geestie Ostrander was the husband of Elizabeth Masten, married 28 December 1761 in Shawangunk, Ulster County, New York, and died in 1790 in Ulster County, New York. Johannes was a brother to Leah Roosa Terwilliger, Anna, Rachel, Catrine, Ebert, Petrus and Jacobus Roosa. The family surname is also recorded as: Roos, Rosa and Rose. Johannes Roosa served in the Militia for the state of New York during the American Revolution. Johannes Roosa served as a private in the military unit known as the Levies under the command of Colonel Albert Pawling. Colonel Pawling raised a Corps of Levies in New York and these troops served the American cause throughout the war. The soldiers serving in the Levies were often selected from the ranks of the regular militia for additional training. In some ways the Levies were a hybrid between the regulars of the Continental Line and the militia. Recruits served for 6 months in the levies rather than the usual 9 months in the Continental Army or 3 months in the militia. Service in the Continental Army often involved service beyond the home state, whereas service in the Levies typically enabled the soldier to stay within the home state. Service in the militia was usually the closest to the volunteer’s home. The troops in the levies were often assigned, as needed, to fill in the ranks of regular troops or to serve as independent units. Pawling’s Levies manned forts along the frontiers of Ulster and Orange Counties from 1779 to 1781. On the frontier, the chief task of the levies was to stop raids carried out by the Indian forces and Loyalists often led by a British officer. Johannes Roosa was the 2nd great grandson of Aldert Heymanse Roosa, the first Roosa to come to America. Aldert came from Herwynen, Holland with his wife and children aboard the ship the Bontekoe (Spotted Cow) in 1660. Aldert lived a very interesting life in New Netherlands, later New York. He died 27 February 1679, in Hurley, Ulster County, New York. Many descendants of the Roosas would later change the spelling of their name from Roosa to Rose.