Kentucky War of 1812 Military Records

On June 1, 1812, President James Madison gave a speech to the U.S. Congress, recounting American grievances against Great Britain, though not specifically calling for a declaration of war. After Madison’s speech, the House of Representatives quickly voted (79 to 49) to declare war, and the Senate by 19 to 13. The conflict formally began on June 18, 1812 when Madison signed the measure into law. This was the first time that the United States had declared war on another nation, and the Congressional vote would prove to be the closest vote to declare war in American history. None of the 39 Federalists in Congress voted in favor of the war; critics of war subsequently referred to it as “Mr. Madison’s War.”

The declaration of war was passed by the smallest margin recorded on a war vote in the United States Congress. On May 11, Prime Minister Spencer Perceval was shot and killed by an assassin, resulting in a change of the British government, putting Lord Liverpool in power. Liverpool wanted a more practical relationship with the United States. He issued a repeal of the Orders in Council, but the U.S. was unaware of this, as it took three weeks for the news to cross the Atlantic.

1812 – 1814

Kentucky (hosted at US GenWeb Archives or USGenWeb War 1812 Project)

• Pensions
  • Benge, Joel, Widow’s application
  • Blake, George, Widow’s application
  • Glisson, Thomas, Widow’s application
  • Gross, Edmund, Invalid and Widow’s application
  • Hall, Rodin Invalid Pension Abstract
  • Ivie, John, Invalid and Widow’s application
  • McClain, Daniel, Deposition
  • McClain, James, Invalid Pension
  • McClain, John, Invalid Pension
  • McLain William, Invalid Pension
  • McClean, Francis Invalid Pension
  • McLane, Charles Invalid Pension
  • Roark, John, Widow’s Application
  • Roark, John, Widow’s Application
• Ballard County
  • Benjamin Farmer, Pension Abstract
• Bath County
  • Choat, Samuel
• Bourbon County
  • William F. Lock, Pension Application of his widow Rebecca
• Floyd County
  • Hall, Rodin, Pension File
• Hardin County
  • Kingary, Joseph Pension
• Lincoln County
  • Miller, George Pension File
• Compiled Service Records
  • Bruner, Peter
  • Choat, Samuel
  • Adam & John Fulkerson
  • Adam & John Fulkerson
• Bounty Land Claims
  • Allen, William
  • John Anderson
  • Benjamin Farmer
• Franklin County
  • Allen, William Bounty Land
• Bracken County
  • Ward, Benjamin February 3, 1851
• Washington County
  • Allen, William
• Service Record
  • Bath County
    • Choat, Samuel
  • Fayette County
    • McClain, Jonathan
  • Garrard County
    • Fenton, Bartholomew
    • Fenton, Enoch
  • Madison County
    • M’Lean, John
  • Pendleton County
    • Captain Michael Glaves’ Co., 1st Regt
    • POA appointed to apply for pay due

Free Ancestry Databases

• Kentucky in the War of 1812 – Free Index
• Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812 – Free Index
• Notes on Kentucky Veterans of the War of 1812 by G. Glenn Clift – Free Index
• Kentucky Pension Roll for 1835 – Free Index
• The General Society of the War of 1812, 1976 Bicentennial Supplement to the 1972 Register Robert Glenn Thurtle Editor – Free Index

Kentucky Subscription Genealogy Databases

Ancestry Free Trial

• Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812
• Remember the Raisin: Kentucky and Kentuckians in the Battles and Massacre at Frenchtown, Michigan Territory, in the War of 1812
• The Roster of the General Society of the War of 1812
• War of 1812 Papers, 1789-1815
• War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815
• War of 1812 Service Records
• War of 1812, Prisoner of War Records, 1812-1815
• War of 1812: Miscellaneous Canadian Records
• Register of the General Society of the War of 1812