West Virginia 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

West Virginia

• Monongalia County
  • Muster Roll of Lt. Christian Conn’s Company
  • Muster Roll of Captain William N. Jarrett Cavalry Company
  • Muster Roll of Captain James Hervey’s Company from Monongalia and Brooke Counties
  • Captain Jesse Ice’s Company
  • Roster of Captain Matthias McCowan Company
  • Captain James Morgan’s Company
  • Captain Samuel Wilson’s Company
• Ohio County
  • Muster Roll of Captain John Bonnett’s Company
  • Muster Roll of the Wheeling Light Infantry
• Preston County
  • Muster Roll of Captain Matthias McCowan’s Company
• Pensions
  • Greenbrier County
    • Forehand, John Pension and Bounty Land, self and wife Mary
    • Rucker, Elzaphen Widows Pension, wife Fanny
    • Spencer, James
  • Hampshire County
    • Soldiers of 1812
  • Jefferson County
    • Muster Roll of Captain Joseph Grantham’s Company
  • Marshall County
    • 1883 Pension Roll
  • Monongalia County
    • Morgan, Zacquill
  • Summers County
    • DeQuasie Wm. Widows Pension, wife Elizabeth Cary
• Bounty Land
  • Randolph County
    • McCan, Wm.
  • Wayne County
    • Ward, Asa Widows Bounty Land, wife Susannah

West Virginia Subscription Military Databases

Ancestry Free Trial

• The General Society of the War of 1812, 1976 Bicentennial Supplement to the 1972 Register Robert Glenn Thurtle Editor – Free Index
• 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