The Forgotten Veterans of the War of 1812



The War of 1812You may well have ancestors who participated in America’s War of 1812, that time when Great Britain figured they might have a shot of regaining the American colonies they lost in 1776. It was more that the new United States got tired of the treatment they were getting from the British and it was the U. S. who declared war finally on Great Britain. The British also had the assistance of Canadians and Native Indians, so America needed the regular Army as well of the state militias to assist.

Some 2,260 Americans were killed between June 1812 and February 1815, as it only started in 1812 and last several years. This was the war during which the new federal city, Washington, D. C. was burned by the British in 1814, but also when the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ was written. That war was extremely important in American history, but not one that most researchers attempt to locate any ancestors who participated in like they would for relatives serving in the American Revolution or the Civil War.

With a good deal of the warfare taking place in the mid-west states and territories, the following are some of the online sites on veterans of the War of 1812.

Illinois

A search engine on the site for Illinois is where a surname can be written. Then an index listing with all with that name will appear. The full names will be listed, their rank, the company name and where the individual enlisted. That is invaluable, because if not already known, that place of enlistment could have been a hometown or nearby residence.

The ranks are interesting, not just private or sergeant, but also those who were musicians, fife player, drummer or a surgeon are listed.

There won’t be hundreds of names, Illinois was still lightly populated back in 1812. Some examples; those with the Smith and Williams surnames, each had six individuals. The name Jones had seven veterans and Roberts had five. However, if it is one of your ancestors, you will be so glad you located information that they did service and from where.

More state listings in a future blog.

< Return To Blog Searching for John Charles Allebach served in the War of 1812. Looking for information. Thank you for any help you can give.
Karrie Noname 12/05/11




Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.