Climbing Family Trees: New technology to search history
Climbing Family Trees: New technology to search history
Publish Date: 2026-04-29 16:06:00
Source Domain: mainstreetmediatn.com
Martha Gerdeman, Climbing Family Trees
I have mentioned in previous columns that FamilySearch now has an AI generated search feature that can search handwritten documents. Recently, I learned that Fold3.com has the same feature available to search Revolutionary War pension files. Those files include more than ten million
pages.
Previously if you wanted a copy of a pension record, you had to pay for it. And it might not have been the complete file because decades ago NARA selected pages the were thought to be “of interest” and made them available as short forms.
These digitized images include the complete pension file. And you can search within the file for a word or words. I have played with the files a bit. Since I am a member of the Gideon Carr Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, I searched for old Gideon. Up came his complete file of nearly thirty pages, including his personal deposition before the county commission, detailing his army service.
Then I decided to look for Christopher Strong, the patriot for whom our local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution is named. Lo! His file runs to more than thirty pages. I knew that his wife was named Rosanna, so I entered her name on the “Search within this document” blank, and there she was.
I haven’t had time to work much on the files, but so far I haven’t found any of my own ancestors. The proven patriot that enabled me to join the DAR wasn’t a soldier; he signed a declaration of loyalty to the patriot cause. Contrary to what many folks believe, your ancestor doesn’t have to have been a soldier to prove membership in these organizations. He (or she) could have served as an elected official in some instances. He could have provided some service to the patriot cause (hay for George Washinton’s horse?) Or, like mine, he could have signed a loyalty oath.
In cases like that, he wouldn’t have been eligible for a pension.
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