Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Amelia County (Va.) Militia Enrollment Records and Unidentified Cash Account Ledger, 1816-1817, 1864, use microfilm copy, Amelia County (Va.) Reel 102.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Amelia County (Va.) Military and Pension Records, 1741-1913 [site specific volume or series]. Local Government Records Collection, Amelia County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Amelia County (Va.) Militia Enrollment Records and Unidentified Cash Account Ledger, 1816-1817, 1864 and other military pension records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from Amelia County under an undated accession.

Minimally processed miliary and pension records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from Amelia County in 2003 under accession 40724.

Unprocessed military and pension records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from Amelia County in 2004 under accession 4150.

Alternative Form Available

Amelia County Militia Enrollment Records and Unidentified Cash Account Ledger, 1816-1817, 1864 is available as microfilm on Amelia County (Va.) Reel 102.

Processing Information

Microfilm reel was generated by OCLC through the Library of Virginia's Circuit Court Records Preservation Program.

Encoded by G. Crawford, 2003; Updated by M. Mason, July 2025

Historical Information

Context for Record Type: Keeping large bodies of militia in the field required an elaborate system of support based on the purchase of goods and services from civilians, in addition to the usual pay and allowances to officers and soldiers. The result was the creation of a large number of records concerning the state's disbursements to both soldiers and civilians. Many claims for payment went unsatisfied until 1821. Locality military and pension records consist largely of pay and muster rolls, accounts and vouchers concerning supplies, claims for reimbursement for services rendered, and military pension applications. Pension applications summarize the applicant's service record and may include medical evaluations; information about income and property; and, in the case of widows, the date and place of marriages.

During the Revolutionary War, commissioners were appointed in each county to impress supplies and non-military services (such as driving cattle or wagons) for the war effort. Officials provided certificates or receipts so that individual suppliers could be reimbursed by the state government. Beginning in 1782, claims for reimbursement could be submitted to county courts. These "publick claims," known as court booklets and lists, exist for almost all Virginia counties. Between 1777 and 1785, the Virginia General Assembly passed several laws authorizing pensions for disabled soldiers and for widows of soldiers who died while on active duty.

Throughout the Civil War, the principal responsibility for Virginia's indigent soldiers' families lay with the locality. The Virginia State Convention in 1861 gave the responsibility entirely to counties and incorporated towns and authorized whatever actions had already been taken. Acts of Assembly in 1862 and 1863 expanded the localities' powers to provide for their needy, and in 1863 some minimal state assistance was added in. The Virginia General Assembly passed several Confederate pension acts beginning in 1888. The initial act provided pensions to Confederate soldiers, sailors, and marines disabled in action and to the widows of those killed in action. A 1900 act broadened the coverage to include veterans disabled by "infirmities of age" and widows whose husbands died after the war. African Americans who had served "faithfully" as servants, cooks, laborers, hostlers, or teamsters for the Confederate army were eligible for pensions beginning in 1924. District of Columbia residents became eligible in 1926; previously, all pension applicants were required to be residents of Virginia.

Locality History: Amelia County was named for Amelia Sophia Eleanora, daughter of King George II. It was formed from Prince George and Brunswick Counties by an act passed in 1734 to take effect on 25 March 1735.

Scope and Content Information

Amelia County (Va.) Military and Pension Records, 1741-1913, consists of records concerning military service. These records are currently at various stages of processing, mean some records are fully identified and description while other records are not processed at all. Records include:

Amelia County Militia Enrollment Records and Unidentified Cash Account Ledger, 1816-1817, 1864 Minimally processed Military and Pension Records, 1780-1908, consist of

Unprocessed Military and Pension Records, 1741-1913, consists of boxes examined and determine to contain military and pension records but have not been further identified.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged

Related Material

See also: Amelia County (Va.) Business Records, 1801-1839

Additional Amelia County Business Records and Military Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia. See A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm .

Adjunct Descriptive Data