1812 Pension files for John B. King of Kentucky

Question

I have a Reference Card from Fold 3 that reads King, John B. 13th Regiment Gray's Kentucky Militia (War of 1812), Private. It also states it was originally filed under Cash, John. John B. King's wife's maiden name was Mary Polly Cash, so I am wondering if she filed a claim and her maiden name was used by mistake initially. I have not been able to locate the roster of Gray's Militia. I did find that Lt. Col. Presley Gray resigned and was succeeded by Lt. Col. John Davis. I have not been able to locate any further military record for John B. King. I am trying to find any military record such as pension application that might mention his children, specifically Warren King as his son.

A1 Reference Branch · Accepted Answer

DeborahStopke Thank you for posting your question on the History Hub! While our staff is very knowledgeable about the records in our custody, we are not experts about everything with regard to said records. We do not know the answers to your question about how Mary Cash filed her claim or how the Pension Bureau handled it. During the late 19th/early 20th centuries, the Adjutant General's Office created Compiled Military Service Records for soldiers who served in volunteer units from the various states during the War of 1812. The clerks who created these records copied information on soldiers from whatever muster rolls, payrolls, and other records that they had access to. The CMSRs tend to be administrative in nature and seldom, if ever, include information on parents, wives, or children. Most of the War of 1812 CMSRs are not available on microfilm or in digital form. These CMSRs are different records from the pension files. Just because a CMSR may be filed under a particular name does not necessarily mean that a pension file for that soldier will also be filed under that name. Sincerely, Archives 1 Reference Branch [RR1R-24-62269-AB]

Jo Shipley · Answer

Researchers documenting Kentucky&rsquo;s military past or that of their own family will benefit from the collection of the Military Records and Research Branch, Kentucky Department of Military Affairs. 
 The collection is available for use at the Kentucky Military History Museum and includes: 
 
 Documentation of the Kentucky Militia, Kentucky State Guard, Kentucky National Legion and Volunteer regiments (1794 to 1912). 
 Records from 1794-1860, including the Cornstalk Militia, War of 1812 and Mexican War (a limited number). 
 Civil War records from all Union regiments, Adjutant and Quartermaster General&rsquo;s Offices, state formations and Ordnance Departments. 
 Most records of United States Colored Troops accredited to Kentucky. Primary source Kentucky Confederate records (very limited). 
 
 The collection is available for use by appointment only. 
 
 For more information, contact: 
 Military Records and Research Branch 1700 Louisville Road, Building 317 Frankfort, KY 40601 502-607-6041 | FAX 502-607-6040