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War of 1812 Pay rolls - discrepancies in official records.

Zoe Eppley

I'm researching 31 men who were drafted into the militia Aug-Sept 1814 in Rockingham County, VA, then transferred out to US units deployed around the Chesapeake Bay, predominantly into Alexander Campbells' Riflemen attached to the 2 Corps d'Elite.

These men are listed on the pay roll of Capt. William Harrison's Co. [1] and appear on the muster roll for this company in Wayland's History of Rockingham County [2].  William Harrison's Company was attached to the 1st Virginia Regiment commanded by Lt. Col. William Trueheart.

Pension files and service record index cards do not consistently confirm enlistment in William Harrison's Company. Three of the 7 pension files for members of this group show enlistment (soldier/widow affidavit and auditor confirmation) in Adam Harnberger's or Abraham Hamilton's Companies attached to Lt. Col. Daniel Coleman's 6th Virginia Regiment. For my own ancestor, Reuben King, the auditors of the widow's pension application [3] find him on the pay roll of Adam Harnsberger's Co. 30 Aug - 9 Sep 1814 (10 d) before transferring (pension application rejected for lack of documented service), whereas Virginia militia pay rolls show him in William Harrison's Co. [2] for 18 days.  The Virginia Militia [1] lack payrolls for Harnsberger's and Hamilton's Cos, even though the Ainsworth Lists show these exist.

There is something funny going on WRT to Adam Harnsberger's and Abraham Hamilton's Companies.  The Ainsworth lists show pay rolls (Harnsberger 30 Aug - 8 Dec 1814 149 names; Hamilton 29 Aug - 30 Nov 1814 98 name).  Fold3.com includes only 4 pensions listing Harnsberger's Co. (two of these are part of my group of 31 who transferred out) and 5 pensions listing Hamilton's Co.; none of these men are found of rolls published in the Virginia Militia [1].

These inconsistencies lead me to expect that ordering the Consolidated Service Records will not help.

I'd appreciate any illumination on this problem.

1. "Virginia militia in the War of 1812." Vol. 1 Pay rolls, p. 52. Capt. Wm. Harrison's pay roll 29 Aug - 30 Dec 1814.  https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48441/images/VAMilitiaWar1812I-004512-52

2. Wayland, John Walter. A History of Rockingham County, Virginia. Ruebush-Elkins Company, 1912. https://archive.org/details/historyofrocki00wayl/page/452

3. Widow's Pension Application Elizabeth King, widow of Reuben King https://www.fold3.com/file/761.3279155194804220950

4. Ainsworth Lists for the 6th Virginia Regiment https://www.fold3.com/image/713181469 including Capt. Harnsberger (https://www.fold3.com/image/713181479) and Capt Hamilton's Companies (https://www.fold3.com/image/713181476). 

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    A follow-up for those following this thread.  The apparent contradiction is just that. The militia men from western Virginia counties were called up in Aug-Sep 1814, responding to a call from the Governor of Virginia and Adj. General to muster troops for the defense of Richmond and the Chesapeake Bay.  They enlisted in one of their home companies, might be transferred to another to march to Richmond.  Once there, they joined one of the 7 camps established around Richmond.  During that time, militia companies became attached to US Army units, which differed in the required numbers of enlisted and officers.  Enlisted were shuffled among companies, and excess Virginia officers were sent home. There are some interesting letters published by such officers in the Richmond papers! 

    While around Richmond, troops engaged in guard duty, twice daily parades, and other official activities that chaffed many.  Occasionally, a call would go out for volunteers to fill out an expeditionary response to British plundering along the Chesapeake and tributaries.  Many jumped at the chance for action.  There aren't good records (that I've found) about the activities of these units. I look to soldier's affidavits in their pension files. There are few such affidavits by soldiers and fewer that mention such details. The one's I have found are somewhat at variance to current historical narratives and sometimes contradictory. Not surprising as they are made 45 years after the fact.

    The group of Rockingham militiamen I'm following each have service index cards in 2 to 4 different units, reflecting their actual service in these units. The affidavits in a few of the pension files suggest there should be more service index cards than there are.  However, it's hard to confirm their movement among Rockingham companies; "Virginia militia in the War of 1812" lacks rolls for several companies activated and serving in War of 1812 - in particular all four of the Rockingham companies who served in Lt. Col. Daniel Coleman's 6th Virginia Militia - a detachment of which was involved in a different foray to attack the British.

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    A follow-up for those following this thread.  The apparent contradiction is just that. The militia men from western Virginia counties were called up in Aug-Sep 1814, responding to a call from the Governor of Virginia and Adj. General to muster troops for the defense of Richmond and the Chesapeake Bay.  They enlisted in one of their home companies, might be transferred to another to march to Richmond.  Once there, they joined one of the 7 camps established around Richmond.  During that time, militia companies became attached to US Army units, which differed in the required numbers of enlisted and officers.  Enlisted were shuffled among companies, and excess Virginia officers were sent home. There are some interesting letters published by such officers in the Richmond papers! 

    While around Richmond, troops engaged in guard duty, twice daily parades, and other official activities that chaffed many.  Occasionally, a call would go out for volunteers to fill out an expeditionary response to British plundering along the Chesapeake and tributaries.  Many jumped at the chance for action.  There aren't good records (that I've found) about the activities of these units. I look to soldier's affidavits in their pension files. There are few such affidavits by soldiers and fewer that mention such details. The one's I have found are somewhat at variance to current historical narratives and sometimes contradictory. Not surprising as they are made 45 years after the fact.

    The group of Rockingham militiamen I'm following each have service index cards in 2 to 4 different units, reflecting their actual service in these units. The affidavits in a few of the pension files suggest there should be more service index cards than there are.  However, it's hard to confirm their movement among Rockingham companies; "Virginia militia in the War of 1812" lacks rolls for several companies activated and serving in War of 1812 - in particular all four of the Rockingham companies who served in Lt. Col. Daniel Coleman's 6th Virginia Militia - a detachment of which was involved in a different foray to attack the British.

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