I don't know how many of you are writing Historical Fiction, let alone taking place during the American Revolution, but I thought I'd share a massive resource. The NDAR (Naval Documents of the American Revolution) has 11 volumes of letters and ships captains' journals detailing the events surrounding the Continental Navy and Continental Marines. It catalogues the letters and journals by date, and switches from the "American Theater" to the "European Theatre" ( ) where researchers have uncovered documents captured by the French and English documents have been shared. Volume 2, which I have open in front of me, has 1334 pages--before the appendixes--and the inside cover is a world map of known territories in that era. I've got Volumes 3 and 4 on the way (just to complete the 1775-1776 time span in which my current WIP occurs. It's a great resource.
{Edited to correct which volumes I had on the way}
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited September 03, 2008).]
Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :
Very cool. If not for fiction than just for we history-philes.
Posted by Palaytiasdreams (Member # 8154) on :
I had a great+ Uncle that was a Hessian soldier in the Amer. Rev. He was captured during the Battle of Trent, imprisoned. Later, when freed he became a US citizen and fought in the War of 1812.
Thanks for sharing those resources.
pal...pondering if she could become a member of DAR...
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
InarticulateBabbler, how does one access those records?
(I'm a genealogist in my spare time , and I would love to see if there is information about any of my Crow ancestors in them.)
Posted by InarticulateBabbler (Member # 4849) on :
The Naval Document of the American Revolution is a series of thick books, filled with a compilation of letters and minutes from the Continental Congress and Colonial Safety Committees. Each letter is given a small heading naming it and showing who it's from and to, but has little mention--in what I've read so far--of any Native Americans. It does, however have letters from Washington, Greene, Kox, Adams, Howe, Lee, Sullivan, Gage, Esek Hopkins, Stephen Hopkins, Saltonhall, Whipple and Ward. (I can't tell you how I'm pacing paths in my carpet waiting for the next two editions.)
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited September 05, 2008).]