News Release

Joint Efforts Result in Digitized Revolutionary War Claim Accounts from South Carolina 1778-1856

Date: July 31, 2018
Contact: Vanessa Smiley, 864-461-2828

Gaffney, SC – The Southern Campaign of the American Revolution Parks Group is thrilled to share the announcement that the record series “Accounts Audited of Claims Growing out of the Revolution in South Carolina 1775-1856” is now active and images are available on the Online Records Index through the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH).

Through a cooperative agreement between the Kings Mountain National Military Park/National Park Service and the Southern Revolutionary War Institute, Mr. Michael Scoggins and interns were instrumental in having the images scanned and digitized. Scoggins is the historian for the Culture & Heritage Museums in York County and research director of the Southern Revolutionary War Institute located in York, SC. Scoggins states that “The South Carolina audited accounts are one of the pre-eminent series of Revolutionary War records for this state. These documents provide primary source records for men who served in the South Carolina militia, state troops and Continental regiments, and in many cases these are the only records that exist for these soldiers’ services.”  SCDAH is the host site for the online database. The entire database of digitized records is also available to the public at the Southern Revolutionary War Institute in York.

The “Audited Accounts” record consists of 11,170 documents presented by citizens to the treasury in support of claims for military service, supplies, and other contributions rendered during the latter part of the Revolutionary War. Most of the files contain an auditor’s cover paper, which includes the name of claimant, a brief description of their service provided, and the amount of their claim and its adjusted value. Additionally, if an indent was issued, its number and the claimant’s signature verifying its receipt were also included as well as receipts and affidavits to the validity of the claim.

Once digitized, it took SCDAH six months to complete the process of adding these records to the Online Records Index where the records will reside for public use. This series is one of the most requested records series at the SCDAH. Records such as audited accounts are vital resources for genealogists and historians. Having a series as valuable and expansive available in a digital format is a milestone for any individual with South Carolina ancestry. The group’s Chief of Interpretation and acting superintendent, Vanessa Smiley believes “This is a truly enormous step in making these resources available to the public. Whether someone is an amateur genealogist or a professional historian, access to these records will further their research efforts and strengthen our connection to the past.”

 To view the record series, please visit the Online Records Index (http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/). After opting to enter the Index, use the Advanced Search option, choose the Record Group “Combined Index to Records Series, 1675-1929” and the Series “ S108092: Accounts Audited of Claims Growing Out of the Revolution.” For questions about this series, please contact us at 803-896-0339 or [e-mail].
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The Southern Campaign of the American Revolution Parks Group consists of Cowpens National Battlefield, Kings Mountain National Military Park, Ninety Six National Historic Site, and Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. Each park tells its own piece to the overall Southern Campaign story, where the military events that took place in the Carolinas substantially influenced the eventual American victory in the Revolution. For more information about each park, please visit their websites:

Cowpens National Battlefield – www.nps.gov/cowp
Kings Mountain National Military Park – www.nps.gov/kimo
Ninety Six National Historic Site – www.nps.gov/nisi
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail – www.nps.gov/ovvi
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