Pat -- <clip> > Does anyone have any information, on what a Patriot did to sign up to > serve in the Rev. War? Were there any papers that he filled out, that might > require the names of his parents? The general answer covering New England is that he signed (or made his mark) in the recruiting officers recruiting book certifying he had received his recruiting bounty. This document probably gave his residence or else the town against whose quota he was signing. Occasionally the enlistee's age is recorded. Unfortunately few such recruiting books have survived. In nearly forty years of looking at Colonial and Rev War records, I have rarely ever seen a record which indicates the names of the parents of a soldier. The principal exception was the preprinted form used by the Province of Massachusetts Bay during the F&I War. This preprinted form contained a column "Names of Fathers and Masters, of Sons under Age, and Servants." Alas, this column was frequently not completed. "Son under Age" were those lads under age 16 at the beginning of service. Master/Servant relationships may not have been formal apprenticeships. For example, in the roll for Fort Pownall covering 25 Aug 1760 to 5 July 1761 [MassArchives 98:420], Robin Hood is called "Serv't to Lancaster." Hood was the kid brother to Daniel Lancaster's wife. Also, Rich'd Stinson is called "Serv't to Eph'm Stinson." Richard Stimson was Ephraim Stimson's oldest son who was age 15 [bapt. 2 June 1745]. Bob Brooks