>>If you are a female, e-mail me back. There may be a look-up service for you.<< And I wonder who that lookup service might be...! :) -Nancy -----Original Message----- From: Hdanw@aol.com [mailto:Hdanw@aol.com] Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 7:39 PM To: VAFAUQUI-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [VAFAUQUI] Professional Genealogist I have nothing against professional genealogists, having used them quite a bit in the past, when I was working and had no time to do my own searches. May I suggest the following: If you are near a large genealogical library (try one near your home--a general purpose public library, or, better yet, a community college or University library), try to find a set of books (or better two sets of books) compiled by Virgil D. White. One set is four volumes entitled something like this: Index to Revolutionary War Records (This is an index--not giving the whole record, but it gives you the service record number, and then you can get a special form from National Archives--perhaps you can download the form, now--NATF 80, I believe it is. Then you can write to the Archives and acquire the record. But if you are near an LDS family history center, you can order the film from Salt Lake City for a short period of time--for a fee. All you need is time, and a few bucks. Another set of four volumes by Virgil D. White is entitled: Genealogical abstracts of Revolutionary War pension files Failing to find these books in a library near you, ask your Public Librarian whether there is a set of books called DAR Patriot Index. No every Revolutionary soldier is listed in this set of indexes, but -- hey -- when you are searching folks who lived long ago, you learn a lot about genealogy! Sometimes your ancestor is hiding and may not appear in either of these sets. If you know the colony from which he served, try to find books for that colony [now state], say, Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors (many volumes). See what your public library has in the way of online databases. Many libraries now have genealogical databases, and you may want to start your search there. Some have Ancestry.com Others have HeritageQuest. By the way, pensions started very early for some Rev War persons who were invalided [disabled] Murtie June Clark has lots of indexes, so look for that author also. I hope your library or your community college has an online catalog. If not, try your State Library. Many State Libraries (who are supported by your taxes, we hope) have circulating libraries, wherein you can borrow books and films. I hope your nearby public library has a microfilm reader. My country library thinks my request for such is quaint!!! If you are a female, e-mail me back. There may be a look-up service for you. E.W.Wallace