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Researching the American Revolution: Military Organization, Engagements, and Provisioning

A Bibliography of Materials from the Rockefeller Library

The resources listed below document the strategic and administrative decisions of the Revolutionary War: organizing the Continental Army from citizen militias; training men; supplying food, clothing, and weapons; and moving troops.

Guides, Bibliographies, and Chronologies

  • Gephart, Ronald M. Revolutionary America, 1763–1789: A Bibliography. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1984. Ref. Z 1238 .G43. [Dated, but basic, early sources are listed.]
  • The History Place: American Revolution [Chronology from before the war to 1790.]
  • Karapalides, Harry J. Dates of the American Revolution: Who, What, and Where in the War for Independence. Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press, 1998. E 209 .K37.
  • Koenig, William J. European Manuscript Sources of the American Revolution. New York, NY: Bowker, 1974. CD 1002 .K63.
  • Library of Congress. Manuscript Sources in the Library of Congress for Research on the American Revolution. Washington, Library of Congress; U.S. GPO, 1975. Z 1238 .U57.

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

  • Fremont-Barnes, Gregory. The Encyclopedia of the American Revolutionary War: A Political, Social, and Military History. Santa Barbara, Cal: ABC-CLIO, 2006. 5 Vols. Ref. E 208 .E64 2006.
  • Selesky, Harold E. Encyclopedia of the American Revolution: Library of Military History. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 2 Vols. Ref. E 208 .E63 2006. [Includes entries for people, battles, foreign relations, espionage, etc.]

American Branches of Service/Organization and Uniforms

  • Early American Orderly Books, 1748–1817. 201. [French and Indian War to the end of the War of 1812. Includes some British books.] Microfilm 2120.1–19. [See reel listing (PDF).]
  • Goodwin, Mary R.M., and Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Clothing and Accoutrements of the Officers and Soldiers of the Virginia Forces 1775–1780: From the Records of the Public Store at Williamsburg. CW Research Report. 1962 .UC 464 .V8 G66.
  • Mollo, John and Malcolm McGregor. Uniforms of the American Revolution, 1775–1781. Poole: Blandford, 1975. UC 485 .N66 1985.
  • Sanchez-Saavedra, E.M. Guide to Virginia Military Organizations in the American Revolution, 1774–1787. Richmond, VA: Virginia State Library, 1978. Ref. E 263 .V8 S25.
  • Smith, Digby George. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms from 1775–1783, the American Revolutionary War: An Expert Guide to the Uniforms of the American Militias and Continental Army, the Armies and Navies of Great Britain and France, German and Spanish Units, and American Indian Allies. London: Lorenz Books, 2008. Oversize UC 483 .S65 2008.
  • Wright, Robert K., The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, U.S. Army, G.P.O., 1983. Ref. UA25 .W84 1983.

British Branches of Service/Organization and Uniforms

  • Chartrand, René. American Loyalist Troops, 1775–84. Oxford; New York, NY: Osprey Publications, 2008. E 277 .C47 2008.
  • Franklin, Carl E. British Army Uniforms from 1751 to 1783. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2012. Oversize UC 485 .G7 F73.
  • Great Britain. Public Record Office. An Alphabetical Guide to Certain War Office and Other Military Records Preserved in the Public Record Office. London: Published by H.M.S.O., 1931. Ref. CD 1040 .A25 v.53.
  • Kehoe, Vincent J-R. An Officers' Guide for Re-created British Regiments of Foot. Somis, Ca: RCMA, Inc. 1996. U 135 .G7 K43 1996.
  • Reid, Stuart. King George's Army, 1740–1793. London: Osprey, 1995. UC 485 .G7 R45.
  • Simes, Thomas. The Military Guide for Young Officers, Containing a System of the Art of War; Parade, Camp, Field Duty; Manoeuvres, Standing and General Orders; 3 Warrants, Regulations, Returns; Tables, Forms, Extracts from Military Acts; Battles, Sieges, Forts, Ports, Military Dictionary, &c. with Twenty-Five Maps and Copper Plates. London: Printed for J. Millan, near Whitehall, 1781. Special Collections U 101 .S58 1776. [Available online through ECCO (subscription required).]
  • Simes, Thomas. The Military Medley: Containing the Most Necessary Rules and Directions for Attaining a Competent Knowledge of the Art, to Which is Added an Explanation of Military Terms, Alphabetically Digested. Oldwick, NJ: King's Arms Press and Bindery, [1993?]. U 101 .S585 1993. [Available online through ECCO (subscription required).]
  • Smith, Digby George. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms from 1775–1783, the American Revolutionary War: An Expert Guide to the Uniforms of the American Militias and Continental Army, the Armies and Navies of Great Britain and France, German and Spanish Units, and American Indian Allies. London: Lorenz Books: 2008. Oversize UC 483 .S65 2008.

The Revolutionary War in Virginia

  • Cecere, Michael. Captain Thomas Posey and the 7th Virginia Regiment. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 2005. E 207 .P74 C43 2005.
  • Cecere, Michael. They Behaved Like Soldiers: Captain John Chilton and the Third Virginia Regiment, 1775–1778. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 2004. E 263 .V8 C43 2004.
  • Febiger, Christian. "Colonel Christian Febiger papers, 1777–1782." M-1085, 2 reels. [Col. Febiger was Lt. Col in the 11th Virginia Regiment and after July, 1779, Commander, 2nd Virginia Regiment.]
  • Minnis, M. Lee. The First Virginia Regiment of Foot, 1775–1783. Lovettsville, VA: Willow Bend Books, 1998. E 263 .V8 M56 1998.
  • Peters, Joan W. The Third Virginia Regiment of Foot, 1776–1778: with Flags Flying and Drums Beating. 2 Vols. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 2008. E 263 .V8 P48.
  • Selby, John E. A Chronology of Virginia and the War of Independence, 1763–1783. Charlottesville, VA: Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission, University Press of Virginia, 1973. E 263 .V8 S44 1973.
  • Selby, John E. The Revolution in Virginia, 1775–1783. Williamsburg, VA: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; Charlottesville, VA: Distributed by University Press of Virginia, 1988. E 263 .V8 S45 1988.
  • United States. Continental Army. Virginia Regiment, 6th (1776–1778), et al. The Orderly Book of That Portion of the American Army Stationed At or Near Williamsburg, VA, Under the Command of General Andrew Lewis, From March 18th, 1776, to August 28th, 1776. Richmond, VA: Privately printed, 1860. Special Collections E 263 .V8 V74.
  • Van Schreeven, William et.al. Revolutionary Virginia, The Road to Independence. Charlottesville, VA: Published for Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission by University Press of Virginia, 1973. 7 Vols. Ref. E 263 .V8 R3.
  • Virginia. War Office. "Papers, 1779–1803." Microfilm 1169.1–2.
  • Woodford, William. "Orderly Book, 1775–76." Microfilm 1230. Copies of General Orders Issued at College Camp, Great Bridge Camp, and Norfolk, mainly by Col. Thomas Bullett and Col. Patrick Henry, Jr. from the Muhlenberg Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Provisioning the Continental Army

  • Aylett, William. "Correspondence of Col. William Aylett, Commissary General of Virginia." Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 1, 1919, pp. 87–111; 145–161.
  • Huston, James A. Logistics of Liberty: American Services of Supply in the Revolutionary War and After. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1991. E255 .H92 1991.
  • Risch, Erna. Supplying Washington's Army. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, United States Army, U.S. GPO, 1981. E 259 .R57 1981.
  • Virginia. Commercial Agent's Loose Papers, 1781–1810; "Orders on the Public Store, July–October, 1779." Microfilm 1176.
  • Virginia. "Records of the Public Store in Williamsburg, 1775–1780." Microfilm 1016.1–4.
  • Virginia. State Agent's Loose Papers, 1775–1795. Microfilm 1174.1–3.

Manuscripts

The Library owns a variety of original documents, letters, and drawings documenting the American Revolution. Examples include:

Subjects in the Library Catalog

Note: Books and manuscripts from the Rockefeller Library are searchable in the library's online catalog.

  • History, Military > 18th century
  • Continental Army
  • United States > History > Revolution, 1775–1783 > Participation, African American
  • History > Revolution, 1775–1783 > Participation, French
  • History > Revolution, 1775–1783 > Participation, Indian
  • Yorktown (Va.) > History > Siege, 1781
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