8th Massachusetts Regiment of 1781 Button

Annotated Bibliography

French-made Enlisted Man's Watchcoat Button

The following titles have been of primary importance in documenting the categorization criteria of the indexed orderly books, establishing the unit histories and lineages, sites of field assignment, and institutional origins. For interested students, each of these books can be easily acquired, some being in print, the remainder being accessible through interlibrary loan or by purchase online through several used/rare book dealers such as abebooks.com, alibris, or BookFinder.com.

Berg, F. A., Encyclopedia of Continental Army Units - battalions, regiments and independent corps. Harrisburg: Stackpole Books, 1972.

A relatively brief but useful cataloging of Continental Army organizations with data and perspectives not to be found in other published sources.

Boatner, Mark M., III, Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. 3rd Edition. Harrisburg: Stackpole Books, 1994.

A good place to start your hunt for information on the people and places of the American Revolution. The maps and place descriptions were very useful in formulating this site's gazetteer.

Forbes, Harriette, New England Diaries, 1620-1800. Worcester, privately printed, 1923. Online Edition

The definitive catalog of diaries relating to New England during the colonial, revolutionary and early republic periods, compiled and presented with remarkable thoroughness. Also presents an appendix of New England military orderly books of the same period, with citations of books existent at the time of publication but subsequently missing from other bibliographies.

Heitman, F. B., Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army during the War of the Revolution. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Online Edition

The landmark and definitive index of commissioned officers of the Continental Army, state troops, and militia units. Unquestionably incomplete, but no superior cataloging exists. Users should be particularly cautious of dates of service, as the dates of commissions used within Heitman rarely align with the dates of actual service of an officer with a particular unit.

Lesser, C. H., The Sinews of Independence: Monthly Strength Reports of the Continental Army. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1975. Online Edition

An invaluable annotated presentation of General Washington’s headquarters book of monthly strength reports, many providing data to the regimental level, with categorization of troop numbers present and fit for duty, sick, absent, deserted, and casualties, with unit locations by period. Also integrated with data from other selected sources to close informational gaps within the headquarters volume. The definitive source for any study of the army’s manpower and condition.

Sanchez-Saavedra, E. M. A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations in the American Revolution, 1774-1787. Richmond, VA: Virginia State Library, 1978.

The book covers provincial, Continental, militia, and state troops, as well as the state Navy and Loyalist units.

Troiani, Don. Don Troiani's Soldiers in America 1754-1865. Art by Don Troiani; text by Earle J. Coates and James L. Kochan; foreword by Brian Pohanka. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1998.

The book covers part of the colonial period, American Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican War, and Civil War. It contains information on uniforms and accoutrements from each period. The book is meticulously illustrated with Troiani's paintings, and artifacts from his collection. Many portraits from the book have been used throughout the website.

Troiani, Don. Military Buttons of the American Revolution. Gettysburg, PA: Thomas Publications, 2001.

This is a comprehensive catalog of all military uniform buttons known to have been worn by American, British, Loyalist and French forces serving in all theaters of the Revolutionary War. Profusely illustrated, nearly all button specimens are shown via excellent photographs, supplemented by Mr. Troiani's sketches in the minority of cases in which photographs could not be procured. The presentation is supported by a fully documented accompanying text based on contemporary manuscript sources. An essential work for anyone interested in these artifacts.

U.S. Army Center of Military History, Bibliographies of the War of American Independence. Online edition.

The most complete and exhaustive bibliography of sources relating to Revolutionary War military units, personnel and operations. Surely the most valuable and essential starting point for any student of the Revolutionary War. A remarkably detailed and complete resource.

Wright, Robert K., Jr., The Continental Army. Washington, D.C., Center of Military History, 1989.

The most valuable and essential single volume on the formation, progressive development, and unit profiling of the army. An absolutely essential “bible” for any student. The complete text of this book is available online.