If you look at the 1780 legislation, you need to look at the returns (which were far from adequate). Aggregate data on the returns are analyzed in my book, Wellspring of Liberty, or you can find the reports in the Library of Virginia archives. The poor return rate is complicated by the question of whether "no return" means the return was lost, never sent, or troops weren't raised.
I do look forward to seeing the results of Jon's research!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Craig Kilby" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 6:14:22 PM
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Clarification re: Virginia soldiers in Am Rev?
Jon,
One easily quantifiable number would be the October 1780 legislation requiring each county to raise "x" amount of troops as Virginia's quota for troops for the Continental Line. The number for each county is spelled out in the act. It is in Hening. Don't have the reference handy.
Craig
On Oct 25, 2011, at 4:15 PM, Jon Kukla wrote:
> Solid and well-meant advice, thank you one and all (and Lesser's Sinews of
> Independence certainly leapt to mind). That said, by way of clarification,
> what I'm hoping to find is reliable scholarship that might supply the blanks
> in sentences such as:
>
> The state of ____ supplied ____ soldiers to the Continental army in the year
> 17___.....
> OR between the
> years 17___ and 17___ .
>
> OR variants of that sort.
>
> From conversations with a few historians, I take it that these kinds of
> big-picture-context studies may not exist, at least for Virginia militiamen
> and continentals.....
> But once again, thank you.
>
> Jon Kukla
> ________________
> www.JonKukla.com <http://www.jonkukla.com/>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 9:34 AM, Jon Kukla <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> I'm looking for a reliable book/ article with accurate estimates of the
>> numbers of Virginia soldiers involved in Revolutionary War units serving
>> OUTSIDE the Commonwealth in northern or southern theaters. . . . Anecdotal
>> evidence suggests a strong presence of Virginians joined Washington, and
>> clearly Gov Henry devoted a lot of energy 1776-79 to recruitment and
>> supplies, etc.
>> Have looked at a lot of scholarship - Higginbotham, Lesser, Shy, Gruber,
>> Selby, etc. and a quite a bit in JSTOR (though the search strategy is
>> challenging) - but haven't yet found numbers that inspire confidence.
>> Welcome suggestions of books / articles / good dissertations . . .
>> Thank you
>>
>>
>>
>> Jon Kukla
>> ________________
>> www.JonKukla.com <http://www.jonkukla.com/>
>>
>>
>
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