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Virginia was the stage for some of the most momentous events in American military history. In fact, American military history began with the establishment of the Virginia militia in the seventeenth century, and Virginia's achievements in the various theaters of war can be traced in a straight line to the decisive Battle of Yorktown more than a century later. Immediately after the Revolution, and both during and after the War of 1812, Virginia continued its historic contributions in men and materiel, culminating, of course, in the great battles of the Civil War. So enormous was Virginia's contribution in manpower, in fact, that a record of early Virginia soldiers is nothing less than a directory of Virginia's early residents!

This Family Archive CD contains a definitive collection of books dealing with the military records of Virginia in the colonial wars, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812, all published originally by the Genealogical Publishing Company. For persons interested in tracing the descendants of Virginia soldiers and who wish to understand the magnitude of Virginia's contribution to the American cause, this CD is invaluable. Naming 275,000 members of the militia and the established army, all of whom can be instantly traced by means of a single electronic index, this CD is one of the most powerful and versatile tools in the entire arsenal of early American genealogical research.

The books included on this CD are the undisputed favorites in their respective fields, and collectively they provide an unparalleled body of genealogical research materials. From Lloyd Bockstruck's Virginia Colonial Soldiers to John Gwathmey's Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution to the monumental Muster Rolls and Payrolls of Virginia Militia in the War of 1812, they cover the entire spectrum of Virginia's early military history. Based primarily on original record sources such as muster rolls, payrolls, bounty land warrants, and pension applications, it is possible to follow a soldier's entire military career from the date and place of his enlistment, to the battles and skirmishes he was engaged in, to his mustering out, while also gleaning details regarding his age, place of birth, place of residence, occupation, marital status, rank, bounty land awards, and names of spouse and children. The following is a list of the books included on this CD:

*Virginia's Colonial Soldiers
*Virginia Colonial Militia, 1651-1776
*List of the Colonial Soldiers of Virginia
*Revolutionary War Records. Virginia Army and Navy Forces with Bounty Land Warrants for the Military District of Ohio, etc.
*Virginia Soldiers of 1776. 3 vols.
*Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution
*Records of the Revolutionary War
*History of Virginia's Navy of the Revolution
*Catalogue of Revolutionary Soldiers and Sailors of the Commonwealth of Virginia
*Muster Rolls and Payrolls of Virginia Militia in the War of 1812. 2 vols.
*Virginia Military Records from The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, The William and Mary College Quarterly, and Tyler's Quarterly

System Requirements: You must have a CD-ROM drive, and in order to read the CD you must use either the Family Archive Viewer (version 4.0 or higher), which is available as a free download at http://www.genealogical.com/content/dlfav6.html, or Family Tree Maker for Windows, version 4.0 or higher (Family Tree Maker software can be ordered from www.FamilyTreeMaker.com).

To access information on our Family Archive CDs using the Family Archive Viewer:

1. Install the Family Archive Viewer CD or download it from http://www.genealogy.com/dlfav6.html.
2. Start the Viewer if it is not already running
3. Insert the CD you wish to view into the CD-ROM drive. If you have 2 or more CD-ROM drives, the CD must be placed in the first one.
4. The CD should open automatically, but users of later versions of the Family Archive Viewer must click the CD/magnifying glass icon in the top toolbar (above the template in some versions) to read the CD.
5. When the screen entitled "About this Family Archive" appears, click OK where prompted.

To access information on our Family Archive CDs using Family Tree Maker:

1. Start your Family Tree Maker and open a Family File. (If the program is already running, skip to Step 2.)
2. Insert the CD in your computer's CD-ROM drive. (If you have 2 or more CD-ROM drives, the CD must be placed in the first one.)
3. From the View menu, select Family Finder, or select the Family Finder icon from the toolbar.
4. For FTM 2005, FTM 2006, or Version 16, you must go to the View menu, select Data CD, then View CD. For FTM 2008 or higher, you must download the Family Archive Viewer.

To search the CD for names, select the Search Expert button in the top right of your screen, then select "Search this archive for someone NOT from your Family File." You can also search for names by using the Index.

Note: If a window opens that contains a list of files on the CD, simply close it.