#muster rolls

Source: Page 2, subfolder 334 of Folder "15th Regiment (1777-1778)," Virginia troops, US, Revolutionaty War Rolls, 1775-1783, National Archives Manuscript Publication M246, Record Group 93, National Archives and Records Administration. Digitized to Fold3 by Ancestry.com.

This is a 1776 muster roll, enlisting a group of men in the Continental Army. The date on it is July 9 1776, just 5 days after the Declaration of Independence was signed. 

The men agreed to a term of service that would last through January 1 1777

The men are from Groton, which is one of the towns that responded at Lexington & Concord, and some of the men who signed this muster roll fought that day.

I love these types of documents because they focus on the lives of ordinary men. What I find interesting is that these men agree to provide their own weapons and gear, and that there's no discussion of pay. Also I find it interesting that two men who signed weren't literate enough to write their own names--and New England had a very high literacy rate for the time period.

Transcript

We the Subscribers do hereby severally inlist ourselves into the Service of the MassachusettsState, to continue in Service till the first Day ofJanuary next, unless sooner dismissed: And each of us do engage to provide ourselves with a good Fire Arm and Bayonet, Cartridge Box, Knapsack and Blanket, a Wooden Bottle or Canteen, and to do Duty in Either of the New England States: And we engage faithfully to obey such Orders as we shall receive from Time to Time from the Officers that are or shall be appointed over us, and to be subject to such Regulations as are provided for the Continental Army.        Dated this        9          Day