A Unique Archive of Orderly Books

This one-of-a-kind collection offers access to Orderly Books found nowhere else and contains handwritten volumes documenting military orders, movements and engagements by brigade, regiment, company and other specific military units between 1748 and 1817. It also includes original images, fully transcribed and keyword-searchable

The content in Orderly Books provides detailed accounts of troops’ daily lives, documenting everything from court martial cases to the price of necessities charged by locals. Given the dearth of soldiers’ diaries, Orderly Books provides historically valuable information about soldiers’ lives. 

Orderly Book Entries Include:

  • Information on the day, location and general orders
  • Proclamations from the Continental Congress
  • Calculations about rations, miles and routes traveled
  • Personal expenses and loans
  • “Advertisements” announcing lost items, such as clothing and equipment

Subjects Include:

  • Both sides of the American Revolutionary War
  • The French and Indian War
  • The War of 1812
  • The early frontier
  • Other various military deployments throughout the young United States

During this time period, much communication was in written format, making these records crucial to historical research. This is an excellent resource for collections specializing in Colonial era history.

— Choice Magazine