1/1/2004
By Nancy Hendrickson
The dedicated volunteers behind USGenWeb make accessing resources from sea to shining sea a snap.
In August 1780, Pvt. David Faulkenberry battled the British at Hanging Rock, SC. Fifty-three years later, he received a $33.33 pension for his service. By then, the details of the fight were lost in the backwaters of his memory.
Seeking out Faulkenberry's history has been as challenging as his own struggle to recollect the battle. I found the clue that led me to his pension file — and, I hope, an avenue to his earlier years — in an afternoon's foray on USGenWeb <www.usgenweb.org>.
You can use USGenWeb in your own research to connect with other family historians, read census transcriptions, search Civil War rosters, view old photos, post queries and trace migration routes. The fruits of its volunteer projects are available to everyone for free. It's the premier site for American research, and it's growing daily.