Thank you for your kind reply. I have tried twice to obtain a copy of the record, and I failed both times!

The first time I sent a written request to the Archives, and my check was returned uncashed. The archivist wrote a note that the record group I had identified as the probable location of the document(Militia Loan Accounts) did not contain any records with original signatures. The second time I hired a local researcher to go to the Archives, and the researcher was told the same thing by the same archivist. The researcher charged me $5.00 for his time.

Over the weekend I contacted Mr. Aaron McWilliams, an archivist at the Pennsylvania State Archives. I found Mr. McWilliams' e-mail address on a personal website where someone had posted numerous Rev. War documents that they had procured from the Pennsylvania Archives with the aid of Mr. McWilliams. The owner of the website had included the cover letter that Mr. McWilliams had written along with the records. I was impressed with what Mr. McWilliams had found, and I hoped he could help me.

Mr. McWilliams wrote to me early this morning in response to my query. I explained my problem, and what had transpired so far in my search. Mr. McWilliams looked at the documents that I had attached to my message, and he stated that the record I am looking for is almost certainly located in the Westmoreland County distribution vouchers, which is part of the Militia Loan Accounts.

So I am now off to the Post Office to send my check to the Archives, along with my request addressed to Mr. Aaron McWilliams. I am hopeful that he will be able to locate the record. I truly hope that it was not handed out as a souvenir!

I have my fingers crossed that my third attempt at procuring this document will end in success.

Thanks again for your reply.

Susan