The evidence linking these individuals, in all cases, is circumstantial and primarily dependant on Records from New York during the Revolutionary War which were carefully researched by Sharon Reck. However, there can be no doubt there was a Stark family living in the Albany County area, their relationships to each other being difficult to ascertain. Her sources of material on these individuals, which supports the theory they were children of Christopher Stark, Jr., comes from New York State Revolutionary War Pay Vouchers, Pension Applications, and the 1904 publication, "New York In the Revolution As Colony and State", compiled by the State Comptrollers Office.

To better understand the documents which record our ancestors, one must understand that the military forces of New York were divided into three classifications 1] The "Line Regiments" which were under General Washington. There also were regiments of artillery and an organization of "Green Mountain Boys" from Vermont which were Line Regiments. 2] The "Levies Regiments" whose members were drafted from different militia regiments for a time duration of nine months in most cases. They could also be drafted from the people as well. There Regiments and the men serving in them could be called outside the State for the duration of there tour of duty. 3] The "Militia Regiments" were to be prepared to be called out at anytime when needed, kept as long as wanted, and the soldiers sent back home at the conclusion of the call-up. As the following will reveal, many men served in each of these military units and will be found serving in any one of the three classifications and even recorded several times as different individuals.

Counties were divided into districts and the Colonel of the Regiment in each district was given almost unlimited jurisdiction in military matters. He was required to see that every male between the ages of sixteen and fifty was enrolled, the upper limit raised to sixty later in the war. Each able-bodied man must serve when "warned" under penalty of being fined or imprisoned. When called, the soldier must present himself armed, with a blanket, powder-horn and flint, and sometimes with a tomahawk. All of the officers of the cities of New York, Albany, and Schenectady were ordered to wear their swords during divine service under a penalty of being fined twenty shillings.

Pay for service was slow to be obtained and not always in money. As late as 1784, the large majority of soldiers still had not been paid for their services in 1776 through 1782. On April 27, 1784, the legislature passed "An act for the settlement of the pay of the Levies and Militia for their services in the late war." The State act provided that abstracts and pay-rolls of the different regiments and separate commands should be certified by the State auditor. Upon receipt of these accounts from the auditor, the State Treasurer was then required to issue certificates of indebtedness bearing five percent interest to persons due pay for their services in the war. Therefore, in the years 1784-86 will be found many records of pay due for individuals who were due pay. Our ancestors made many such request which reveal the Regiments they served in and their possible connections to each other.

In 1781, a bounty of "Land Rights" --- so-called --- [A "Right" being 500 acres] was offered to officers and men for two Regiments to be raised, for defense of the State. By an act of April 1, 1778, each Militia Regiment was divided into "Classes" of fifteen men each. When soldiers were needed for the Line Regiments, each class must within nine days furnish a man fully armed and equipped. In case they neglected to choose an individual, the designated officer proceeded at once to draft one of the fifteen by lot. An act passed March 11, 1780 divided every regiment into classes of 35 men and the process of choosing a man needed for the Line or Levies was much the same.

If a "class" furnished a man as the law required, it received a money bounty, sometimes as much as 80 pounds. However, as the war progressed and the needs of the government became more pressing, land "rights" were added to the money Bounty and on March 23, 1782 an act was passed providing any "class" or person who furnished an able-bodied man to serve "for three years or during the war" should be entitled to 600 acres, 350 acres for two years of service, and if any person or "Class" who delivered a man within twenty days from the time of notification, 200 acres extra.

Therefore, many of our ancestors were granted "Land Bounty Rights" which have also revealed the Regiments and possible relationships they may have had during the Revolutionary War.

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