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Archiver > PACAMBRI > 2002-12 > 1040280434


From: "Lilly" <>
Subject: [PaCambri] PA Civil War research
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 08:47:14 +0200


How to search for PA civil war records.
Lillian Kathleen Martin
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Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2002 9:29 PM
Subject: PHMC BULLETIN -- 'ASK THE EXPERT' EDITION


> PHMC BULLETIN -- ASK THE EXPERT GENEALOGY EDITION
> December 18, 2002
> News from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
> www.phmc.state.pa.us
> Calendar of Events:
> http://www.state.pa.us/PAPower/ical/calendar_v3.asp?calendar_ID=1193
>
>
> ASK THE EXPERT
> Jonathan R. Stayer, head of the Reference Section of the Pennsylvania
> State Archives, answers your questions on genealogy in “Ask the Expert.”
>
> Q: Is there a way to determine if my great-grandfather served in the Union
> army?
>
> A: Numerous primary, secondary and on-line resources are available to
> document the military service of a Pennsylvania ancestor who served in the
> Union forces during the American Civil War. Because this brief answer
> cannot describe all possible sources of information, we will consider only
> a few general suggestions for beginning research.
>
> Sponsored by the National Park Service, the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors
> System is a comprehensive, but incomplete, index to the records of Civil
> War veterans. Now containing over 5 million entries, this index may be
> reviewed on line at www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/index.html. Although an
> individual entry shows only the veteran’s name, rank and unit designation,
> it includes a reference to records held by the National Archives. A Civil
> War pension index and many other Civil War-related resources for
> Pennsylvania may be found on Ancestry.com’s website at www.pacivilwar.com.
> Access to some portions of this site requires payment of a membership fee.
>
> The National Archives holds valuable records for documenting the Civil War
> service of a soldier, sailor or Marine. The basic items to check are the
> compiled military service record and the pension file. Both sources may be
> reviewed in person at the National Archives building on Pennsylvania
> Avenue in Washington, DC, or one may request copies using the appropriate
> forms available from the Archives website (www.archives.gov). When
> submitting Civil War requests to the National Archives, be aware that
> separate forms must be sent for the military service record and the
> pension file.
>
> The service record consists primarily of abstract cards showing the dates
> of service and musters, ranks held and units to which a man was assigned.
> Typically, the pension file contains more family information, particularly
> in situations where relationships needed to be proven to receive pension
> benefits. The pension file may include documentation of the veteran’s
> marriage, the birth dates of his children, his date of death, and his
> occupation and his places of residence after the war.
>
> To better understand the collections of the National Archives, consult the
> “Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives” (Washington, DC:
> National Archives & Records Service, 1987). A comprehensive overview of
> Civil War records at the National Archives is “The Union: A Guide to
> Federal Archives Relating to the Civil War” by Kenneth W. Munden and Henry
> Putney Beers (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records
> Administration1, 1986).
>
> The Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg maintains records of the
> Commonwealth’s Civil War volunteer regiments and militia units. Because
> the militia was only a state organization, records of individual
> militiamen generally will not be found at the National Archives. Filed
> among the records of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
> (Record Group 19), the documents primarily consist of company muster rolls
> and regimental administrative files, arranged by regiment number, then by
> type of document.
>
> A W.P.A. project started the process of abstracting data from various
> rolls and placing them on a single index card for each soldier. The cards
> initially were prepared as an index to the five volumes of Samuel P. Bates
> ’s “History of Pennsylvania Volunteers” (Harrisburg, PA: B. Singerly,
> State Printer, 1869-71). Although not all cards have complete service
> information, the card file does serve as an alphabetical index to many of
> Pennsylvania’s Civil War veterans.
>
> The regimental files, the abstract cards and many other Civil War
> materials may be reviewed in person at the State Archives. Archives staff
> will search and copy abstract cards in response to mail inquiries upon
> payment of the established research fee. For further information, consult
> the Archives website at www.phmc.state.pa.us or call (717) 783-3281. At
> this time, the Archives cannot respond to e-mail inquiries.
>
> The “History of Pennsylvania Volunteers,” most recently reprinted with an
> everyname index in 1993-94 by Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington,
> NC, is itself a valuable resource for information about Pennsylvania’s
> Civil War soldiers. Arranged by regiment and thereunder by company, this
> publication shows the name, rank and limited service data for each
> volunteer or militiaman. Based primarily upon data extracted from the
> company muster-out rolls available to Samuel Bates in the Adjutant General
> ’s office at the end of the war, the volumes contain numerous errors and
> omissions. Information published in this source should be compared with
> original records at the National and State Archives. Nevertheless, Janet
> Hewett’s index included with the reprint makes this a very accessible
> resource. Images of each page in the volumes, as well as an electronic
> index are available online at
> www.rootsweb.com/~pamercer/PA/Military/CivilWar/bates.htm.
>
> ___________________________________________________________
>
> Note: If at any time you want to change or remove your address from our
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>
> Share your PHMC Bulletin! Forward this to all your friends and family who
> love Pennsylvania’s history. Ask them to subscribe –- free of charge, of
> course -- at www.phmc.state.pa.us. We’re especially interested in reaching
> small and fledgling historical societies and community groups. Your help
> is appreciated. Please send comments and suggestions to
> .
>
>
>
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