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From: Angela McGhie <>
Subject: [TGF] National Archives in Washington,D.C - preliminary inventory - 3 questions
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 13:48:58 -0500


LeRoy,

I am glad to see you reading the preliminary inventories for NARA records.
You will be prepared for your trip when you come.

To answer your questions -
1) Yes, you will want to look at some of the entries in Record Group 94, the
records of the Adjutant General's Office for the Colored Troops Division.
Which entries you will look at will depend upon your research question and
the information you are seeking.

2) You will want to go to the "Finding Aids" room on the main level at NARA
when you arrive and speak with a military archivist. They will help you
narrow down which entries will be most useful for your research. The "pull
times" for records are 10am, 11am, 1:30pm and 2:30pm, with an additional
pull at 3:30 on W-Th-F. You can only pull records from one record group at a
time, but if all the records you want are from RG 94 then you are fine. You
can only order as many records as will fit on one cart at each pull time,
generally around six volumes or fifteen boxes, depending on the size.

3) Entry 391 of RG 94 is arranged chronologically by date of enlistment. If
you have the date of enlistment (probably listed in the Compiled Military
Service Record) then you can order the correct volume, and perhaps one
before and one after. Each volume contains a name index. They would not want
to pull all 54 volumes.

Email me directly if you have other questions. I hope you enjoy researching
at NARA!

Angela McGhie
Regular NARA researcher


LeRoy wrote:
This month I will be at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. for the
first time. While I am there I will research a man who served in the Colored
Infantry during the Civil War.

The preliminary inventory for the Adjutanant General's Office, compiled by
Lucille H. Pendell and Elizabeth Bethel, indicates there were about 40
entries for the Colored Troops Division, 1863-89.

As I read the preliminary inventory it appears there is more than just
reading a single microfilm. The records of the Adjutanant General's Office
are essentially organized by divisions that were created over the course of
our nation's history. One such division is the "Colored Troops Division,
1863-89." The document files are described as "entries." Some of the entries
could list my subjects name and describe him. Therefore it appears that I
should be looking as some of those records in addition to what I had
envisioned I would see on a microfilm that I found in the Civil War Soldiers
and Sailors System. Is that correct?

If that is the case, as I understand I should place a request for files to
be pulled as soon as I can so I will have time to read them. Is that
correct?

Entry 391, for descriptive lists in 1864 consists of 54 volumes. It refers
to an order of the department of the Missouri in 1863. The file is arranged
chronolgically, but it does contain an index. Would I ask for all 54 volumes
so that I am sure I am able to see the index and then move quickly to the
appropriate entry?

Thank you for looking at my detailed questions.

LeRoy Atkins
Mesa, AZ

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