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Civil War Soldier: Genealogy and Research
Promotion, Transfer, Unit
Designations, and Military Records Confusion (Genealogy)
(Research Tools are Located at the
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During
the course of the Civil War many soldiers served in two or more regiments or units. When a soldier was hospitalized, his current
unit information was recorded. When the soldier later applied for veteran and pension benefits, however, his
initial unit facts, as well as his last unit information, were typically recorded.
When a soldier was wounded and later returned to service, he may have transferred to another regiment or returned to service in the nearest
regiment. After a soldier was separated from his company during battle, he may have been assigned to the first
regiment he encountered. This also occurred
after a prisoner exchange. (A captured soldier was exchanged with the enemy; a "prisoner for prisoner
exchange.") Prisoner exchange was common practice and some prisoners were paroled by simply stating that they
would not bear arms and further pledged that they would return to their homes. While some chose to ignore the demand,
superiors instructed others to rejoin the nearest regiment until they received official orders. Regardless of the transfer, protocol required a letter sent to the prior
regiment stating the reason for transfer, hence, clearing the soldier of desertion or dereliction-of-duty. (This also
allowed the former regiment the option to recall the soldier.)
Complicating
the research was the fact that most units had various designations. Furthermore, by 1864, many regiments were
reduced by as much as 70% and then the remnants consolidated with other regiments, reorganized, disbanded, or remained
weakened. This attrition can be attributed to killed-in-action, diseases, wounds, desertion, capture, missing-in-action, and
enlistment expiration. A typical regiment consisted of approximately 1100 soldiers or ten companies. Each
company consisted of 110 soldiers. Subtract 70% and one will see the horrible cost of conflict. As the Civil War progressed, brigade or division commanders would determine whether or not to strengthen, consolidate,
or disband a regiment. Promotion:
Robert Gustavus Adolphus Love, or R. G. A. Love, initially served as Captain in the 16th North Carolina Infantry Regiment in the Army
of Northern Virginia. When Robert G. A. Love received a promotion to Colonel he transferred to the 62nd North Carolina Regiment.
Examples of Added Confusion
As Civil War companies were rapidly shifted
to meet current demands, they often times lacked a "Unit Historian." Also when elements of the 16th and 62nd
North Carolina Regiments reorganized into Thomas' Legion, the records became even more confused and complicated. As Knoxville
surrendered, it is believed that General Buckner had many records burned. General Alfred E. "Old Mudwall" Jackson and Colonel
John Palmer struggled with Colonel W. H. Thomas for control of the "Legion," which complicated the records situation. Fueled
by former political rivalries, Gov. Vance and his brother, General Robert Vance, didn't help matters. It was the constant and proverbial power struggle. (Colonel Thomas's court-martials were a direct result of this bitter political infighting.)
(Personal Note: I served in the U.S. Air Force and retired with the U.S. Coast Guard. The
Coast Guard was a component of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Subsequently, the Coast Guard reorganized or consolidated
with the United States Department of Homeland Security. My records reflect my highest rank held and last
service assigned. Even in our very high-tech era the service records appear
to conflict: they reflect references to the Air Force, Coast Guard, Department of Transportation, and Department
of Homeland Security. Until explained, this can be very confusing.)
The
First Impression was a Lasting Impression
Most soldiers served in the same regiment with family,
friends, and neighbors. Many believed this unity made it unthinkable to coward and display the "white feather" in the presence of the enemy. Overall, many
entrusted their loved ones to enlist and serve with relatives and neighbors--with the common belief that they
maintained their loved ones' best interest in mind. Their
relatives, friends, and neighbors, which did not enlist in the military, basically knew and remembered the original regiment
their loved ones enlisted and served in. The
first impression was a lasting impression. If a soldier originally enlisted in the 25th North Carolina Regiment, correspondence
with his loved ones stated this fact. As the Civil War progressed,
communication and correspondence became very difficult. Furthermore,
the soldier's family and relatives would likely recall significant battle events and facts mentioned during their correspondence.
If a soldier fought in the Battle of Gettysburg, this would most likely be remembered by loved ones and friends. If
a soldier transferred regiments and there was failure to record the transfer or little mentioned about the transfer, this
would account for some of the post-war confusion. Also, the gaining regiment may have been overshadowed by more significant
events of the prior regiment or vice-versa. In some cases regimental
records were very accurate. If the soldier's name was Pleasant M. Parker, his name was recorded as Pleasant M. Parker. Some regiments may have recorded Pleasant M. Parker as P. Parker, or P.M. Parker,
thus confusing the researcher. The
latter practice also made it more difficult for the soldier or widow to make veteran and pension benefit claims.
Destroyed Confederate Army Records
As
the War grinded through 1865, many Confederate commanders embraced the "Lost Cause" and either made no effort to maintain
records or destroyed their records.
During the last months of the American Civil War, when the "Lost
Cause" was embraced, many soldiers were unofficially promoted by their peers to fill vacancies. This explains
why the officially mustered out rank/grade was often times a lesser rank than claimed via soldiers' papers, diaries and memoirs. During
the last months of the War, privates were being unofficially appointed to the rank or grade of lieutenant. Concurrently, some Confederate commanders were destroying
all, or what remained, of the regimental records. Some Confederates viewed their documents as evidence for the Yankees.
They further understood that all Confederate documents were incriminating and paramount to "Treason against the Union." At
the time, the Rebels didn't know if they would be hanged, shot or imprisoned for their rebellion.
Overall,
many Confederate Service Records were accidentally or intentionally destroyed, lost, poorly recorded or inaccurately
recorded. To make matters worse, some regiments never recorded any information. Lt. Col. Walter Clark states that "The
majority of troop rosters and official military records had been forcibly confiscated by Lincoln’s hordes or wantonly
destroyed.” Walter Clark's Regiments: An Extended Index to the Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions
from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-1865: By Charles C. Davis, p. 5.
Recommended Reading: Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor (Hardcover). Description: It is tantalizing to speculate about the role your ancestors may have played in
the great national drama of the Civil War. But family records are often inaccurate, or provide precious few leads on where
to begin the search. Now, experienced historian Bertram Hawthorne Groene shows you how easy it
is to trace your forbearers' role in the war, where and how long they fought, whether they were Union or Rebel, soldier or
sailor -- even with a minimum of information. Continued below...
Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor provides you with:
-- The names and addresses of all state archives.
-- Names and addresses of institutions that hold microfilmed service records
from the national archives.
-- Names and publishers of useful regional Civil War reference books.
-- Names and publishers of sourcebooks for identifying Civil War weapons
and accoutrements.
-- And much more.
Historians, genealogists, antique dealers, and collectors of Civil War artifacts
will find this concise guidebook of great value. But most of all it is of inestimable practical value to family historians,
North and South, who are discovering the pleasure and satisfaction of compiling an accurate family history. "[A] must have
for the individual researching Civil War soldiers, ancestors' military service records, Union and Confederate army records,
compiled military service records (CMSR), and for the family genealogist." If you are remotely into genealogy, then this book
is for you.
Researching People of the American Civil War:
American Civil War Pension, Muster, & Service Records (Genealogy)
Recommended Reading:
Civil War Research Guide: A Guide for Researching Your Civil War Ancestor.
Description: It has been over 40 years since the last comprehensive guide to tracing and researching Civil War ancestors was
published. The "Civil War Research Guide" goes beyond, but does not exclude, such major national sources such as the National
Archives in Washington, and features information on little-known
publications, websites, auctions, memorabilia dealers, and patriotic organisations. The authors lay out a systematic procedure
for performing research and recording the results in order to build a proper file on a Civil War soldier, making the experience
both educational and entertaining. Continued below…
About the Authors: Stephen McManus
resides in East Whiteland,
Pennsylvania, and is a graduate of Rensselear Polytechnic Institute and Delaware Law School.
Donald Thompson resides in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and is a graduate of Rhode Island College. Thomas Churchill resides
in Summerville, South Carolina,
and is a graduate of the Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. "Great Civil War soldier research guide...[I]ndispensable
source for tracing your Civil War ancestor, witnessing the soldier's military service, and for the individual interested
in primary source documentation of Civil War soldiers and their military service [records]." "Invaluable aid to
researching and gathering the primary documentation of the Civil War soldier."
Recommended
Reading:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy, 2nd Edition. Description: A
very helpful genealogy reference! It is extremely helpful if you're in the "I want to trace my roots, ancestors,
family tree and heritage. How do I begin, where do I start, and how do I go about doing it?" situation. It contains numerous
helpful common sense tips that will prevent future headaches and a lot of well thought out suggestions and tips too.
One helpful hint: "Talk with your extended family and interview them for genealogy information, be patient with them,
and let them tell their stories....document everything." There are plenty of well-mannered tips like these that elevate this
book to excellence. A lot of the confusing aspects of genealogical research such as document requests and providing proof
and evidence are well covered. RATED 5 STARS. Continued below...
Customer's
Review: I bought this book when I hadn't yet done any research at all about my family history. A year and
a half later, I have a file drawer full of information, and I have needed no other reference. I also bought a book called
"The Source", which is supposed to be the 'genealogist's bible', and it has been a giant paperweight in comparison. Idiot's
genealogy is full of the kind of practical information that can carry you through years of research. Happy hunting!!!
Recommended
Reading:
Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family's History and Heritage. Description:
A recent Maritz Poll reported that 60% of Americans are interested in their family history. And with good reason. Through
genealogy, you can go back into history to meet people who have had more influence on your life than any others -- your ancestors.
And the better you get to know your ancestors, the better you will get to know yourself: the who's and what's and why's of
you. Continued below...
Barbara Renick, a nationally-known
lecturer on genealogy, tells the uninitiated researcher the steps needed to find out who their ancestors really were, and
brings together for even the more experienced genealogical researchers the important principles and practices. She covers
such topics as the importance of staying organized and how to go about it; where and how to look for information in libraries,
historical societies, and on the internet; recognizing that just because something is in print doesn't mean it's right; and
how to prepare to visit the home where your ancestors lived. Genealogy 101 is the first book to read when you want to
discover who your ancestors were, where they lived, and what they did.
Recommended Reading: Rebel Private: Front and Rear: Memoirs of a Confederate Soldier. Description:
First published in 1907, the memoirs of a former Confederate soldier who fought at Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, Second Manassas, and Chickamauga
reveal the ground-level perspective of a Civil War private. Continued below…
From Publishers Weekly:
William Fletcher joined the Confederate Army in 1861. He served with the Army of Northern Virginia's elite Texas Brigade until
the Battle of Chickamauga. Unable to march because of wounds, he transferred to the cavalry and finished the war with the
Texas Rangers, then wrote his memoirs 40 years later. Most of the original copies were destroyed in a fire. The current edition
presents unvarnished images of hard marches, short rations and battles in which being wounded could prove worse than being
killed. Fletcher describes the horrors of being a Civil War casualty as vividly as any firsthand account from either side.
The author emerges from these pages as fighting less for a cause than for his own pride in being a good soldier. His narrative
does more than many learned monographs to explain the Confederacy's long endurance against overwhelming odds.
How to research your Civil War ancestor and military service records (Compiled Military Service
Record), What unit or regiment did the soldier serve in, Locating Confederate soldiers online, Soldier genealogy, Researching
Confederate soldiers for beginners details
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