Civil War Relative

[Niederlander]

Gentlemen,
     I have an ancestor, Jacob Marquardsen, who was a Captain in the Ohio Home Guard.  How do I find out more information about him?

[pony express]

Is there a county  Historical Society where he was from? In my case, some of the research has been done already. Several were in the Osage Battalion of the Missouri Home Guard, another was in a Missouri infantry regiment, and another in an Indiana unit, as well as one possible Confederate. There's some other sites online that can give some info-but we're heading out to church at the moment.

[River City John]

State records for CW veterans.

www.ohiocivilwar.com/other.html

Here's one . . .

RCJ

[St. George]

Civil War Ancestors...

« on: June 12, 2004, 10:56:21 pm »

Looking at the time frame we represent, it seems that a large number of us would've served on either side during the Civil War.

This is most helpful when developing your impression, since it can give you the background for your own character - plus, you can add the odd military item to your possibles bag to further add a touch of realism.

A good way to do this is to look into your own ancestry and see who fought where, and with whom did they fight?
You can then draw from real experiences.

You're going to need a couple of things in order to get started - an old, old living relative, and maybe the big, old Family Bible.

You need the ancient relative because they may know some of the family's oral history, and the associated names and their ties within the family.

You need the Family Bible because that's what many families used when they chronicled the various births, deaths and other pertinent data that made them "families".

There's also a good book that you can borrow from any well-stocked Town Library, and you'll usually find it in the Geneaology section.
It's titled:
"Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor" - by Groene.

It was printed some time back, and my copy doesn't have web links, but newer ones may, so stop by, check it out and see.

The actual addresses for the agencies involved are good though, and you can go to the 'net and dig from that point on.

There are a few of the things you'll need to do and to know:

1.  Know the actual name of your ancestor.
2.  Know his Date of Birth.
3.  Look for his Discharge or Mustering-Out Certificate.
4.  Know what State/County he lived in.
5.  Know what Unit he may have served in.
6.  Ask first at your County Historical Society.
7.  Look at the record of the war that his State published.
8.  Inquire at the National Archives - (the book explains how) http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/index.html
9.  You want to see his Military Record of Service.
10. You really want to see his Pension Records.

This list will keep you involved, but the hunt can be surprisingly worthwhile.
The Pension Records are important, because each time they changed the laws - those pensions needed to be re-requested, and in order to do that, affidavits needed to be filled out by men who served with him - attesting to actual service and times.

This means that the Pension Records will have more in them about specific duties and actions, while the Military Record will have the bare-bones details pertinent to that soldier up until discharge.

This really isn't as hard as you may think and the folks who deal in these Records are quite helpful with providing details and digging up additional information - so be certain to thank them profusely.

There are organizations that you may join currently, upon being able to prove your Civil War Veteran's connection.

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War: www.suvcw.org

The Sons of Confederate Veterans of the Civil War: www.scv.org

These are the two premier outfits that you'll find both interesting as well as useful in your quest.

Scouts Out!

[Pitspitr]

https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/index.htm

[Delmonico]

From what I've researched for the most part, looks like I have little or none in the direct family, looks like mine may have moved to Nebraska to avoid the draft.

[Blair]

I did the ACW Ancestors Research thing a few years ago.
I had a lot of old family tails and stories that I remembered as a kid.
About all I had was his name and where he was born.
I was amazed at what I found out.
Many of the names and actual dates were not correct from these tails, but the stories proved out to be very true otherwise.
I would highly recommend giving it a try.
My best,
Blair

[Bat 2919]

I had been told by family members that my Great Grand Father Ransom Robins (4th MN Inf.) had been with Sherman on his march to the sea.  I've since confirmed this and also learned that his brothers Alfred and Tennessee were in this unit as well, but died (from disease/not enemy action) during the war.

It wasn't until I started playing with Ancestry.com that I learned that I had a first cousin (3 times removed) who was a Major with the 12th NH Inf.  For those of you who've met me or would like to compare his likeness to my photo, you may see a bit of family resemblance.

[pony express]

https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/index.htm

I tried searching Ned's relative there and got no hits.

[Pitspitr]

I tried searching Ned's relative there and got no hits.

Me too.

Like many others I had family storys that ended up being not quite correct. My Great-Great Grandfather mustered in, in August 1862 and was wounded at the Battle of Prairie Grove Arkansas 7 December 1862. Hewas discharged due to said wounds in January 1863. Family storys said that he was shot in the left chest narrowly missing his heart. I'm not sure but what the real story is more interesting. He was shot in the right chest and the bullet ricocheted off his ribs but stayed beneath the skin and came out the middle of his back giving the appearance of having gone straight though him.

[Delmonico]

Stories can be interesting,  A lady the other day was telling in a group here Great great Uncle marched to the sea with Uncle Billy, och, believable but she also said he was busted from Corporal to Private for stealing some farmers mule which he got to keep.  Doubt the field demotion was for the mule.   

Went to a seminar one time on oral history, the more people it passes thrugh the less reliable it becomes.  Kind of like that game we played in grade school.   

[River City John]

I have been lucky in fleshing out my Civil War ancestors, as my people never threw anything away. I have enlistment & discharge papers, diaries, tintype and carte d' visit albums, pension records, Family Bibles, and most satisfying, bundles of letters written home telling of their experience. From three family branches covering 5 individuals.

The letter subjects mainly fall into two categories: hungry for the mundane news about home, and complaints about anything and everything wrong with soldiering.

I have no doubt this has never changed, whether it was correspondence during Caesar's campaigns or Washington"s or Patton's.

RCJ

[Johnson Barr]

I am going to try your various links to see if there might be a hit on my GGF, George Crow, that served twice with the Minnesota Volunteer's. Once, under aged, with the Infantry; his father retrieved him somewhere in Pennsylvania. Two years latter reenlisted with the Cavalry and mustered out in Georgia at the end of the war. I have his bayonet from the first hitch and belt with saber from the second. He was the last of Minnesota's Volunteers to pass away.       

[pony express]

I have been lucky in fleshing out my Civil War ancestors, as my people never threw anything away. I have enlistment & discharge papers, diaries, tintype and carte d' visit albums, pension records, Family Bibles, and most satisfying, bundles of letters written home telling of their experience. From three family branches covering 5 individuals.

The letter subjects mainly fall into two categories: hungry for the mundane news about home, and complaints about anything and everything wrong with soldiering.

I have no doubt this has never changed, whether it was correspondence during Caesar's campaigns or Washington"s or Patton's.

RCJ

No such luck for me. If any of that sort of thing exists in my family, it's in the hands of relatives I don't know.

One old story that I have serious doubts about, was that a farm in the family was deeded as a result of Civil War service. Problem with the story, GGgrandpa Colvin was about 57 years old when the war started, I doubt he served at all, and my Great-grandpa wasn't born till 1877(GGgrandpa was a widower, married a much younger gal, I suspect she was a war widow). He did have a son from his first wife, that served in the 33rd Mo Infantry, though. Besides that, he moved into this area in the mid 1850s.

[St. George]

Just for the pure hell of it - follow 'my' instructions as I listed above.

It takes some work, phone calls, emails and even some face-to-face with the County Historical Society, but I'm betting that if you do all of that - you'll find a helluva lot more than what the NPS website shows.

But that's your call.

Scouts Out!

[Blair]

My Great Grandfather, Charles Somerfield Auld, was in three Confederate Unites and captured twice.
He then Volunteered out of Point-Look-Out POW camp to become a member of Co. F of the First USVI.
This was one of the first US Regulation "Galvanized Yankee" units organized.
When I got his records from the National Archives, there were 87 pages of documents involving his service.
In late 1890's to about 1900, he applied for a disability pension as a result of an injury during his US Service.
I honestly believe the reason for so much documentation was based on just what Service the Government was going to pay him his pension for?
This was not the last of these units to be Mustered out, but it was one of the longest Serving Galvanized Yankee to be in service within the US.
All was very good reading and helped to put answers to many of the old family stories. Being a student of the ACW helped a great deal.
My best,
Blair

[Johnson Barr]

The NPS site proved out well for adding info I did not have including both Regiments and' Company's that I did not have for both of George Crow's enlistments. More parts of the puzzle that will prove useful in the searching. A little here and a little there.

[Bat 2919]

My Great Grandfathers brother Alfred died 23 Jun 1862 in Corinth, MS.  Tennessee died 20 Feb 1865 in Evansville, IN.

My cousin Hadley and his father (my Great Grand Uncle) Capt. Blake Fowler who was also in the war survived and returned to NH.

At this point these are all the relatives I know of who were in the war but I'm sure there had to be more.

My 4th Great Grandfather Abner Fowler was documented (Sons of the Amer. Rev. application) as having been in the Revolutionary war but that's a story for another post.  Ancestry is another great tool, that's where most of this info came from.

[Pitspitr]

Just for the pure hell of it - follow 'my' instructions as I listed above.

It takes some work, phone calls, emails and even some face-to-face with the County Historical Society, but I'm betting that if you do all of that - you'll find a helluva lot more than what the NPS website shows.

Col.
I wasn't implying that searching the NPS website was better than your method or would replace place it, but it is a another tool that had not been mentioned. What it is, is a quick easy and cheap way of confirming or correcting your family's oral history of your ancestor's military service during the Civil War. Plus it will give you the required micro film roll when you contact the national archive to request a copy of his service record and pension records

[pony express]

I got a tip from one of the ladies at the Camden County Historical society, our local library had a subscription with Ancestry.com, I can go there and search them for free. Don't know about any other libraries, but it's worth checking. She was the one that tracked down my GGGrandmother, the family history said her maiden name was Shoemaker, no luck searching that. But she discovered that it was really Shumate. Listed as born in Missouri in 1840, so her family may be the earliest Mo residents in my line. Hmmm, that reminds me, now I have to search for Civil War Shumates.