October, 2008
Vol. 3, # 7
*Now in the third year of distribution with over 375 subscribers!
DNA Research Seminar – 15 days to go!! Have you signed up yet? Only a few spaces left!
Civil War Maps
For those who have researched their Civil War ancestors and located service records, there still may be some nagging questions about their military careers. For instance, you might like to know where they marched and the battles involving their unit. Luckily, there are now several sites on the Internet that contain large collections of Civil War maps. Some of these may indicate the location of forts or artillery pieces. Possibly, a POW camp or even parts of battlefields. Other maps such as state and regional, can be full of names and locations of old towns, bridges, river landings, etc. that may have some connections to the soldier travels. Also, many of these same websites will offer pre-war and post-war maps with potentially valuable clues or pieces of
information about war regions.
Civil War maps available online include hand-drawn as well as printed maps. In many cases, more than one map can be found on major battles that took place during the war years. With enough detail included on the map, where an ancestor’s unit was located will most likely be marked.
One of the first places researchers look on the Internet for Civil War maps is the Library of Congress website. Currently, there are over 2,200 maps and charts along with 76 atlases and sketchbook. A great number of these files are in MrSID, DjVU or JPEG2000 format. These three particular formats compress the images without the loss of detail. To view these files online, doesn’t require special software, usually. However, should the files be downloaded to personal computers, a special viewer will be necessary. The Library of Congress’s Wavelet Compression Technology page has useful information on viewing the downloaded files.
Lizardtech offers FREE, two separate Plug-ins. One is DjVu Browser Plug-in and the other is the ExpressView Browser Plug-in. These viewers decompress ONLY the enlarged portion of an image being viewed. It’s best to open the software first, then the file to view.
The Gilmer Civil War Maps Collection at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill website contains the war images of 161 Confederate Army maps. This collection can be searched by keyword, such as a town, county or river.
Maps in the National Archives are held by the Cartographic and Architectural Records Section. Upon arriving at the Archival Research Catalog, click on the yellow search button. Searching “maps and charts”, select digital files only and indicate a date range (optional). To purchase maps from the National Archives, go to the “Ordering Reproductions of Maps, Plans and Aerial Photographs” page. Copies are placed to private vendors and not the Archives itself. The National Archives maintains a collection of more than 8000 Civil War maps.
The US Military Academy Digital Library online collection contains 40 viewable Union and Confederate maps, mostly Virginia locations. Again, searching by keyword is available as well as the capability to enlarge sections of maps to view fine details. ‘Colonial and Federal Era Maps’ and ‘West Point Maps’ can also be found.
Lastly, the Official Military Atlas of the Civil War is available online from two locations. The University of Alabama Map Library and on the Civil War research page at Simmons Games.
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Genealogy Workshop
Fact: The US Geological Survey’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) has over 2 million place names in the United States within the database.
Tip: ER Mapper offers a FREE ER Viewer that will open large JPEG2000 as well as other files.
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Genealogy News
From the Allen County Public Library’s genealogy newsletter, ‘Genealogy Gems’ . . .
“International Black Genealogy Summit
Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN
October 29-31, 2009
This momentous event signifies the first time that all of the black historical and genealogical societies in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean will come together to celebrate the joys and challenges of black genealogy.The idea to host this event is the brainchild of two visionaries: Marjorie Sholes, professional genealogist, FGS Delegate and former President of the California African American Genealogical Society; and Curt Witcher, former President of the National Genealogical Society and the Department Manager for the Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library.
http://www.blackgenealogysummit.com/welcome.html”
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Frazine Taylor has a new book out entitled Researching African-American Genealogy in Alabama: A Resource Guide. Frazine is the Head of Reference for the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) and very experienced in researching African-Americans in pre-Civil War records.
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From Dick Eastman’s Newsletter comes the following news:
“TGN CEO promises to open Ancestry.com to developers
Ian Lamont reported recently in The Standard that the CEO of The Generations Network, the company that owns genealogy site Ancestry.com, has pledged to open up the platform to outside developers.
In an interview, The Generations Network CEO Tim Sullivan said Ancestry.com was committed to opening up the platform, which has been developed over the last 10 years. "We will absolutely open up our platform," Sullivan said. "It's on our roadmap." However, Sullivan added that that it was unlikely to happen in the next six months, owing to other unspecified priorities for the company. He also did not describe what opening up Ancestry.com would entail, or how long it would take.
If the Application Programming Interface (API) is built and if enough developers become interested, this could become monumental news for genealogists. The only program that can interface directly with Ancestry.com right now is Family Tree Maker which is also owned by The Generations Network. However, once the API is in place, other programs and even other web sites theoretically could access the databases stored on Ancestry.com and use the information in many different ways. I can envision several new applications that could utilize Ancestry.com's data. However, there are many "ifs, ands, and buts" between now and a date when all this could happen. Don't hold your breath waiting for this.
You can read a bit more about the recent interview at http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/09/30/tgn-ceo-promises-open-ancestry-com-developers “.
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ONE LAST REMINDER: Time is running short! October 18th will be here soon! Don’t miss Megan Smolenyak the North American Spokesperson for Ancestry.com. Her topics for the day are "Trace Your Roots with DNA," "Beyond Y-DNA: Your Genetic Genealogy Options," "Reverse Genealogy: Techniques for Finding Your Lost Loved Ones" and "Welcome to Roots Television!" Cost is $50 and a bargain for the wealth of information. Register on third floor of the Main Library M-F from 9 AM to 5 PM or by mail to: Huntsville Public Library, DNA Research, PO Box 443, Huntsville, AL 35804. For questions or more information, call 256.532.5969.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Check out the Heritage Room's genealogy blog ‘The Bones Collector’ at ...
http://bonescollector.blogspot.com
More new items have been added. Make sure to bookmark it if you haven’t already.
View our new online website for any genealogy-related events by clicking through to …
http://hpl.lib.al.us/events/genealogy
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Need to unsubscribe? Instructions now included with every email from this list.
Changing email addresses? Use our ‘Sign-Up’ form at … http://hpl.lib.al.us/lists to add your new address.
See You In The Heritage Room!
Richard White
Computer Genealogy Librarian
Huntsville-Madison County Public Library
915 Monroe Street
Huntsville, AL 35801
256.532.2360
rwhite@hpl.lib.al.us
Showing posts with label Civil War. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Civil War. Show all posts
Saturday, December 20, 2008
’Ancestor Searching’*
Sunday, June 22, 2008
’Ancestor Searching’*
May, 2008
Vol. 3, # 2
*Now in the third year of distribution with over 325 subscribers!
Researching Civil War Records
Unknown to most people, millions of state and federal records as well as thousands of books have preserved the hundreds of thousands of soldiers’ lives and wartime experiences. When these men who fought can be identified through research, they can be singled out of a huge group of participants and given a distinct identity and a ‘living’ history.
One of the first places researchers go for information is the military section of the National Archives website. There you can order service records online or download an order form in PDF format to fill out and mail in. While there is a $25 charge for the search and copies of records found, there is no charge if no record can be located. Records available from the National Archives include such documents as compiled service records (whether Union or Confederate), Union pension records, Court-martial case files, medical records, prisoner of war records, draft and burial records.
Another valuable source of information and records can be searched through the various state archives. As mentioned earlier, where Union pensions can be found in the National Archives, Confederate pension records (if applied for) will be found in the southern state archives depending on from which state the soldier served. These pension records can, in many cases, be a small ‘gold mine’ of information. If the soldier was a member of the State Militia and not a volunteer, no matter whether Union or Confederate, the records will only be in the state archives.
As far as published works of importance, there is available the huge 128-volume Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion and the 31-volume set of Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Not to be overlooked and used in conjunction with these two sets of books are the many books, rosters, memoirs, diaries, journals and regimental histories that are available and found in many libraries throughout the country. For instance, regimental histories may trace a particular regiment from its mustering-in ceremony through all of its battles to the final disbanding of the survivors. They will usually contain a listing of the higher ranking officers and hopefully give detailed biographies with a great deal of personal information.
Two magazine publications of note that might also be useful are The Confederate Veteran and Civil War Times Illustrated. The Confederate Veteran was published from 1893 to 1932 while Civil War Times Illustrated in still in publication. It’s worth mentioning that photographs of Southern veterans are unsurpassed in The Confederate Veteran. Many soldiers of the South have been found in the magazine as well as notices of death, even where there is no picture.
On the Union side, there is an 8-volume set of books entitled Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force of the United States Army for the Years 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865. This work lists the volunteer officers who served in the million and a half strength Union army. Another valuable source is the Official Army Register for 1861 – 1865. The 7-volumes contain biographies of all of the regular officers in the Federal army during the war.
Where there is uncertainty about whether an ancestor was Union or Confederate, be sure to check both Union and Confederate indexes. This was especially important in the Southern states. It cannot always be assumed that a soldier living in the South at the time of the Civil War was a Confederate. Every Confederate state *except* South Carolina had its own contingency of Union Troops. Remember, when unsure, check both sides.
Most black soldiers entered the Union Army or Navy. The majority of blacks who were in Confederate service were slaves who followed their masters into battle or on occasion, a free black. Union black soldier records can be found on the National Archives microfilm entitled Index to Service Records of U. S. Colored Troops. Confederate records for black soldiers from Southern states will be found in the individual state archives.
Information on literally hundreds of thousands of Civil War soldiers is available to anyone who knows how to extract it from the millions of state and federal records and countless books. Tracing a Civil War ancestors records and stories is not, for most researchers, necessarily difficult and anyone is able to do it. It simply takes time and some expense.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Genealogy Workshop
Fact: During the war, Matthew B. Brady, the most-noted photographer in America spent the entire four years with the Union forces and recorded the battles and scenes through the eye of his cameras. The 10-volume set of The Photographic History of the Civil War edited by Francis T. Miller contains the most complete collection of Brady photographs.
Tip: The Civil War website has an amazing amount of information on the American Civil War. Currently, there are more than 7,000 pages relating to the conflict with one of the largest collections of Civil War resources on the Internet. Work has just been finalized on a complete run of Harper's Weekly newspapers from the Civil War. This paper was the major source during the war years for passing along to the general public the events that were taking place.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Genealogy News
A Spring Quarter calendar of genealogy computer classes has now been completed. For those who are interested themselves or may know of someone who would like to attend, the schedule is as follows . . .
Genealogy Research Online ~
Classes are from 2 to 4 PM in the afternoon.
May 21st and June 18th
The following classes are on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.
New England Ancestry
May 27th
HeritageQuest Online
June 24th
Basic Genealogy and Computer Skills Required.
All classes are FREE and held in the Computer Lab on Third Floor of the Main Library.
Register for classes in person or by
calling 532-2356!
Also, two quick reminders. The Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society’s Spring Seminar is this Saturday, May 3rd in the Library’s Main Auditorium. Paul Drake’s topic will be ‘Using 21st Century Methods & Resources in Your Research.
The Huntsville Genealogical Computing Society’s next program is scheduled for 7 PM, May 19th (also in the Auditorium). Their program will be Nancy Rohr speaking on ‘Old Alabama Maps and Many Modes of Transportation . . .” .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Check out the Heritage Room's genealogy blog ‘The Bones Collector’ at ...
http://bonescollector.blogspot.com/
More new items have been added. Make sure to bookmark it if you haven’t already.
View our new online website for any genealogy-related events by clicking through to …
http://hpl.lib.al.us/events/genealogy
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Need to unsubscribe? Instructions now included with every email from this list.
Changing email addresses? Use our ‘Sign-Up’ form at … http://hpl.lib.al.us/lists to add your new address.
See You In The Heritage Room!
Richard White
Computer Genealogy Librarian
Huntsville-Madison County Public Library
915 Monroe Street
Huntsville, AL 35801
256.532.2360
rwhite@hpl.lib.al.us
Vol. 3, # 2
*Now in the third year of distribution with over 325 subscribers!
Researching Civil War Records
Unknown to most people, millions of state and federal records as well as thousands of books have preserved the hundreds of thousands of soldiers’ lives and wartime experiences. When these men who fought can be identified through research, they can be singled out of a huge group of participants and given a distinct identity and a ‘living’ history.
One of the first places researchers go for information is the military section of the National Archives website. There you can order service records online or download an order form in PDF format to fill out and mail in. While there is a $25 charge for the search and copies of records found, there is no charge if no record can be located. Records available from the National Archives include such documents as compiled service records (whether Union or Confederate), Union pension records, Court-martial case files, medical records, prisoner of war records, draft and burial records.
Another valuable source of information and records can be searched through the various state archives. As mentioned earlier, where Union pensions can be found in the National Archives, Confederate pension records (if applied for) will be found in the southern state archives depending on from which state the soldier served. These pension records can, in many cases, be a small ‘gold mine’ of information. If the soldier was a member of the State Militia and not a volunteer, no matter whether Union or Confederate, the records will only be in the state archives.
As far as published works of importance, there is available the huge 128-volume Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion and the 31-volume set of Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Not to be overlooked and used in conjunction with these two sets of books are the many books, rosters, memoirs, diaries, journals and regimental histories that are available and found in many libraries throughout the country. For instance, regimental histories may trace a particular regiment from its mustering-in ceremony through all of its battles to the final disbanding of the survivors. They will usually contain a listing of the higher ranking officers and hopefully give detailed biographies with a great deal of personal information.
Two magazine publications of note that might also be useful are The Confederate Veteran and Civil War Times Illustrated. The Confederate Veteran was published from 1893 to 1932 while Civil War Times Illustrated in still in publication. It’s worth mentioning that photographs of Southern veterans are unsurpassed in The Confederate Veteran. Many soldiers of the South have been found in the magazine as well as notices of death, even where there is no picture.
On the Union side, there is an 8-volume set of books entitled Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force of the United States Army for the Years 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865. This work lists the volunteer officers who served in the million and a half strength Union army. Another valuable source is the Official Army Register for 1861 – 1865. The 7-volumes contain biographies of all of the regular officers in the Federal army during the war.
Where there is uncertainty about whether an ancestor was Union or Confederate, be sure to check both Union and Confederate indexes. This was especially important in the Southern states. It cannot always be assumed that a soldier living in the South at the time of the Civil War was a Confederate. Every Confederate state *except* South Carolina had its own contingency of Union Troops. Remember, when unsure, check both sides.
Most black soldiers entered the Union Army or Navy. The majority of blacks who were in Confederate service were slaves who followed their masters into battle or on occasion, a free black. Union black soldier records can be found on the National Archives microfilm entitled Index to Service Records of U. S. Colored Troops. Confederate records for black soldiers from Southern states will be found in the individual state archives.
Information on literally hundreds of thousands of Civil War soldiers is available to anyone who knows how to extract it from the millions of state and federal records and countless books. Tracing a Civil War ancestors records and stories is not, for most researchers, necessarily difficult and anyone is able to do it. It simply takes time and some expense.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Genealogy Workshop
Fact: During the war, Matthew B. Brady, the most-noted photographer in America spent the entire four years with the Union forces and recorded the battles and scenes through the eye of his cameras. The 10-volume set of The Photographic History of the Civil War edited by Francis T. Miller contains the most complete collection of Brady photographs.
Tip: The Civil War website has an amazing amount of information on the American Civil War. Currently, there are more than 7,000 pages relating to the conflict with one of the largest collections of Civil War resources on the Internet. Work has just been finalized on a complete run of Harper's Weekly newspapers from the Civil War. This paper was the major source during the war years for passing along to the general public the events that were taking place.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Genealogy News
A Spring Quarter calendar of genealogy computer classes has now been completed. For those who are interested themselves or may know of someone who would like to attend, the schedule is as follows . . .
Genealogy Research Online ~
Classes are from 2 to 4 PM in the afternoon.
May 21st and June 18th
The following classes are on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.
New England Ancestry
May 27th
HeritageQuest Online
June 24th
Basic Genealogy and Computer Skills Required.
All classes are FREE and held in the Computer Lab on Third Floor of the Main Library.
Register for classes in person or by
calling 532-2356!
Also, two quick reminders. The Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society’s Spring Seminar is this Saturday, May 3rd in the Library’s Main Auditorium. Paul Drake’s topic will be ‘Using 21st Century Methods & Resources in Your Research.
The Huntsville Genealogical Computing Society’s next program is scheduled for 7 PM, May 19th (also in the Auditorium). Their program will be Nancy Rohr speaking on ‘Old Alabama Maps and Many Modes of Transportation . . .” .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Check out the Heritage Room's genealogy blog ‘The Bones Collector’ at ...
http://bonescollector.blogspot.com/
More new items have been added. Make sure to bookmark it if you haven’t already.
View our new online website for any genealogy-related events by clicking through to …
http://hpl.lib.al.us/events/genealogy
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Need to unsubscribe? Instructions now included with every email from this list.
Changing email addresses? Use our ‘Sign-Up’ form at … http://hpl.lib.al.us/lists to add your new address.
See You In The Heritage Room!
Richard White
Computer Genealogy Librarian
Huntsville-Madison County Public Library
915 Monroe Street
Huntsville, AL 35801
256.532.2360
rwhite@hpl.lib.al.us
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