Civil War Muster Records

1. Civil War Muster Records Just what am I lookin at!?

2. Civil War Muster Records • Agenda • How Muster Records were created as we know them • Different types of records • Just what does it all mean? • A walk through of a favorite Soldier

3. How Muster records came to be • No portable type setting equipment – everything was handwritten • Literacy rates in rural American around 40% at best • A phonetic culture • Transcriber’s choice of spelling • If you could write at all you were in…quality varied wildly

4. How Muster records came to be • Mustering Form • Men would line up and answer the questions on the form • Usually after a big community event with speeches and chest thumping and food • Peer pressure likely…very likely.

6. How Muster Records came to be • Descriptive Roll • From Surgeon’s Examination • Used to find soldier

7. How Muster records came to be • Company and Regimental Order Books • As Officers and Sergeants assigned work to the soldiers, those orders were written in Company Order Books. • As Sr. Officers assigned work to Companies, those orders were written in Regimental Order Books. • If the “work” was of a duration longer than a couple weeks, these orders may well find their way to the soldier’s muster record.

8. How Muster records came to be • An Example… • ”on detached service 22 AUG 1862” • Another example… • ”H | 7 | KY” compared with “Pvt, Co. B, 3 Reg’t…” • we’ll see more of Pvt. Hensley in a a few minutes

9. How Muster records came to be • After the war… • War Department and State Compiling of Records • Copying • Auditing • Second Auditing • LOTS of handwritten records • Perpetuation of original errors • Introduction of new errors and omissions

10. How Muster records came to be • After the war… • State Adjutant General Reports • “Official” Muster Records • Muster Records & AGRs independently are NOT authoritative • They ARE independent pieces of evidence • SOMETIMES PRIMARY SOURCES CAN BE WRONG!

11. Civil War Muster Records • Agenda • How Muster Records were created as we know them • Different types of records • Just what does it all mean? • A walk through of a favorite Soldier

12. Different Types of Records • Muster IN • Descriptive roll • Periodic Muster • Muster OUT • "appears on returns as" • Hospital Muster • casualty sheets • Enclosures • Enlistment Form • Letters, transportation reimbursement, etc.

13. Different Types of Records • Muster IN • Rank and Company • Where and when they enlisted • Where and when they Mustered In • Remarks…always check the Remarks!

14. Different types ofRecords • Descriptive Roll • From Surgeon’s Examination • Used to find soldier

15. Different Types of Records • Periodic Muster • Inspected and Paid about every 2 months • Disposition of soldier • Pay held for lost or neglected equipment • Remarks…always check the REMARKS!

16. Different Types of Records • Muster OUT • Careful here! Muster-Out information MAYbe incorrect for your soldier! • Money owed to the Gov’t • REMARKS! Always check the REMARKS!

17. Different Types of Records • “Appears on Returns as” • Information derived from Order Books • Could have multiple of these cards

18. Different Types of Records • Hospital Muster • Might include Ward, Bed, Medications, etc. • Likely out of place in the chronology • REMARKS! Always check REMARKS!

19. Different Types of Records • Casualty Sheet • Used for WIA, KIA, Deaths dueto illness, resignations. • Comparing dates to Official Records you can determine EXACTLY what action the casualty occurred.

20. Different Types of Records • Enclosures • Extras in the record

21. Different Types of Records • Enlistment Form • Usually re-enlistments • WEALTH of info here

22. Different Types of Records • Enlistment Form

23. Different Types of Records • Enlistment Form

24. Different Types of Records • Letters, Reimbursements, Endorsements, etc

25. Civil War Muster Records • Agenda • How Muster Records were created as we know them • Different types of records • Just what does it all mean? • A walk through of a favorite Soldier

26. Rank and what it means • Regimental Ranks • Colonel • Adjutant • Lieutenant Colonel • Major • Sergeant Major • Quartermaster Sergeant • Ordinance Sergeant

27. Rank and what it means • Company Ranks • Captain • First Lieutenant • Second Lieutenant • First Sergeant • Sergeant • Corporal • Private

28. Rank and what it means • Union Enlisted Rank Insignia

29. Rank and what it means • Confederate Enlisted Rank Insignia

30. Rank and what it means • Union Officer Rank Insignia

31. Rank and what it means • Confederate Officer Rank Insignia

32. Rank and what it means • Confederate Officer Rank Sleeve Insignia aka “Chicken Guts”

33. Rank and what it means • Each rank has a particular position within the regiment • Each rank has a particular job to do within the regiment

34. Rank and what it means • The Civil War Company

35. Rank and what it means • The Civil War Company

36. Rank and what it means

37. Summary thus far • How muster records came to be • What some of the cards mean • Ranks and what they do • Let’s put it all into practice…meet James Harvey Hensley.

38. James Harvey Hensley • Index card • Company B • 7th Kentucky Infantry • Mustered IN as a Private • Mustered OUT as a Corporal

39. James Harvey Hensley • Muster IN Card • He was 24 yrs old • Enrolled at Manchester, KY on 19 AUG 186? • Safe to assume that should be 1861? • This error survived the initial copy and bothaudits or was it introduced later? • Mustered IN at Camp Dick Robinson 22 SEPT 1861

40. James Harvey Hensley • First Periodic Muster • Dated “Enrollment to 31 OCT 1861 • Listed as “Not Stated” • Why?

41. James Harvey Hensley • Next Periodic Muster • Dated “Enrollment to 31 DEC 1861” • “Present or Absent” is empty • ALWAYS read the remarks!

42. James Harvey Hensley • Next Periodic Muster • Dated “DEC 31 1861 to APL 30 1862 ” • Present • ALWAYS read the remarks! • “Lost 1 Screwdrive, 1 Wipers, 1 B knife”

43. James Harvey Hensley • Next Periodic Muster • Dated “APL 30 1862 to AUG 30 1862 ” • Absent • ALWAYS read the remarks! • “Absent on detach’d service 22 AUG 1862”

44. James Harvey Hensley • Next Periodic Muster • Dated “SEPT to OCT 1862 ” • Absent • ALWAYS read the remarks! • “Absent on detach’d service 22 AUG 1862”

45. James Harvey Hensley • Next Periodic Muster • Dated “NOV & DEC 1862 ” • Absent • ALWAYS read the remarks! • “Sent by Lieut Col J W Ridgell to hunt boarding for wife in Memphis did not return21st D”

46. James Harvey Hensley • Next Periodic Muster • Dated “JAN & FEB 1863” • Absent • ALWAYS read the remarks! • “Absent without leave Memphis TennDEC 20 1862”

47. James Harvey Hensley • Next Periodic Muster • Dated “MCH & APL 1863” • Present • ALWAYS read the remarks! • Except when there aren’t any. 

48. James Harvey Hensley • Special Muster • Dated “APL 10 1863” • Not Stated • Army was re-organized for the Vicksburg Campaign

49. James Harvey Hensley • Next Periodic Muster • Dated “May & June 1863” • Present

50. James Harvey Hensley • Next Periodic Muster • Dated “July & AUG 1863” • Absent • “Sent the Hosp at New OrleansAUG 23 / 63”