Hello all,
This came off a resource list from
Everton.com. It seems to be a valuable
heads-up on a new Civil War research source. Text follows :
An Index to American Civil War Military Personnel
Not only did the Civil War of 1861-1865 embroil the nation and nearly
spell its permanent disunion, it may have included more of the
country's men of fighting age than any other conflict. As such, the
military records resulting from this war can be helpful to almost
every family resident in the United States at that time.
Unfortunately, there is still no comprehensive computer index to the
men who fought on both sides. But there is a major effort underway by
a consortium that includes the National Archives, National Park
Service, Federation of Genealogical Societies, Genealogical Society
of Utah, and others, to compile such an index and make it available
to family historians.
That project is known as the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System,
often shortened to CWSS. Even though it is still in progress, some of
the database is already available online at the CWSS website. You can
search entries by surname, given name, state, regiment, and army.
Joining the names of those who served in the U.S. Colored Troops are
names of those who served in some regiments from Connecticut, Iowa,
Louisiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Each man's index entry is linked to a more complete description of
his service, with the regiment and company in which he served, his
beginning and ending ranks, and the reference to the National
Archives microfilm on which his record can be found. There is also a
link to a short history of his regiment, where you can also see a
list of every man who served in that unit.
Some of the regimental stories may surprise you. A good example is
the 29th Connecticut, an infantry regiment of African American
soldiers. This regiment was organized in Illinois, not Connecticut,
saw action in Maryland, Virginia and Texas, and was mustered out in
Texas, apparently coming no nearer to Connecticut than Annapolis,
Maryland. Of the 234 total deaths in this unit of over 1,600 men,
just 46 were due to battle injuries. The other 188 deaths were the
result of disease.
Eventually the CWSS will include an index to every soldier and every
sailor whose records are on file, both Union and Confederate, making
it an invaluable starting place for family historians with ancestors
who served either side in the American Civil War.
Resources:
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/
Genealogy: Civil War
http://www.everton.com/usa/civilwar.htm
Sorry for the length, but it explains itself.
Alana
CAMERON listmanager