US Military Collection 90 million names at Ancestry.com

Multi-media on main screen bows to use of online presentation of video as a mainstream tool

Collection is free through 6 June 2007

DearREADERS,
Gosh, Ol' Myrt only went to the bank and the Post Office for about 45 minutes. While I was gone, Ancestry.com has added a completely new collection, known as the "US Military Collection." I stumbled across it looking for Civil War records for my ancestor Ferd Goering (didn't find him.) What struck me was the use of old newsreels and Mathew Brady photos, in a delightful montage just above a timeline, and the actual search form.

Next, I spotted Dick Eastman's blog, then I checked my email box, and found the following announcement from our friends at Ancestry.com. All inquiries should be addressed to support@ancestry.com

Ancestry.com is announcing it has launched the largest collection of U.S.
military records available and searchable online, featuring more than 90 million
names that span more than four centuries of American history from the 1600s
through Vietnam.

This U.S. Military Collection includes exclusive record sets such as the only complete collection of WWI draft registration cards and commemorative military yearbooks and newspapers. Combined, the records bring to life the stories and sacrifices of the millions of brave men and women who have
served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Inside the U.S. Military Collection
Ancestry.com’s U.S. Military Collection captures all major wars and conflicts from American history, including the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts as well as the Spanish-American War and the War of 1812.

The eclectic volume of records features more than 700 databases and
titles and 37 million images of original and often personally autographed
documents including:

• World War I and World War II draft registration cards
• Prisoner of war records from the War of 1812, Civil War, World War II,
  and Korea
• Muster rolls (unit rosters) for the Marine Corps
  1893-1958
• WWII U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Muster rolls, 1939-1949
• U.S. Military burial registers 1768-1921
• Service Records from Revolutionary War
• Service Records from War of 1812
• Service Records from Civil War
• Civil War Pension Index
• Casualty listings from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam
• WWI and WWII Stars and Stripes Newspapers
• Young American Patriots Military Yearbooks (post WWII)

Rare historical media such as the United Newsreel Motion Pictures (1942 – 1945) are another highlight of the collection, making Ancestry.com the only online source for all 267 counter-propaganda films shown in U.S. theaters and abroad during WWII. Produced by the Office of War Information and financed by the U. S. government, the United Newsreels consisted of several short stories concerning allied military operations and were reportedly released in sixteen languages. Newsreels were also dropped behind enemy lines in a German language version and distributed in friendly and neutral countries.

Beginning now through June 6th (D-Day), Ancestry.com will make its entire U.S. Military Collection free to the public. For more information on Ancestry.com’s U.S. Military Collection, visit www.ancestry.com/military. In order to see the new titles added to Ancestry for this military release, go to www.ancestry.com/military and view titles by war/conflict.

A gal can't even go to the bank without important things happening in this exciting world of online genealogy!

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
www.DearMYRTLE.com

(c) 2007 Pat Richley All Rights Reserved.

Civil War soldier’s grave found in abandoned cemetery

Emmet genealogy group marks site in Center Township

By Fred Gray News-Review Staff WriterPetosky News Review

CENTER TOWNSHIP — “No one should be forgotten,” said Harold Daniels of Petoskey when he discovered that 15 people, including Civil War veteran Alfonso Brooks, were buried in unmarked graves in an abandoned cemetery in Center Township between 1883 and 1936.

The one-acre plot lies in what was once farmland, now overgrown with poplar, maple and beech, and myrtle and fiddlehead ferns, far from any sign of civilization.

Daniels discovered the cemetery while researching his family history, and brought it to the attention of the Emmet County Genealogical Society. The society’s members shared Daniels’ concern for its forgotten inhabitants and erected a sign on Saturday to mark the cemetery, listing all who had been buried there.

For the rest of the story, see:
http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2007/05/22/news/news03.txt

ProQuest Civil War Era Now Available

ProQuest Civil War Era Now Available

19th century American history resource helps researchers go beyond the battles

NOTE fromDearMYRTLE: The following press release was just received brom ProQuest CSA, a service sold exclusively to public and academic libraries. All inquiries should be addressed to your local library facilities. Readers can find out about the collection by viewing the demo, referenced below.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 1, 2007 -- ProQuest Civil War Era, a new digital resource that will make researching the American Civil War and its context more direct and complete than ever before, is now available from ProQuest CSA. ProQuest Civil War Era is the first research solution to collect, digitize and combine in a single search platform the era's key newspapers and activist publications, creating a comprehensive view of not only the years of battle, but also the factors leading to war.

Why did territorial expansion fuel the slavery argument to the point of civil war? Was there more to the Southern argument than just a defense of slavery? What were the reasons for Northern aversion to the Lincoln administration? Was Emancipation driven by great humanitarian impulses or the necessities of war? More than just battles, ProQuest Civil War Era explores the key political and social viewpoints of the period as well.

"While a plethora of Civil War resources are available, ProQuest Civil War Era is the only one to digest coverage of both the 4-years of military battle and the 'war of words' that severed North from South into a truly comprehensive resource" said Barbara Beach, vice president of publishing for ProQuest CSA. "The content in this collection has been digitized material previously available only in print or film formats, fulfilling a growing need for primary source material related to the Civil War and its historical and societal context."

ProQuest Civil War Era is a deep set of primary sources, with documents that encompass the buildup and evolution of the war that shaped U.S. identity, all displayed in both original article and page image formats. It provides desktop access to nearly 2,000 pamphlets, highlighting the multiple and distinct perspectives of government officials, clergy, social reformists, and other opinion leaders of the time. Supporting this information are the complete runs of eight newspapers from 1840 - 1865, specifically selected for the regional and diverse perspectives they offer. The combination of resources, built in conjunction with librarians and scholars, allows researchers to explore the entire era.

With newspapers from both the North and the South as well as Eastern and Western states, researchers can compare and analyze the varying perspectives that prevailed throughout the entire era. ProQuest Civil War Era includes newspapers of the South (Richmond Dispatch, Charleston Mercury, New Orleans Times Picayune), North (Boston Herald, New York Herald, Columbus State Journal), Mississippi Valley and Border States (Kentucky Daily Journal, Memphis Daily Appeal). These regional papers allow comparison of key events. For example researchers can draw a distinction between the coverage of the Battle of Gettysburg in the Boston Herald and the Charleston Mercury, or use the Memphis Daily Appeal to follow the exploits of Southern cavalry as it conducted raids on Northern supply depots throughout the Mississippi Valley region.

Pamphlets are drawn from two respected collections. The first comes from the personal libraries of Salmon P. Chase, Treasury Secretary, member of the Lincoln Cabinet, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1864-1873), and John P. Hale, senator from New Hampshire and personal friend to President Lincoln. Slavery and Anti-Slavery Pamphlets from the Libraries of Salmon P. Chase & John P. Hale includes 166 pamphlets, speeches, reports, legal opinions and convention proceedings covering slavery, and anti-slavery movements, and the conditions of African- Americans after the Civil War. Civil War Pamphlets 1861-1865 includes 1,758 pamphlets illustrating the "war of words" during the conflict. Often 20 - 40 pages in length, these pamphlets are the intellectual precursors to Op-Ed pages in modern newspapers, providing an outlet for individuals to express their views.

Available on the ProQuest® platform, ProQuest Civil War Era can be cross-searched with ProQuest Historical Newspapers™ and American Periodicals Series Online™.
For more information preview the ProQuest Civil War Demo at:
http://www.il.proquest.com/products_pq/interactive/demos/civilwar/cwd_demo0.htm

Customers can reach a ProQuest CSA representative at 800-521-0600, ext. 3344, or via email at pqsales@il.proquest.com

Union Civil War pension file update

DearREADERS,
Yesterday's column explained the necessity of obtaining a copy of the COMPLETE (not selected) Union Civil War pension file for an ancestor. Today Ol' Myrt spotlights one document (show above in the blog version of this column) that she and her daughters photocopied from William Gist FROMAN's entire pension file while visiting the National Archives in Washington, DC in 1989. This document was the first in the soldier's 2-inch thick folder and proved to be one of the most interesting genealogically. A transciption follows:

Certificate Number: 8221237
Name: Wm G. Froman

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
Bureau of Pensions
Washington DC, Jan 15, 1898

SIR:
In forwarding to the pension agent the executed voucher for your next quarterly payment please favor me by returning this circular to him with replies to the questions enumerated below.

Very Respectfully,
M Clay Grant,
Commissioner

[Note, elements of the form will appear here in ALL CAPS, and handwritten responses will be typed in upper/lower case.]

Grayson, May 4th 1898
Clinton County
State of Missouri

FIRST. ARE YOU MARRIED? IF SO, PLEASE STATE YOUR WIFE'S FULL NAME AND HER MAIDEN NAME
ANSWER. Yes. Louise M. Higgins now Froman

SECOND. WHEN, WHERE AND BY WHOM WERE YOU MARRIED?
ANSWER. Grayson, Missouri by C J Armstrong

THIRD. WHAT RECORD OF MARRIAGE EXISTS?
ANSWER. License recorded in Recorders office in Clinton County, Mo.

FOURTH. WERE YOU PREVIOUSLY MARRIED? IF SO, PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR FORMER WIFE AND THE DATE AND PLACE OF HER DEATH OR DIVORCE.
ANSWER. Yes. Mary Sherard 1893 St. Joseph Missouri

FIFTH. HAVE YOU ANY CHILDREN LIVING? IF SO, PLEASE STATE THEIR NAMES AND DATES OF THEIR BIRTH.
ANSWER. Yes. L J Froman July 1862, G William Froman April
1861 Elmer Froman June 1866 Eugene Froman 1873

[signed] W G Froman
4 May 1898

From this you can see that a few items are still missing. My ancestor omitted to state the date of his wedding to my great-grandmother Louise M Higgins. However, the pension file had additional papers to prove the date to Ol' Myrt's satisfaction. More tomorrow.

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
www.DearMYRTLE.com

(c) 2007 All Rights Reserved.

Accessing Union Civil War Service & Pension files

Accessing Union Civil War Service & Pension files

From: John Burnett burnett10@charter.net
DearMYRTLE,
I am having trouble finding info on one of my ancestors, one Frank (Francis Burnett) Burnett. I believe he was from Canada, but came to the States ( Vermont) to join the Union Army. Seven days prior to his enlistment he married one Elisa Martin. I'm not sure if she was from Vt. or Canada. At the time of his death, 1913, Charlestown VT, he appears to be married to one Calista Burnett, who filed to receive his veteran benefits. Frank and Calista had a son, Francis William Burnett (1862-1939) Frank's parents were from Canada. The father's name was Francis and the wife was Zoah or Zewa Balba or Balla.

DearJOHN,
Unfortunately all the Canadian Border Crossings are too late to document your ancestor's migration from Canada to Vermont. You have completed some research on your Union Civil War ancestor, but Ol' Myrt recommends the following:

Obtain a copy of his COMPLETE (not selected) Union pension file. Among the information requested on the pension applications throughout the years, each serviceman must detail:
-- where and when he was born
-- where and when (and to whom) he married
-- whether that marriage ended in divorce or death of the spouse
-- list all children by name and birth date

To obtain photocopies of Frank (Francis) Burnett's original file the National Archives and Records Administration must be contacted, as only the selected records are on microfilm. For more information, see: http://archives.gov/genealogy/military/index.html If you live near Washington, DC, you can view the file in person. You will need identifying information such as his unit name and period of service in order to distinguish him from other Frank or Francis Burnetts who served.

From this website we read " Most Union army soldiers or their widows or minor children later applied for a pension. In some cases, a dependent father or mother applied for a pension. The pension files are indexed by NARA microfilm publication T288, General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 (544 rolls) which is also available online at Ancestry.com (for a fee)."

CIVIL WAR SERVICE RECORDS I found the following individuals in Ancestry.com's database:
http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4284

NAME - UNIT - RANK IN - RANK OUT
Frank Burnett D 25 N. Y. Cavalry. Private Private Union
Frank Burnett E 16 Illinois Infantry. Private Private Union
Frank Burnett A 64 U. S. Col'd Infantry. Private Union
Frank F. Burnett E 13 N. Y. Cavalry. Private Private Union
Frank J. Burnett H 2 Wisconsin Infantry. Private Private Union
Frank M. Burnett H 4 Ohio Cavalry. Corporal Private Union
****Francis Burnett C 5 Vermont Infantry. Private Private Union
NOTE: Could this be your ancestor?
Francis Burnett 1 Ind. Batt'y, N. Y. Lt. Art'y. Private Private Union
Francis Burnett C 178 N. Y. Infantry. Private Private Union
Francis Burnett L 3 N. Y. Provisional Cavalry. Private Private Union
Francis Burnett M 2 N. Y. Mounted Rifles. Private Private Union
Francis G. Burnett I 30 Illinois Infantry. 2 Lieutenant Captain Union
Francis J. Burnett 13 Indpt. Batt'y, Michigan Light Art'y. Private Private Union
Francis M. Burnett J 2 Arkansas Cavalry. Private Private Union
Francis M. Burnett D 30 Kentucky Infantry. Private Private Union
Francis M. Burnett A 9 Missouri Cavalry. Private Private Union
Francis M. Burnett F 18 Missouri Infantry. Private Private Union
Francis M. Burnett H 26 Missouri Infantry. Private Private Union
Francis M. Burnett B 27 Missouri Mtd. Infantry. Private Private Union
Francis T. Burnett 13 Indpt. Batt'y, Michigan L. Art'y. Private Private Union

CIVIL WAR PENSION FILE INDEX - I found the following individual in Ancestry.com's database:
http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4654&enc=1

SERVICEMAN - WIDOW - PLACE OF FILING
****Frank Burnett Celista A. Burnett North Carolina
NOTE: This looks like your ancestor, since it lists his wife Celista as you've determined from other sources. Did you know that the North Carolina was the state where his widow filed for benefits and not Vermont? Ol' Myrt has reproduced the index card, which you will need to reference when ordering up your Francis Burnett's file at the National Archives.

"You may do research in Civil War military service and pension files in person at the National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001. Begin your research in Room 400, the Microfilm Reading Room. Staff is available there to answer your questions. [...] Requests for records that have not been microfilmed, such as the pension files and most Union CMSRs, must be submitted on appropriate forms between 8:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The request forms and the microfilmed indexes are all available in Room 400. Pension files and other original records are not "pulled" from the stacks after 3:30 p.m. or on Saturday, but can be viewed during all regular research hours if the pull request was submitted during the weekday hours noted in the previous sentence." http://archives.gov/genealogy/military/civil-war/index.html

If you require paper copies of the Frank's US Civil War Union pension file, see: http://archives.gov/research/order/orderonline.html Please be aware that prices for this are going up in late spring, so there is probably quite a backlog from individuals who wish to beat the price-hike deadline.

---------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS:
---------------------------------------------------------
PLACE OF ORIGIN. The main reason you are looking at Frank's pension file is to find his birth date and birth place. Once you determine the place of origin, study the history of the town in question to locate surviving records. Hopefully essential records are available on microfilm through your local LDS Family History Center. Consult the FHLC Family History Library Catalog online at: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp

CANADIAN RECORDS. When looking at a record collection for the first time, it will be necessary for you to become familiar with the scope and limitations of those records. Be sure to read the Family History Library's Canada Research Outline, located on the web at:
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/RG/frameset_rg.asp?Dest=G1&Aid=&Gid=&Lid=&Sid=&Did=&Juris1=&Event=&Year=&Gloss=&Sub=&Tab=&Entry=&Guide=Canada.ASP
From this you will learn about record keeping practices and availability of records.

Realize that the Family History Library has also published research outlines for individual provinces in Canada, with specifics about record collection availability and peculiarities about record groups in the province, whether or not the FHL holds the records in question. To find these online, go to: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/RG/frameset_rhelps.asp and then click the appropriate letter of the alphabet for the province you wish to learn more about. Then scroll down the list until you find an interesting title, and click to open the research outline. I like to print these out wherever possible. Ol' Myrt still prefers to underline and highlight important points in any guidebook when studying a new locality for research.

CANADIAN CENSUS. Be sure to read the Family History Library's "Census Records Before 1871" research help.
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/RG/frameset_rg.asp?Dest=G1&Aid=&Gid=&Lid=&Sid=&Did=&Juris1=&Event=&Year=&Gloss=&Sub=&Tab=&Entry=&Guide=CAN_BMDT3_Pre-1871_Canadian_Censuses.ASP

1851 CENSUS (Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia)
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/1851/index-e.html
-- "The digital images within this database are copies of the original microfilm records held by Library and Archives Canada."
-- "This tool allows researchers to search by geographic location only. As this is not a nominally-indexed database, it is not searchable by family name."
-- " Please note, parts of the 1851 census did not survive and therefore no digital images exist."

Ancestry.com (subscription required) Searchable by name
http://www.ancestry.com
-- 1851 Census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia 1,487,802
-- Wellington County, Ontario Canada 1851 Census 17,349 individuals
-- Addington County, Ontario Canada 1851 Census 12,038 individuals
-- Lennox County, Ontario Canada 1851 Census 6,999 individuals
-- 1861 Durham County, Ontario Census 38,922 individuals
-- 1861 Brighton, Ontario Census 3,713 individuals

---------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES
---------------------------------------------------------
-- Canada GenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~canwgw
-- Ancestry.com - specify Canada http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/alldblist.aspx
-- Burnett Surname Mailing List - http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/surname/b/burnett.html#BURNETT
-- Burnett in Canada Surname Mailing List - http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/surname/b/burnett.html#BURNETT-CAN

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
www.DearMYRTLE.com

(c) 2007 All Rights Reserved.

Why web pages shouldn't move

DearREADERS,
Enclosed please find excerpts from my email to a research historian at the US Army Military History Institute (MHI), who kindly responded to one of yesterday's DearMYRTLE blogs about difficulting finding the Civil War photo database on the radically revised MHI website. See: http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2007/04/us-military-history-institute-mhi.html

----------------------------------------------------------
To: USAMHI@carlisle.army.mil
Dear sir,
Thank-you for your prompt reply to my previous email.

Yes, after much research on your website, I was successful in determining the new location of the Civil War photo database.

Kind sir, my advice is to refrain from making such major changes of web addresses, as there are people actually using the database who have bookmarked specific items for future reference. Those old links no longer apply because of the radical revision of the MHI website.

With all due respect, I understand that web page design isn’t part of training for reference historians. But since you are someone with influence on the presentation of MHI resources, may I beg of you to consider the problem in future revisions of the MHI website?

How can I better describe the problem? A good analogy would be for your library to catalog the books under the Dewey Decimal System, but after a few years, replace every book on the shelf in strict alphabetical order by title, regardless of category. Serious researchers provide proper bibliographic citations, and web addresses are to be no exception. Where a researcher has made note of a particular photo from the Civil War photo database, the citation now does not work. It is very hard for those that follow to find the sources referenced by previous researchers.

Having the ability to retrace steps of previous researchers is an important element in determining reliability of a compiled work in any field of study.

As the web becomes the preeminent method for archiving public documents and presenting information, responsible web page designers must maintain the location of pages, folders and databases, thereby facilitating effective retrieval of previously cited resources. Such efforts do not impede sweeping changes in artistic design.

Let me close by saying I am thankful for your fine library and appreciate the helpfulness of the staff. Of particular interest were the personal write-ups found intermingled among units histories. Delving into your facility’s rich resources made it possible for me to discover where my ancestors served and what experiences they encountered. Unlike some “quick fix” genealogists of the world, I look for official unit reports in addition to the NARA’s files of original service, pension & widow’s files to document the lives of my three Union Civil War ancestors.

Thank-you for your time.

Pat (Player) Richley
Snail Mail Address:
227 Bellevue Way NE PMB 544
Bellevue, WA 98004

(c) 2007 All Rights Reserved.

US Military History Institute (MHI)

From: Diane manley@goldrush.com
DearMYRTLE,
I wanted to check something at the MHI site, but it's changed. I spent an unbelievable amount of time trying to figure out how to access the Civil War photo database. I got to some civil war photos, but couldn't find anything - even items I had found previously. Perhaps you could do an article or something on how to navigate the new site. The page/link I had bookmarked is: http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usamhi/PhotoDB.html

DearDIANE,
Oh, would that web page designers would realize they should try to maintain the same URLs. Changing web addresses when updating a website wrecks havoc for long-time online researchers. Looking at the old pages through archives.org will NOT help with a growing collection such as the US Civil War photo collection you've mentioned.

Here are some of the things Ol' Myrt has learned:

1. Part of the US Army Military History Institute's website has changed to:
US Army Heritage Collection Online
http://www.ahco.army.mil/site/index.jsp

-- online catalog of library holdings
-- resource guides & finding aids
-- digital documents online - manuscripts
-- digital documents online - photos (including US Civil War)
-- digital documents online - artifacts
-- digital documents online - military publications

CAUTION, the default search option on the bottom of this website's home page is only to search a portion of online materials. If you wish to search ALL the digital documents, click the SEARCH DIGITAL MATERIAL button near the bottom.

2. Another part of the US Army Military History Institute's website has changed to:
US Army Heritage & Education Center (AHEC)
http://www.carlisle.army.mil/ahec/

It would appear that this site discusses educational events. Of particular interest to potential attendees is the page explaining how to get to Carlisle Barracks and the AHEC. http://www.carlisle.army.mil/ahec/travel.htm

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
www.DearMYRTLE.com

(c) 2007 All Rights Reserved.

Daughter traces Civil War soldier’s footsteps

Woman, 87, makes first visit to Limestone, where her Union dad was captured by Confederate forces
By Holly Hollman
hhollman@decaturdaily.com · 340-2445

ATHENS — "After dinner, when Samuel Washington Jenkins gathered his brood and the neighborhood children on his front porch in Tennessee’s Bakewell community, he entertained them with stories about being a prisoner of war and surviving smallpox and a sinking ship.

His capture by Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest in Limestone County is where his war tale began.

Jenkins’ daughter, 87-year-old Glenna Jenkins Green, recalled those porch gatherings Friday during her first visit to Limestone County. She is the last living child of Jenkins, who fathered 21 children. Jenkins was in his 70s when Glenna was born."

----------------------------------------------------------
To read the remainder of this fascinating article, see:
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/070414/footsteps.shtml

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
www.DearMYRTLE.com

(c) 2007 All Rights Reserved.