civil war muster records just what am i lookin at!?

CIVIL WAR MUSTER RECORDS

Just what am I lookin at!?


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

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


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.


Descriptive Roll• From Surgeon’s Examination• Used to find soldier


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.


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


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


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!

Muster IN

Descriptive roll

Periodic Muster

Muster OUT

"appears on returns as"

Hospital Muster

casualty sheets

Enclosures

Enlistment Form

Letters, transportation reimbursement, etc.

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!

DIFFERENT TYPES OFRECORDS

Descriptive Roll• From Surgeon’s Examination• Used to find soldier

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


Muster OUT• Careful here! Muster-Out information MAY

be incorrect for your soldier!• Money owed to the Gov’t• REMARKS! Always check the REMARKS!


“Appears on Returns as”• Information derived from Order Books• Could have multiple of these cards


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


Casualty Sheet• Used for WIA, KIA, Deaths due

to illness, resignations.

• Comparing dates to Official Records you can determine EXACTLY what action the casualty occurred.


Enclosures• Extras in the record


Enlistment Form• Usually re-enlistments• WEALTH of info here


Enlistment Form


Letters, Reimbursements,

Endorsements, etc


Regimental Ranks• Colonel• Adjutant• Lieutenant Colonel• Major• Sergeant Major• Quartermaster Sergeant• Ordinance Sergeant

RANK AND WHAT IT MEANS

Company Ranks• Captain• First Lieutenant• Second Lieutenant• First Sergeant• Sergeant• Corporal• Private


Union Enlisted Rank Insignia


Confederate Enlisted Rank Insignia


Union Officer Rank Insignia


Confederate Officer Rank Insignia


Confederate Officer Rank Sleeve Insignia aka

“Chicken Guts”


Each rank has a particular position within the

regiment

Each rank has a particular job to do within the

regiment



The Civil War Company

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.

JAMES HARVEY HENSLEY

Index card• Company B• 7th Kentucky Infantry• Mustered IN as a Private• Mustered OUT as a Corporal


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 both

audits or was it introduced later?

• Mustered IN at Camp Dick Robinson 22 SEPT 1861


First Periodic Muster• Dated “Enrollment to 31 OCT 1861• Listed as “Not Stated”• Why?


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


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “DEC 31 1861 to APL 30 1862 ”• Present• ALWAYS read the remarks!

• “Lost 1 Screwdrive, 1 Wipers, 1 B knife”


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “APL 30 1862 to AUG 30 1862 ”• Absent• ALWAYS read the remarks!

• “Absent on detach’d service 22 AUG 1862”


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “SEPT to OCT 1862 ”• Absent• ALWAYS read the remarks!

• “Absent on detach’d service 22 AUG 1862”


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”


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “JAN & FEB 1863”• Absent• ALWAYS read the remarks!

• “Absent without leave Memphis TennDEC 20 1862”


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “MCH & APL 1863”• Present• ALWAYS read the remarks!

• Except when there aren’t any.


Special Muster• Dated “APL 10 1863”• Not Stated

Army was re-organized for the

Vicksburg Campaign


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “May & June 1863”• Present


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “July & AUG 1863”• Absent• “Sent the Hosp at New Orleans

AUG 23 / 63”


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “SEP & OCT 1863”• Absent• “Left at Carrollton La sick SEP 5/63”


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “NOV & DEC 1863”• Absent• “Left at Carrollton La sick SEP 5/63”


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “Jan & Feb 1864”• Present


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “from Dec 31/63 to APL 30 1864”• Present


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “May & June 1864”• Present


Next Periodic Muster• Dated “July & Aug 1864”• Rank listed as “6 Corpl”• Present• “Was promoted to Corpl July 1/64. Due

the U.S. for transportation $9.65.”


Muster Out• Age listed as 24 years old• Dated “Oct 5 1864”• Mustered out at Louisville, KY• Clothing account, owed $21.54• Bounty Due $100.00• Remarks: “Was Priv 1 JULY 64”


“Appears on Returns as follows:”• “May 1862 Absent sick at Ford

May 22/62”• “Oct 1862(3 Ky Inf) Absent on Detach

Service in Ky since last report”• “Dec 1862 to Feb 1863 Absent without

leave at Memphis Tenn since Dec 20/62”

• “Oct 1863 (7 Ky Inf) gain Oct 1/63 Brashear City from desertion. Absent New Orleans.”


Hospital Muster Roll• Dated July & Aug 1863• Present


Hospital Muster Roll• Dated Sep & Oct 1863• Present• “Furloughed Sep 30/63”


Kinda interesting so far, right?


Questions?

civil war muster records just what am i lookin at!?

Documents

minutes slide

state compiling of records

favorite soldier slide

war war department

company order books

chronology remarks

govt remarks

regimental order books