Compiled Military Service Record of Riley Rampley-Part III

This post includes the first three cards (in reverse order) in the compiled military service record for Riley Rampley. He was listed as present on the cards compiled from muster rolls in 1862 and 1863.

Again these aren't the actual muster rolls, they are card entries created from the actual muster rolls and were transcribed by a copyist and checked by a "comparer."

How Did I Know Who Wrote on the Back of the Photograph?

I'm working on an update/followup to the "Source Within A Source" post thanks to several private emails that I received. I think there are several ways to handle the citation with the overriding goal of providing as much information about how the image and identification was done as possible.

However a "Genealogy Tip of the Day" (which was written some times ago--long before it was published) reminded me of another element of the identification process:

How do you know the identify of the identifier?

That's important to know and sometimes we do have photographs that have identification on the back of them, but the person who did the identification is no longer alive.

In my citation of the identification of the individuals on photograph on which these names are written, I need to indicate how I knew who wrote these names (if possible). That knowledge gets at how accurate I think that identification is.  In the case of the illustration, I'm pretty certain the handwriting is that of my great-aunt, but I'm getting confirmation of that from her daughter. There were pictures in my great-aunt's collection that were identified. Based on the handwriting on the backs of those photograph, several different people wrote on those photos.

And if it's possible for me to determine who wrote on them, I should indicate their identity. And how I made the identification of that handwriting is also something I should include.

We'll have an update on this photograph in a future post.

There's always something to cite.

Compiled Military Service Record of Riley Rampley-Part II

click on image to view larger image

We continue our posting of the compiled military service record with a very highly exciting item.

This is the back side of the pouch for the compiled military service record. One does never know what information may be on the back side of a pouch.

In this case, there appears what may be a reference to his military tombstone being approved.

Those tombstone records are on Ancestry.com and we'll look and see what that tombstone application says.

Stay tuned!

Compiled Military Service Record of Riley Rampley-Part I

This is the cover pouch for the compiled military service record of Riley Rampley who served in Co. D of the 78th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the American Civil War.

Over the next several days, we'll be posting a complete set of images from Riley's compiled military record. The whole set has been received, all I need to do is process the images.

We won't probably post too much discussion of each image, but are hoping that readers who have never seen color digital images of these records will get a better feel for what they contain.

Stay tuned!

FamilySearch Updates: US Passenger Lists, NY Vessel Index

The following databases at FamilySearch are showing as updated since our last post:

California, San Diego Passenger Lists, 1904-1952

New York, Rouses Point and Waddington Crew Lists, 1954-1956

Maine, Crew List Arriving at Eastport, 1949-1958

New York, New York, Index to Vessels, 1897-1956

Pennsylvania, Crew Lists arriving at Erie, 1952-1957

A Source Within A Source

1929 High School Graduating Class, Bowen, Illinois. Original photograph
in possession of Nellie (Neill) Shanks, currently in possession of her
daughter. Scan made by Michael John Neill August 2013.

I'm not certain I'm overly happy with it, but this is the working citation I have for the photograph of the 1929 graduating class of Bowen High School in Bowen, Illinois (mentioned in "One Picture is Worth Two Sources.")

I do think it is crucial to recognize that the image was made from one copy of the photograph and that the identification of those pictured was made from another.


Source citation:

1. Bowen, Illinois, High School 1929 Graduating Class composite photograph, ca. 1929, privately held by L. Gorrell, [address for private use,] Quincy, Illinois, 2014. Gorrell is the daughter of Nellie (Neill) Shanks, a member of the 1929 graduating class, and the picture was in Shanks' collection of personal effects inherited by Gorrell upon Shanks' death. Identification of those pictured in the composite photograph was via another copy of the same composite photograph described in a letter written to Michael John Neill's father [R. Wartick, Bowen, Illinois, to K. Neill, letter, February 2015, discussing 1929 Bowen graduating class composite photograph; personal genealogy collection of Michael John Neill, privately held by Michael John Neill [address for private use] Rio, Illinois].

Suggestions are welcomed!

Pictures are More than Images

A recurring source of frustration for me are digital images made from pictures with nary any provenance.

If I see a picture online that someone purports to be my 3rd great-grandmother and it's the only picture I've ever seen of her anywhere and there's no "source" listed or included with the image, how do I know it's really who the picture purports it to be?

Of course, this is the problem with any digital image. Actually it's a problem with any photograph. How do I know the picture is who someone says it is? It all boils down to how reliable consider that source to be.

I've blogged about this before, but I believe that including some provenance on the actual digital image is a good idea. Not just in the "metafiles" or the filename, but as a part of the actual image. That makes it easier for those who "copy and paste" to have the opportunity to copy and paste the provenance as well.

That's what I've tried to do in this photograph. I've included:

• Names of individuals
• When and where photograph was taken
• Who made the image
• Who had the original photograph--someone vague in this online post, but my digital image has more specifics
• Who made the digital image
• How identification was done

Just something to think about.

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You can learn more about citation in: Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace 2nd Edition

Webinars: 18th Century US Probates and FamilySearch Tips and Tricks

Rescheduled Webinars

I've finally gotten time to re-present two of my webinars from November. Join us!

Reading and Interpreting 18th Century Probate Records -This webinar will discuss reading, interpreting and analyzing 18th century probate records through several specific examples from Massachusetts and Virginia. Transcription techniques will also be included. Complete handout will be sent as a PDF file to all registered attendees. Aimed at advanced beginners and intermediate level researchers. If you registered for this presentation in November and were not able to attend live, email Michael for a complimentary link to attend.

This session is over and has been recorded. The recording and handout can be ordered for immediate download for $7.50


Tips and Tricks for FamilySearch  (Thursday 19 February 2015 at 8: pm. central time)-This webinar discusses ins and outs of using the "new" family search,   searching by family structure, global searches, interpreting searches and troubleshooting. Also discussed are strategies when approaching an unindexed set of images, a new type of record series, or incomplete records. Aimed at advanced beginners and intermediate level researchers. If you registered for this presentation in November and were not able to attend live, email Michael for a complimentary link to attend.

Registrations ($6) for the Tips and Tricks for FamilySearch can be processed here. Seating is limited.

One Picture is Worth Two Sources

1929 High School Graduating Class, Bowen, Illinois. Original photograph
in possession of Nellie (Neill) Shanks, currently in possession of her
daughter. Scan made by Michael John Neill August 2013.

There are times when one has no reason to doubt the accuracy of some information one has received. But the problem is accurately tracking the actual source of the information.

Such is the case with this picture. There is the picture and there is the identification of the individuals in the picture.

In August of 2013, I wrote a blog post about a graduation picture I had scanned from the 1929 graduating class of Bowen High School. The scan was from a copy of the photograph in the possession of a first cousin of my father. She had obtained the copy from her mother's personal papers--her mother was in the 1929 graduating class.

The problem was that there were only two individuals identified on the picture, my great-aunt Nellie (Neill) Shanks and her friend Edith (Stillwell) McGinley. No other names were listed and I certainly didn't know who any of the other individuals were. My great-aunt attended and graduated from Bowen High School because it was the closest "last year" high school. There were no other close family members of mine who graduated from Bowen High School.

Last week the wife of a first cousin one removed of my father on the other side of the family wrote about the photograph having seen it on my website. She also had a copy of the picture. Her copy had the names identified on the back of it and she graciously sent me a list of the names. Fortunately the two people identified on my picture were identified as the same on hers.

So....

I find myself thinking about how to craft a citation for this photograph and the individuals it pictures. The "information" actually came from two separate sources. The image came from a digital scan of my great-aunt's copy of the photograph held privately by my father's first cousin. That photograph only identifies two of the individuals.

The identification of the remaining individuals came from another copy of the photograph held by the wife of my father's first cousin once removed.

My citation needs to take this into account--the image needs to be sourced separately from the identification.

Once I've crafted it to my satisfaction, we'll have a follow-up post.

Do you have "sources" that are really multiple sources?

Updates to FamilySearch: Freedman's Bank and MN GAR Memberships

The following databases are showing as new or updated on FamilySearch:

United States Freedmans Bank Records, 1865-1874

Minnesota, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1869-1940

FamilySearch Updates: Various US Passenger and Crew Lists

The following databases are showing as updated since our last FamilySearch update:

Massachusetts, Boston Crew Lists, 1917-1943

Hawaii, Passenger Lists of Airplanes departing Honolulu, 1942-1948

California, Airplane Passenger Lists from Honolulu, Hawaii, 1947-1948

California, Chinese Partnerships and Departures from San Francisco, 1912-1943

Maryland, Piney Point Crew Lists, 1950-1956

New York, Ogdensburg Passenger and Crew Lists, 1948-1972

Documenting Migrations Via Pension Applications

click on image to enlarge view

As part of an ongoing project, the War of 1812 Pensions from the National Archives are being digitized and place free on Fold3.com. As we've mentioned before, these pension files (actually all military pension files) can be a wonderful source for genealogical information. Lately my own use of these materials has focused on establishing micro-migration chains from one small area of the United States to another small area further west.

The image in this post (which has been reduced in size for posting) is from the widow's application for Mary Hughes of Fulton County, Illinois. This affidavit in her application includes key details about her life, including when and where she married the soldier Taylor Hughes and when the family moved from Harford County, Maryland, to Ohio and from Ohio to Fulton County, Illinois.  Unfortunately the affidavit does not provide the specific residence within Ohio. The family's move in 1820 to Ohio follows the move of two of her siblings there three years earlier. Her move into Illinois in 1840 precedes the move of some of her nephews and nieces to Illinois by a few years. That's assuming her memory of the year is correct in the affidavit.

Mary (DeMoss) Hughes is a sister to my ancestor Christianna (DeMoss) Rampley and is a part of a larger chain of migrants from Harford County, Maryland, into eastern Ohio and eventually into west-central Illinois (generally Fulton, Adams, and Hancock County Counties--although these counties do not all share a common border). As part of an ongoing project, I've been tracking the movements of these families.

Widow's pensions for extended family members may help the researcher in documenting a variety of aspects of the life for the person being researched. For migrations specifically, these records may:

• specifically mention dates of migration
• include names of witnesses who lives may have intersected with the claimant in more than one location
• resurrect lost family members who appear to provide testimony or witness affidavits

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The War of 1812 Pensions from the National Archives are currently free on Fold3.com. Searching and viewing can be done without even creating an account (I know because I logged out of my account, opened a clean browser window and did it). Images can be downloaded for free but a free account must be created. I did that too, using a "junk email" address--and no credit card or any payment was required. 

Seminar in Birmingham, Alabama on 28 March 2015

Alabama Bound!

I'll be giving four lectures at the Spring 2015 seminar hosted by the Alabama Genealogical Society on 28 March 2015: "Research Refocus: Online and Offline Resources."

Topics are:

• Tried and Tested Tidbits
• Organizing Online Research
• Researching the Entire Family
• I've Found it: Now What?

I'm looking forward to my trip to Birmingham. Blog readers who attend should feel free to come up during one of the breaks and introduce themselves.

The PDF registration document can be viewed online.

Update on FamilySearch: Honolulu Passenger Lists 1900-1953

The following database is showing as updated on FamilySearch:


Hawaii, Honolulu Passenger Lists, 1900-1953

Muster-Out Versus Paid Out for the 78th Illinois

There are no smoking genealogical guns in Riley Rampley's compiled military service record from the Civil War.

However the card created from his entry on the "Muster-out Roll" does have a footnote which, if nothing else, illustrates the importance of paying attention to such things.

The card indicates that Riley's muster out date was 7 June 1865. The note indicates that the regiment was finally paid on 20 June 1865 and was "under military control until that time." There's a reference number provided as well.

Footnotes aren't made to provide busy work for file clerks. There's probably a reason for the notation and the statement that members of the regiment were under military control during the thirteen days between their muster out and their final payment.

Whether that has anything to do with Rampley is doubtful, but one never knows. We'll have a follow up post in a few days.

Stay tuned.

Bureaucracy is wonderful as soldiers sometimes discover.

Six Foot Two with Green Eyes and Auburn Hair: John Rampley Enlists in the 78th Illinois

click on image for larger image

There are many relatives for whom I don't have photographs. John Rampley is one of those individuals.

This card from his compiled military service record at the National Archives provided details on his physical characteristics at the time of his enlistment.

Being raised on a farm, the florid complexion didn't really surprise me, but to be perfectly honest I was surprised that he was six feet two inches tall. Members of my paternal side of the family (from which John hails) were not known for being overly tall. It is also indicated that he had green eyes and auburn hair.

John enlisted in Quincy, Illinois, on 4 August 1862 and was living in Breckenridge, Hancock County, Illinois, at the time of his enlistment.

We'll post other images of his compiled service record in future posts. The others are not as detailed as this one and generally indicate his presence on various muster rolls throughout his service.

What physical characteristics of your family are lurking in military records?

Compiled Military Records are Derivative Sources

In recent posts, we've mentioned compiled military service records at the National Archives:

• That "C" Was From A Comparer, Not the Original Copyist
• More Than a Compiled Service Record For Union Veteran Riley Rampley

Compiled military service records are derivative sources--not original ones. As derivative sources, they can easily contain errors. Muster rolls and various other records are the original records from which these compiled service records were compiled and they are the records to which researchers should refer when it is desired to view the original. 

At this stage, I've decided not to look at the original muster rolls. This is partially because it is cheaper for me at this point to obtained the compiled military service record and I'm not certain what would be gained in terms of this research problem with the additional expense. The original rolls would be helpful in learning more about the history of the unit and they could also contain additional details on the serviceman--the compiled service record's purpose was to confirm when a man was on the muster rolls for what unit so that his service could be validated.

Which means in one sense they were a finding aid and not always and end in and of themselves.

FamilySearch: Cook County, Illinois, Deaths Updated

The following database is showing as updated on FamilySearch:

Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1939, 1955-1994

I can't say how much it has changed since the last update.

Join Michael in Salt Lake this May

There is still time to join me in Salt Lake City on my annual group research trip this May. Dates and registration information are in our blog post.

FamilySearch Updates: US Passports, MN & OH Obits, ND 1925 Census, San Fran Airplane Arrivals

The following databases are showing as updated on FamilySearch since our last update:

United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925

Minnesota, Clay and Steele County Obituaries, 1865-2006

Indiana, Daviess County, Washington Times Herald Obituaries, 1984-2012

Ohio, Crawford County Obituaries, 1860-2004

California, San Francisco Airplane Arrival Card Index, 1936-1949

North Dakota, Census 1925

More Than a Compiled Service Record For Union Veteran Riley Rampley

US Civil War draft registration for Riley and John Rampley
residents of Walker Township, Hancock County, Illinois.
Digital image made from Ancestry.com .

Years ago I obtained the Compiled Military Service Record and pension record for Riley Rampley, my ancestor who was in Company D of the 78th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.

That was back in the days of paper copies. Riley's pension file is rather large and, since I have a paper copy already, I've opted to not get a digital copy at this point in time.

However I'm not certain that I have the complete Compiled Service Record as I obtained it decades ago, very early in my research. So, I've decided to have a digital copy made of the entire file.

The researcher completing the work indicated that there also is a correspondence file and a medical file for Riley and his brother John who served in the same unit. So out of curiosity I'm ordering copies of those files for the Rampley brothers who served in the 78th Illinois. We'll share those with readers as well.

As time goes on, we'll be featuring more "complete" sets of various records obtained at the National Archives, partially so that readers can see what these files typically contain. Some records tend to provide more genealogically relevant information than others. I'm hoping that these records will be representative of what types of materials certain records contain as I don't have any illustrious ancestors whose files would have probably generated more than the typical amount of paperwork.

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I'm still trying to decide whether or not to obtain the additional records from the National Archives on the commander of the unit we've discussed in "Loose Trains and Bolts in the Gut." The man injured in that incident was an uncle of my wife and the uncle's already fairly well documented. If readers are really curious, I may go ahead and order them--so let me know in the comments if you're interested in seeing what else there might be on Markham.

Riley's my great-great-grandfather and I've always had an interest in him, so I'm willing to pony up for those copies.

Loose Trains and Bolts in the Gut Part VII

The Compiled Service for Henry C. Markham of the 37th Iowa did not make any mention of the train incident referred to in the Civil War Pension of William Kile who also served in that unit. Documentation and correspondence his file relate to his appearance on muster rolls, application for a leave due to illness, and some reassignments of his position.

Readers may remember that Kile and others in his unit indicated that Markham refused to give the men an order to move which reportedly resulted in the death of at least one soldier and injuries to several others. None of the correspondence in his file appears to have been the result of the train incident.

The question at this point is: "How interested am I in this incident?"

Like many discoveries we make, one has to balance the interest in the discovery with the likelihood that researching the discovery will result in new information about the people of interest. At this juncture, I'm not certain that knowing more about the incident will result in more knowledge about William Kile.

And there's the question of the cost of obtaining copies of unmicrofilmed copies of records from the National Archives. Will it be worth the expense?

There's parallels in this dilemma when one considers obtaining any record or document. One has to contemplate the perceived benefits with the costs.

Of course, blog readers may be interested to see if more can be discovered and learning in general about records in the National Archives is a good thing. So...I may go ahead and take the plunge and obtain the copies of the records.

And hope that readers are interested in what additional information may potentially be obtained.

Stay tuned.

FamilySearch Update: San Francisco Immigrant Registers; US Marine Muster Rolls, New England Passenger/Crew Lists

The following databases are showing as new or updated on FamilySearch:

California, Immigration Registers of Japanese, Filipinos, and Hawaiians at San Francisco, 1928-1942

Maine, Crew Lists Arriving at Robbinston, 1947-1954

United States Muster Rolls of the Marine Corps, 1798-1937 (read the description before using--not all are indexed)

United States, New England Passenger and Crew Lists, 1911-1954

That "C" Was From A Comparer, Not the Original Copyist

There is a reason they refer the compiled military records at the National Archives as "compiled." The cards that researchers use from these compiled military records are extracts from muster rolls and other records.  As such, they can occasionally contain errors.

These two cards are part of ongoing research into Henry C. Markham, a Civil War veteran. These two cards were created by the same copyist as noted on the bottom. 

The card on the left however contains an annotation in red. Apparently the initial copyist left out Henry Markham's middle initial and the comparer noticed the discrepancy and made the correction.

Even without the notation, the middle initial "C" on the left hand card is different from that on the right hand card, even though the copyist is the same. 

Cards from Compiled Military Service Record of Henry C. Markham,
37th Regiment, Iowa Infantry; National Archives.

Notations by comparers were made in red--at least on this card. The distinction made by the color would have been lost in a black and white photocopy. In this case, research doesn't hinge on the "C" or whether the original copyist or the comparer wrote it.

One of the purposes the cards served was to facilitate the processing of Civil War pension claims. These cards were not created for researchers.

But it is worth remembering that information on these cards is secondary and occasionally prone to error.

No Intelligible Statement, Word Blindness, and Word Deafness

I've been reviewing the Civil War pension file for Leander Butler, a veteran from Kansas who lived most of his post-war life in Missouri.

A doctor's statement from 1899 indicated that Leander was unable to provide an "intelligible statement" for the doctor at the time of the examination.

The statement goes on to provide more details about Leander's ability to answer questions. While my understand of "word-deafness" and "word-blindness" is a little vague, the implications are clear: Leander's ability to communicate was hindered.

How often do we think about how able our relative was to provide accurate, reliable information to the census taker? We often think about whether an informant actually "knew" the information and whether they had "first-hand" knowledge of that information?

But do we stop and ask how reliable their memory was when they were providing information? They may have had first-hand knowledge of an event, but their memory may have been challenged by the time they were providing information.

Based on this doctor's statement, here's hoping Leander didn't answer questions from the 1900 census taker.

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Here's a fictional look at what might have taken place on the day the census taker arrived.