Civil War News
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Record Group (RG) Record Hierarchy RG 11. General Records of the United States Government
RG 15. Records of the Veterans Administration War Dept: Surgeon General’s Office Dept. of the Interior: Pension Office RG 16. General Records of the Dept. of Agriculture Dept. of Agriculture
Tools for Searching the National Archives Online Last month in this column, readers learned of the recent online enhancement offering Optical Character Recognition (OCR) searches of the various Record Groups in the National Archives. A few offline tools exist, which will enable researchers to target their online searches. First up, Guide to the Federal Archives Relating to the Civil War. For this 1962 publication issued during the centennial commemoration, the National Archives tapped Kenneth W.
Munden and Henry Putney Beers to serve as compilers. In the preface to this work, the compilers highlight the importance of remembering “…postwar documentation, in its value for Civil War research, often transcends in importance the records of the war period.” The book, totaling 721 pages, contains a wealth of information on the records of Congress, the Judiciary, and the Presidency, as well as the various governmental departments. An appendix, ‘List of Records Groups Containing Federal Records Relating to the Civil War,’ will serve as the focus of this article. Munden and Beers introduction to the appendix notes the archives contain over 300 record groups, yet “the Federal records in the National Archives and the centers that are important to Civil War research are in 79 record groups.” A listing of these groups, and a brief description of the contents within each follow. Remember to check WorldCat http:// www.worldcat.org for help in finding the Guide to the Federal Archives Relating to the Civil War in a local library; conduct your search using the book’s title, and also check for reprint editions from 1986 and 2005. Review additional information on this resource at https://www.archives.
RG 19. Records of the Bureau of Ships Dept. of the Navy: Bureau of Construction/Equipment/Repairs Bureau of Construction/Repair Bureau of Steam Engineering Naval Boards & Commissions Office of General Superintendent of Ironclads RG 21. Records of the District Courts of the United States Judiciary: U.S. District & Circuit Courts Territorial Courts Record Group (RG) Record Hierarchy RG 23. Records of the Coast & Geodetic Survey Dept. of the Treasury: U.S. Coast Survey RG 24. Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel Dept. of the Navy: Bureau of Equipment & Recruiting Bureau of Navigation – In General Office of Detail Chaplain Corps
January 2020 Record Group (RG) Record Hierarchy RG 94. Records of the Adjutant General’s Office War Dept.: Adjutant General’s Office Inspector U.S. Military Academy Surgeon General’s Office & the Medical Dept. Office of the Judge Advocate Office of the Provost Marshal Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands War Records Office RG 97. Records ofRecord the Bureau of Agricultural and Pension Office and Industrial Chemistry Commission on Claims of Officers Dept.Men, of Agriculture and Western Dept. American Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission RG 98. Records ofSlave the U.S. Army Commands Claims Commissions War Dept.: Commission on Corrupt Practices in Arsenals the South Military Prisons Commission on Enlistment of Cavalry GermansBureau as Substitutes Territorial Commands & Armies Commission on Rewards for Army Corps Apprehension of Lincoln Assassins Regular Army Regiments and Others Forts, Camps, and Other Army Territorial Commands and Armies Posts Army Corps First-Fifth Military Districts Volunteer Regiments RG 99. Records theAttorney Office ofGeneral: Paymaster General Office ofofthe War Dept.: Pardon Clerk Office of the Paymaster General U.S. Christian Commission
RG 101. Records of the Bureau of Comptroller of the Currency Dept. of the Treasury: Office of Comptroller of Currency Record Group (RG) Record Hierarchy RG 104. Records of the Bureau of the Mint Dept. of the Treasury: U.S. Mint & Branch Mints RG 105. Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands Dept. of the Treasury: Special Agencies War Dept.: Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and
Bureau of Yards & Docks – NavalPage Home1 of 6 Abandoned Lands RG 26. Records of the U.S. Coast Guard RG 107. Records of the Office of Secretary of War Dept. of the Treasury: War Dept.: U.S. Revenue – Cutter Service Secretary’s Office Light-House Board War Dept. Telegraph Office Canby Claims Commission RG 27. Records of the Weather Bureau War Department: Topographical Bureau Surgeon General’s Office RG 28. Records of the Post Office Department Post Office Dept.: Office of the Postmaster General Appointment Office Contract Office Finance Office RG 29. Records of the Bureau of the Census Dept. of the Interior: Census Office RG 36. Records of the Bureau of Customs Dept. of the Treasury: Customs Service RG 37. Records of the Hydrographic Office Dept. of the Navy: Bureau of Navigation – U.S. Naval Observatory and Hydrographical Office RG 39. Records of the Bureau of Accounts Dept. of the Treasury: Office of the Register RG 41. Records of the Bureau of Marine Inspection & Navigation Dept. of the Treasury: Office of the Register Customs Service Steamboat-Inspection Service
gov/publications/finding-aids/guides. html#civilwar. Next month: a look at the Confederate Record Groups in the National Archives. Until then, good luck in researching the Civil War!
RG 108. Records of the Headquarters of the Army War Dept.: Headquarters of the Army RG 109. War Dept. Collection of Confederate Records War Dept.: Adjutant General’s Office Military Prisons Record and Pension Office Dept. of the Interior: Secretary’s Office RG 110. Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau War Dept.: Provost Marshal General’s Bureau RG 111. Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer War Dept.: Office of the Chief Signal Officer and the Signal Corps RG 112. Office of the Surgeon General (War) War Dept.: Surgeon General’s Office and the Medical Department RG 118. Records of the U.S. Attorneys & Marshals Office of the Attorney General: U.S. Attorneys & Marshals RG 121. Records of the Public Buildings Admin. Dept. of the Treasury: Office of Solicitor of Treasury Office of Supervising Architect
the Historians of the Civil War Western Theater, the Georgia Association of Historians, and the Georgia Writers Association. Readers may contact him at mkscdr11@gmail.com, or to request speaking engagements, via his website www.civilwarhistorian.net. Follow Michael on Facebook www.facebook. Michael K. Shaffer is a Civil War historian, com/michael.k.shaffer and Twitter @ author, lecturer, instructor, and a memmichaelkshaffer. ber of the Society of Civil War Historians, Page 2 of 6
January 2020
Civil War News
Record Group (RG) Record Hierarchy RG 42. Records of the Office of Public Bldgs. & Public Parks of the National Capital Dept. of the Interior: Office of the Commissioner of Public Bldgs. Memorialization Agencies RG 45. Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval Records & Library Dept. of the Navy: Secretary’s Office Bureau of Navigation – U.S. Naval Observatory and Hydrographical Office Chaplain Corps Bureau of Ordnance Bureau of Steam Engineering Bureau of Yards & Docks Naval Boards & Commissions Office of Superintendent Ironclad Gunboats Squadrons & Flotillas Navy Yards & Naval Stations RG 46. Records of the U.S. Senate Congress Joint Standing Committees Joint Select Committees Senate
Record Group (RG) Record Hierarchy RG 123. Records of the U.S. Court of Claims Judiciary: U.S. Court of Claims
RG 48. General Records of the Dept. of the Interior Dept. of the Interior Secretary’s Office Washington Aqueduct Office U.S. Penitentiary for the District of Columbia RG 49. General Records of the Bureau of Land Management Dept. of the Interior General Land Office Census Office RG 50. General Records of the Treasurer of the United States Dept. of the Treasury Office of the Treasurer of the United States RG 52. Records of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Dept. of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
RG 128. Records of Joint Committees of Congress Congress: Joint Standing Committees Joint Select Committees
RG 125. Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Navy) Dept. of the Navy: Secretary’s Office – Office of the Solicitor and Naval Judge Advocate General Naval Boards and Commissions
RG 127. Records of the U.S. Marine Corps Dept. of the Navy: U.S. Marine Corps
RG 130. Records of the White House Office Presidency
RG 149. Records of Government Printing Office Dept. of the Interior: Office of Superintendent of Public Printing RG 153. Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army) War Dept.: Bureau of Military Justice Office of the Assistant Judge Advocate General
Record Group (RG) Record Group (RG) Page 3 of 6 Record Hierarchy Record Hierarchy RG 53. Records of the Bureau of the Public Debt RG 156. Records of the Office of the Chief of Treasury Dept. Ordnance Office of the Register War Dept.: Office of the Chief of Ordnance and the Ordnance Dept. Military Prisons Commission on War Claims at St. Louis Commission on Ordnance Claims and Contracts RG 56. General Records of the Dept. of the Treasury RG 159. Records of the Office of the Inspector Dept. of the Treasury General Secretary’s Office War Dept.: Special Agencies Office of the Inspector General U.S. Purchasing Agents Commissioners of Claims RG 58. Records of the Internal Revenue Service RG 167. Records of the National Bureau of Standards Dept. of the Treasury Dept. of the Treasury: Office of Internal Revenue Office of the Superintendent of State Direct Tax Commissions Weights and Measures RG 59. General Records of the Dept. of State RG 181. Records of Naval Districts and Shore Dept. of State Establishments Departmental Records Dept. of the Navy: War Dept. Bureau of Navigation – U.S. Naval Commissions to Investigate Political Academy Imprisonment Navy Yards & Naval Stations RG 60. General Records of the Dept. of Justice RG 185. Records of the Panama Canal Office of Attorney General Panama Canal Railroad Co. Dept. of the Interior: Secretary’s Office RG 66. Records of the Commission of Fine Arts RG 192. Records of the Office of the Commissary Memorialization Agencies General of Subsistence War Dept.: Office of the Commissary General of Subsistence RG 71. Records of the Bureau of Yards and Docks RG 203. Records of the Office of the Chief of Dept. of the Navy: Finance (War) Bureau of Yards and Docks War Dept.: Naval Boards and Commissions Secretary’s Office RG 74. Records of the Bureau of Ordnance RG 204. Records of the Office of the Pardon Attorney Dept. of the Navy: Office of the Attorney General: Bureau of Ordnance Pardon Clerk RG 75. Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs RG 205. Records of the Court of Claims Section Dept. of the Interior: (Justice) Office of Indian Affairs Office of the Attorney General: Assistant Attorney General for Claims Cases RG 76. Records of the Boundary & Claims Commissions RG 206. Records of the Solicitor of the Treasury and Arbitrations Dept. of the Treasury: Dept. of State: Office of the Solicitor of the Claims Commissions and Courts Treasury
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Record Group (RG) Record Hierarchy RG 77. Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers War Dept.: Engineer Bureau Topographical Bureau District Engineer Offices Defenses of Washington Inspector of U.S. Military Academy
RG 78. Records of the Naval Observatory Dept. of the Navy: Bureau of Navigation – U.S. Naval Observatory & Hydrographical Office Nautical Almanac Office RG 79. Records of the National Park Service Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Co. Memorialization Agencies RG 84. Records of the Foreign Service Posts of the Dept. of State Dept. of State: Foreign Service Posts RG 87. Records of the United States Secret Service Dept. of the Treasury: Office of Solicitor of the Treasury – Secret Service Division
Record Group (RG) Record Hierarchy RG 217. Records of the General Accounting Office Dept. of the Treasury: Office of the First Comptroller Office of the Second Comptroller Office of the Commissioner of Customs Office of the Register Office of the First Auditor Office of the Second Auditor Office of the Third Auditor Office of the Fourth Auditor Office of the Fifth Auditor Office of the Auditor of the Treasury for the Post Office Dept. State Direct Tax Commissions War Dept.: Western Gunboat Fleet Office of Paymaster General Office of Commissary General of Subsistence Commission on War Claims at St. Louis Commissioners on Emancipation in the District of Columbia RG 231. Records of the U.S. Soldiers Home U.S. Soldiers Home
RG 233. Records of the U.S. House of Representatives Congress: Joint Select Committees House of Representatives RG 241. Records of the Patent Office Dept. of the Interior: Patent Office RG 249. Records of the Commissary General of Prisoners War Dept.: Office of the Commissary General of Prisoners Office of the Commissioner for Exchange of Prisoners RG 267. Records of the Supreme Court of the U.S. Judiciary: Supreme Court Record Group (RG) Record Hierarchy RG 318. Records of the Bureau of Engraving & Printing Dept. of the Treasury: National Currency Bureau – First Division
RG 90. Records of the Public Health Service Dept. of the Treasury: Marine Hospital Service Record Group (RG) Record Hierarchy RG 92. Records of the Office of Quartermaster Gen. War Dept.: QG’s Office & QM Dept. Office of Paymaster General Office of Commissary Gen. of Page 5 of 6 Subsistence U.S. Military Telegraphs U.S. Military Railroads Cavalry Bureau RG 351. Records of the Government of the District of Columbia Dept. of the Interior: Metropolitan Police
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Sailors and Marines on the deck of the U.S. gunboat Mendota, 1864. National Archives (Identifier 524548).
S ha rg 8 0 8 D ra st ag e su rc SA M ed ia, b je ct to p o h ec k to: C su c s a n o d ti n p se ri Or nal su b sc Inte rnati o Page 6 of 6