River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-01-14

| Wisconsin regiments. There are less
than dozen well-kept books in the
ands of Adjutant General Chapman.
| At the close of the war the War De-
partment required that these books
| be sent to Washington for the use of
| the Adjutant Generals office. The
order was generally compile with,
and the exceptions are those now in
the hands of the state Adjutant
General.
In addition to the foregoing several
regiments have Il full file of all dOcn-
ments pertaining TO the direction Of
the regiment IN active service. These
papers comprise the regimental, brig
dde, division and army corps orders,
circulars and letters. final statements
of deceased and discharged soldiers.
official notices from hospitals, camps
of rendezvous, exchange of prisoners,
transfers of men from one org mia
ton to another, ana hundred other
forms of official communication famIl-
lar 10 every well-pOsted adjutdnt, but
incomprehensible to the civilian, or
even to many officers who were imme-
diately interested in their contents.
From this data the history now in
progress is written. The first endeav-
or OF the historian is to find the name
of every man who has ever belonged
to the company which he has in hand
For this purpose checklist is made
of all names appearing upon the mus
ter-Out roll, which, as | have said, is
supposed to contain the name of eV-
cry man. Experience teaches, hOwev-
er, that it does not. The list SO made
is diligently compared with the mus
ter-in rolls, descriptive books, and
more or less of the returns When
the aggregate strength of the cOmpa-
ny is SO dete rmined the work of writ
ing history begins. Every roll and
return from the muster-in To the mus.
ter out is examined and every varia
tiOn and incident in each mans career
is carefully noted upon slips bearing
each mans name. This examination
requires the most thorough inspection
of every return or paper. often man
will be borne upon May return AS
present, and upon the June roll his
name is dropped, without remark. 1t
is the business of the hist0r ian to pick
up the broken thread, and find where
the man is. and for what cause he has
been dropped out. 1t often occurs
that after the lapse of several months
the name Ie-appearS upon the roll, and
again without remark. This interim
may involve incidents of the soldier S
history which would be the turning
point in evidence establishing his
claim for pension, and il is of the ut
most Importance that it be accounted
for. This is being done every day In
General Chapman S office, and 1T is TO
meet just such cases that the work is
now done.
The history is necessarily brief in
each case, and aims to give the salient
points in the sOldi, rs record in the
most concise manner, and always up
on the ground of utility. When writ
ten the records read somewhat as fol-
lows; taking a suggestions soldier and
running INN through from his enlist
meut AS a private uutil his muster-Out
"a captain:
Co "a" III Wis. Infantry John Jones, cap
tain, "a years old, single. engineer, blue eyes.
brown hair, light complexion feet 10 inches
high, residence GAINESVILLE Wis. NJ Private,
enlisted April p, 81. GAINESVILLE, Wis, Capt.
Bull Run. 7-2l-'6L NJ. d b. M.-s-'6l to 1921
absent prisoner Of war. OFF. NOTlCE-ll-5-,
exchanged, l0-5J 81 SICK III noSpltal AIllapOiis'
Md b, M.-ll-6l present for duty rel. li-l3.6l
R.-0.-H l2-6-'6l appointed corporal NJ. Il r.
M--3-62 to 6-'62 on Diet. service in Div. H'd qrs
LIST Div. LIST A G. X. R.-Com,d LIST lieut.. s-l-62
10 rank 7-l5-'62 D. NJ. Mustered 9-l0-'62 as
of 7-l5-'62 b. M.-9-'62 present in command of
Co. R.-C.7-S-'63 wounded in left arm at b. Get
tysburg 7-1-63 NJ Il Il. Mos absent wound
ed OFF, NOrICE.-Leave of absence 30 days
from S-24-G3 from Seminary General Hospital
Georgetown, y. c. B, NJ -l0-'6l re-lolned Co
10-II-63 K. R.-Comd captain l-l-64 to rank
same date vice smith resigned. ID. NJ. Mus
tered 2-i-6l rs of l-l-'6l at Culpepperi Va, by
Lieut.. spencer N. q D. M.-G-'6l present mus
tered out at Madison Wis. 6-30-'6l. NJ. o.
Same. K. ID. B--WOuudcd and prisoner b. Bull
Rum rejOined ii-l3-'6l: served gainesville, Bull
Run "a, south Mountain Antletam, Chahcellors-
VILE, Fredericksburg, aud in all marches, sklr-
mishes and reConnoisances of the regiment TO
Gettysburg where wounded re-iotned lO-l4- '6S;
served Wilderness aud Laurel Hllii mustered out
6-S0-6i. expiration term OF service
The initials At the beginning of each
sentence are the abbrey idtIons used
for the different rolls aud papers used
in the work In the above case, us In
all cases. where the soldier is not ac
counted for as absent from his compa
NY it is understood that he IS present
for duty" The collection of this con-
else statement of the soldiers services
may have involved the careful exam
nation of several hundred different pa
pers. Now, when a soldier asks the
Adiutant General for certificate OF
service, AS is being done at the rate OF
one hundred per month, h can at once
turn to the name and give him all the
necessary information in a few MN
utes. Heretofore it was impossible,
with the force in the office, To give
more than partial statement OF ser
vice, a thorough search of all the PIT
pprs being entirely out OF the ques-
lion.
The work, as before stated, is under
the supervision of General Chandler Z.
Chapman, AdjHtant General, to whom
all intricate questions are referred IS
the highest competent authority. lie
IS as listed by Captain f. l.. Phillips,
Acting Assistant Adjutdnt General, a
veteran of the old Iron Brigade, who
left his right arm upon "a virginia bat
tie field. In the office the following
veteran clerks are now engaged:-
Capt j. H. Whitney. 2lst N IS
Capt. l.. B. MadingtOn, $sth Wis.
Private Louis }. Glass, 6lst Ill.
Private Chas. d. skinner, Syth Wis.
Private Geo. B Aerrick S0th Wis.
Col. John Hancock, nth Wis.
Brev- Capt. Geo. + Rowell I'd Wis
Corporal David somers, l2th Wis.
Capt. Theo. J. widyey. 30 Wis
Others will be added until a suffi
eient forcs is organized 10 complete
the work within the present year, If
possible No definite estimate can, of
course, he made, as the ditiicdlty or
ease with which each soldiers status
Is determined varies--some being
settled readily, others requiring
hours of research before definite
conclusion can be reached.
The work is one which IS not only
creditabie to rs promoters AMI the leg
islatuTe which authorized Il, but IS u
incalc alable interest to the V'ste aEs OF
the state. Governor Rusk as far
bach as 1882 had seen the Importance
of the work, aud stroagiy advocated 1t
in his message that year, ana again III
1855, and was SO earnest in his cham