The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-20
WAR RECORDS OF TIE SOLDIERS
Capt. Ainsworth's Plan OF Making Them
Simple, Accurate. and Complete.

Simple, Accurate. and Complete.
WAsHINGToN. July 19.-Capt Ainsworth who
is In charge OF the record and pension division
Of the War Department. Is carrying out in the
matter of tho war records Of the soldiers the
same principles that he put in operation so
successfully in regard to tho hospital records
OF tho army. The plan adopted is 50 simple
that any person can readily find complete
record of any soldier provided he knows the
soldiers name and any one OF the regiments in
which he has served On opening the first file
case devoted to II given regiment the searcher
first finds the record of the events in which the
regiment participated during its entire SER
vice. In this way one Is able to follow the
exact movements OF the regiment from place
to place, as shown in tho original army
rolls. together with any incidents which
may have happened and have been
noted at the time. These records are copied
on cards. which arc numbered In such way
that counterfeiting u card is impossible. anu
the jacket which encloseS the series OF cards
also bears the numbers OF tho cards contained
within. 80 that II a card is ever lost or stolen 1t
could be duplicated without trouble
Following the record OF events Is another
bundle OF cards showing the record OF the field
and staff, and this in turn is followed by the
records OF the companies Then come the In.
dividual records Of tho men in the regiment
AS showing how complete this system is, one
has but to take the cards OF the New York reGi-
ment known as the Garibaldi Guards. This
regiment was made up of Germans and Ital-
ians, most OF whom spoke no English. The
names on the muster rolls were spelled in q
half dozen different ways. and the regiment
also had curious system of promotions due to
good conduct If II man in Company had a
good record for tho month he was promoted to
tha Innl II the ElldiaP
had Il uoor record he was sent down to Com
pauy X, or t. some other company lower than
the month. On the various muster rolls of the
regiments soldiers name might appear fifty
or sixty times. Each time that his name ap-
pears II card is duly made out, aud the whole
number OF cards are grouped in one Jacket,
which bears on It's iaTS thS 81 cards con- }
q soldiers war record all tho clerk has to
DO 70 md tho soldiers nH"e on
have all Of tho soldiers, record on the various
cards; Under the old system the searcher
would be compe!ed to examine fifty or sixty
different rolls. and the chances arc that the
record would De incomplete. The new system:
therefore. is not only great saving OF
Tho result TO tho soldier must be that should
no apply for pension the department. will be
ablo to give his military record with an a.
curacy and promptEess never before attained.
capt Ainsworth's army Of c%nyists so has In.
from No. SO to No. 40. and is marching on at
the rate Of q regiment day. There are moo
tnan g'D New Ork regiments anu Wnen lHeir
records are finished the War department Will
DO In possession of n complete history OF ono
seventh Of tho tnion army engaged in the
war Of the rebellion.
When CAPT. Ainsworth was placed in charge
Of the record and Tonsion division OF the War
Department u little over Il year ago he found
the work several years behind. Sc that when
tho Pension Bureau called for q soldiers rec
ord in order to complete his pension claim It
was ire iurnty over two years before an an
ewcr could DO obtained. ON Juno 80, when the
fiscal year closed. there was only single call
unanswered, and this ono call had been mis-
laid by Il clerk who had gone homo early. All
this arrears Of work has boon cearei up with
out any increase IN clerks tut by means OF tho
excellent system which Capt. AinswOrth has
Instituted in his Office. L is worthy OF noto
that the entiro car medical record Of the
army was created by the use OF clerks who
were detailed tom the other divisions OF lie
Office without drtrimGnt TO the general work.
Capt. Ainsworths system Is TO have II force
OF clerks come on at 3 o'clock in the afternoon
and WORK until in tho evening, arranging and
preparing tho mail for work noXt day. The
cases are sent out to the clerks. who complete
peted IL is Immediately taken to tho head
olce by messengers, who 20 through the
rooms once every Two minutes 70 gather up
completed work In this way the hri-hcd bust
siblc. Capt Ainsworth himself stays in tho
department until or in the evening to sign
letters and see that the mail reaches tho Post
once the same night, ana by a Sy6tom OF
choCk5 he knows each night exactly how many
Incomplete CASES renlRin Enacted upon when
the days work Is done. The result Of this work
has been that instead Of being eighteen
months behind in tho answers 70 tho Pension
Buroau / J. q rHTo taing for more than six
eases 10 remain iucOmpl"ted over night. All
very satisfactory 10 tho department. 1t Is hard
on tho clerks. however.