The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-03-20

Washington, March 16.-By direction
of Secretary Root, the war department
today embarked on the extensive work
of compiling and publishing a COM
plete roster Of the officers and enlisted
men of the Union and Confederate
armies. This is the secretary's own
project and he has succeeded in inn
pressing congress with the idea that it
would be only just and fair to the
south, to place on the official lists the
names of the Confederate soldiers, in
order that their descendants may trace
their family histories with accuracy.
The north, through separate state
publications has covered pretty we'll
this ground for it's own soldiers But
the southern records and archives,
never very complete. were scattered
and destroyed owing to the outcome
of the war, and it is known that many
frauds are practiced on the benevolent
and many families lack important
links in their histories because of the
loss of these records.
Secretary Root in calling this matter
to the attention of congress said that
NAC UCpdI lIIlSIII was CONSTANTLY III Ie-
ceipt of appeals from state officials.
historical societies md patriotic or
memorial associations for transcripts
of the military reco- DIS of state troops,
to answer which UoIld cost more than
a million dollars, so mat the most
economical would be to publish q
complete roster.
The publication will be enormous in
size, including 40 less than thirty
volumes, as large as the rebellion rec
ords. The nCrthern names will be
published with the southern, because
it is desired % have all of these data
in n COM ;Iation, instead of being
scrattered through various state
books. Moreover, it is felt to be a
graceful thing to bracket the names of
the men who wore he blue and the
gray. In order to carry out this pur-
following letter to the governors of all
of the states which furnished troops
for the Confederate armies.
War Department,
Washington, d. c., March 16, 1903.
The Governor of the State of ---.
Sir: There is a very general desire
on the part of the surviving partici-
pants OF the great struggle in which
the country was engaged from 1861 to
1865, and on the part of the descen-
dants of those who have passed away,
for a publication that shall be a%ccessi-
bic to the general public and shall
show the names of those who, either as
officers or enlisted men, bore arms for
the Union or for the C~onfederacy dur
ing the great war. In the opinion
that this desire is n that should be
gratified and that can be gratified, in
great measure, at least, by compiling
and publishing, as a "ntinuat of
the publication known as the Official
Records of the Union and Confederate
Armies" a complete list or roster of
the officers and men who served in
those armies during the civil war, this
department recommended at the last
session of congress the enactment of
a law authorizing the compilation and
preparation of such a roster for pub
LEGATION. Tina recommendation was
followed by the enactment of a law
and provisions which was embodied in
the legislative. executive and judicial
appropriation act. approved February
%, 1908, and which is as follows:
That under the direction of the sec
rotary of war. the chief of the record
and pension office. shall compile, from
such official records as are in the pos
session of the United States and from
such other records as may be obtain
ed by loan from the various states and
other official sources, q complete roS-
ter of the officers and enlisted men of
the Union and Confederate armies
The department is prepared to en-
ter at once upon the work of making
the compilation thus authorized and to
push it to completion as rapidly as
possible. There will be little or no diff
ficulty in making the Union part of
the roster complete, but there will be
great difficulty with regard to the
Confederate part because of the in
completeness of the collection or on
federate records in the possession Of
this department. 1t is of the first inn
~pOrtance, therefore, that no effort
shall be spared to secure the temporary
loan to the war department for the
purpose of copying of any and all au-
thentic Confederate records that can
be found anywhere. Many of these rec
ords are in the possession of the va
rious states. and it is hoped will be
made readily accessible. but there are
others that are widely scattered among
historical and memorial. associations
and private citizens. The problem of
@ TO find and procure the loa Of
these scattered records is a difficult
one. but it is one that must be solved
in order that the Confederate soldier
shall receive the full credit that is due
him in the roster that is 70 be COM
piled.
L earnestly invite your cooperation
with the department in an effort 10
make This compilation as nearly com
piote as it is possible to make it. and
1 shall be glad to a the benefit of
any suggestions that you can make
as to the manner in which that end
can be best attained. The work will
be in the immediate charge of Brfga-
der General F. c. Ainsworth, chief of
the Record and Pension Office of this
department. and I beg leave to suggest
that, if the plan herein outlined meets
your approval, you designate some Of