The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-03-20
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY.
Government Will Compile a Complete Roster
OF Those OH Both Sides IN the
Civil War.

llshlhg q complete roster Of the Otti-
GERS and enlisted men of the Union
and Confederate armies. This is the
seoretary's own project and he sue.
ceeded in impressing Congress with
the idea that it would be just and
fair to the South to place on official
lists the names of Confederate SOL
diers in order that their descendants
may trace their family histories with
accuracy. The North, through sep
arate State publications, has covered
pretty we'll this ground for it's OWE
soldiers But the Southern records
and archives, never very complete,
we're scattered and destroyed owing
to the outcome Of tho war and it is
known that many frauds are prac-
ticed on tn, 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 Con.
gress said that the department was
constantly in receipt of appeals from
State officials, historical societies and
patriotic or memorial associations
for transcripts of the military records
Of State troops, to answer which
would cost more than a million dol
lars, SO that the most economical way
would be to publish complete ros-
ter.
The publication will be enormous
in size, including no less than 30
volumes as large as the rebellion
records.
The Northern names will be pub
lished with the Southern because it
is desired to have all of these data in
one compilation instead of being
scattered through various State books.
Moreover, it is felt to be a grace
full thing to bracket the names of the
men who wore the blue and the gray.
In order to carry out this purpose
Secretary Root today sent the follow
ing letter to the governors of all the
States which furnished troops for
the Confederate armies:
WarDepartment, Washington, March
Is, 1903.
The Governor Of the State of ---.
Sir: There is very general de-
sire on the part Of the surviving par
ticipants Of the great atruggle in
which the country was engaged from
1861 to 1865, and on the part of the
descendants Of those who have passed
away, for publication that shall be
accessible to the general public and
shall show the names Of those who,
either az officers or enlisted men,
bore arms for the Union or for the
Confederacy during the great war.
In the opinion that this desire ls one
that should be gratitied, in great
measure at least, by compiling and
publishing, rs Il continuation of the
publication known rs the "oi1icial
record of the Union and Confederate
armies," n complete list or roster of
tho officers and men who served in
those armies during the Civil war,
this department recommended at the
last session Of Congress tho enact
ment of law authorizing the COM
pilatinn and preparation Of such a
roster for publication. That recon-
mondation was followed by the enact.
ment Of a provision of law which is
embodied in tho egislativc, executive
and judicial appropriation act, ap-
proved Feb. 25, 1903, and which is
IA follows:
"That under the direction of the
secretary OF war the chief Of the
record and pension Office shall com.
pile, from such official records az are
in the possession Of the United States,
and from such other records as may
be obtained by loan from the various
States and other official sources, Il
complete roster Of tho officers and
enlisted men Of tho Union and Con
federate armies'
The department is prepared to
enter at once upon the work Of maxi
ing the compilation thus authorized
and to push it to completion as rap
idly as possible. There will be little
or no difficulty in making tho Union
part Of the roster complete, but there
will be great difficulty with regard
to the Confederate records in the