The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-17
ROSTER / OF
The ARMIES;
One to Be Published by the
War Department.
"A a GIGANTIC UNDERTAKING.
Secretary Of War Has Written to Gov
errors fAlI the States Asking Co
operation. IL Making Rolls Com
plete as Possible.
faY Aasociatad Prcss.l

5SG (By Associated PressO ,&5 ~
4 WASHINGTON, ID. c., March 16.-By
direction OF Secretary Root the War De-
partment to-day embarked on the execu-
tive work OF compiling and publishing q
complete roster OF the officers and en-
listed men OF the Union and Confederate
armies. This Is. the secretary's own pro-
5ect, and he succeeded in impressing
Congress with the idea that 1t would be
only Just and fair to the South to place
on the official lists the names ofithe Con-
federate soldiers, in order that their de-
scendants may trace their family his
tories with accuracy. M III
The North. through separate State pub
'lications, has i covered pretty well this
ground for its own soldiers, but the
Southern records and archives were scat
tered and destroyed owing to the outcome
OF the war and 1t 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. s435 /.
Secretary Root, in calling this matter
to the attention OF Congress, said that
the department was constantly In receipt
OF appeals from State officials, historical
societles and patriotic. or memorial asso-
Citations for transcripts OF the military
records Of State troops, to answer which
would cost moro than million dollars.
30 that the most economical way would
be to publish complete roster
The publication will be enormous IN
stze, including no less than thirty vol
unes as large as tho records The
Northern names will be published with
the Southern, because 1t Is, desired to
70 a In mi Oi1afiOn.
instead Of being scattered through
various state books Moreover. It IS felt
20 be a graceful thing to bracket the
names OF the men who wore the blue and
10 = I, LETTER TO GOVERNORS,
n order to carry out this purpose
Secretary Root sent the following letter
- the Governors OF all the States which
furnished troops for the Confederate
armies:
.rwashinrton, D. c., March 49, 1903.
vsrhaa Governor OF the state OF 60
G"sir,-There is a very general desire on
the part OF tho surviving participants OF
the great struggle In which tho country
was engaged from 1851 to 1865, and on the
mart Of the descendants OF those VINO
have passed away, for o publication mat
shall be accessible to the general PUBIC
and snail HNOW LILO AIt1IASo - gSH'S~SS '.sT'
either as officers or enlisted men. pore
arms for the Union or for the Confcderacy
during the great war, In the opinion that
this desire Is one that should pc graf
flied, and that can be gratltied, IN great
measure at least. by compiling and pub
liahing, as afcontnuation OF the publica-
ton known as THE Official Records OF
the Union and Confederate Armies
complete list or roster OF the officers and
men who served In those armies during
the Civil War this department recon-
mended at the last session OF Congress-
tho enactment Of law authorizing the
compilation and preparat ton OF such u. ros,
ter for publication. That recommonda.
tion was followed by the enactment Of q
provision OF law which Is embodied ir
the executive, legislative and judicial up.
propriation act, approved February Is
1908, which Is as follows;
'That. under the direction OF the Sec.
rotary OF War, the chief OF tho record
and pension office shall compile from suct
the United States, and from such otho,
records as may be loaned from tho vnr!
Gus States and other official SOURCES, q
complete roster OF the officers and EN-
listed men OF the Union and Confederat t.
armies ff3
PUSH IT TO COMPLETION, X
"The department is prepared to enter
\ at once upon the work of making the
compilation thus authorized and to push
Ii to completion as rapidly as possible,
There will be little or no difficulty In
making the Union part of the roster cons
llete, but there will be great difficulty
with regard to the Confederate part be-
cause of the incompleteness OF the col
lection Of the Confederate records IN the
3 possession Of this department, It Is Of the
{, first Importance, therefore, that no EFF
forts shall be spared to secure the tenn
porary loan to the War Department fol
the purpose OF copying Of any and oil
authentic Confederate records that can
be found anywhere. Many OF these rec
ords are in the possession OF the yari,
Gus States and It Is hoped will be. made
readily accessible, but there are others
4 that are widely scattered among hlstori-
y cal and memorial associations and Fprl,
.yata citizens, The proble lem Of how to flpd
(. spd procure the loon OF these scattered