Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-06-13
aAiseellaneuns geaaing.
OFFICIAL CONFEDERATE ROLLS.
instructions As to What ls Wanted
and How Il Is to BE Obtained.

and How It Is to Be Obtained.
WASHINGTON CITY. March %, 1908.
Colonel M. P. Tribble, Anderson, 8. c.
Dear Sir: The department having
been advised by Governor Hayward on
the 25th instant that he will be glad
to cooperate with it in the compilation
of the recently authorized roster OF the
officers and men Of the Union and
Confederate armies, and that he has
designated you to confer with me rela-
tive to the details of the work, I beg
leave to submit suggestions for your
considerations:
A considerable collection Of the rolls
of South Carolina organizations Is now
| in the possession of this department.
While that collection does not by any
means show all the names Of the Of
ficers and men who were IN the Con-
federate service from South Carolina,
and while 1t does not show the COM
plete military histories Of those whose
names 1t does show, 1t Is hoped that
the list Of names and the histories OF
individual officers and men can be
made much more nearly complete Dy
record evidence obtainable from other
| original rolls that may now be In the
possession Of the state OF South caro-
| lima, or Of historical societies, memori-
al associations and individuals OF South
Carolina and other states.
The legislation authorizing the COM
pilation of the roster Is construed by
the department to restrict 1t, In max
| ing the compilation, to the use Of orig
| inal records made during the war Pc
lriod, and to preclude the use OF print
led or manuscript copies or compila-
tions made subsequently. For this
reason, and in order that there shall be
no ground for doubt as, to the accura-
cy Of the proposed roster, the depart
ment will be unable to use In the COM
pilation any Of the rosters that nave
heretofore been published, but must In
all cases seek the original records up
on which those rosters we're based.
You will readily see that, In order
that the compilation now in progress
shall be as nearly complete as 1t IS
possible to make it, 1t Is essential that
the war department shall obtain the
temporary loan, for the purpose OF
copying, Of any original official rolls,
lists or other documents that show the
names Of Confederate officers and men
that are now in the custody OF state
officials, historical or memorial asso-
| PoDiiS VI PhANoeS AASH
that are in the possession OF private
citizens.
1t is impossible for the war depart
ment to communicate with the various
holders Of these scattered records, and
consequently the department must re-
| ly upon each state to collect, by loan
or otherwise, such records Of Its own
or other Confederate organizations as
may be obtainable within the state, and
to forward the collection when COM
pleted to this department, by which
the records will be copied and returned
to the state with the least possible de-
lay. OF course, the express charges In
cident to shipping records to and from
the state will be betrayed by the de-
partment.
If it occurs to you that different
plan from that indicated herein should
be adopted, or If during the progress
of the work you can make any sugges-
tions tending to facilitate or improve
it, you will confer favor upon the de-
partment and myself by advising me
freely and fully with regard to your
views. Very respectfully,
F. c. AINswoRTH,
Brigadier- General U. S. A., Chief Rec
| ord and Pension Office.