The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-06-17
Record and Pension Office War De-

Record and Pension Office War De-
Washington City, March %, 1903.
Colonel NJ. P. Tribble, Anderson,
South Carolina.
Dear Sir: The department. having
been advised by Governor Heyward 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, beg
leave to submit the following sugges-
tions for your consideration
A considerable collection Of the rolls
of South Carolina Confederate
organizations is now in the possession
of this department. While that col
lection does not by any means show
all the names of the officers and men
who were in the Confederate service
from South Carolina, and while it
does not show the complete military
histories Of those whose names it
does show. it is hoped that the list Of
names and the histories Of individual
officers and men can be made much
more nearly complete by record evil
dence obtainable from other original
rolls that may now be in the posses
sion of the State Of South Carolina,
or Of historical societies, memorial
associations and individuals of South
Carolina and other States.
The legislation authorizing the COM
pilaton of the roster is construed by
the Department to restrict it in max
ing the compilation, to the use Of
original records made during the war
period, and to preclude the use of
printed or manuscript copies or COM
pilations made subsequently. For
this reason, and in order that there
shall be no ground for doubt as to the
accuracy of the proposed roster, the
Department will be unable to use in
the compilation any Of the rosters that
have heretofore been published, but
must in all cases seek the original
records upon which those rosters were
based.
You will readily see that, in order
that the compilation now in progress
shall be as nearly complete as it is
possible to make it, it 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 associa-
tons, public or private libraries, or
that are in the possession Of private
citizens.
It is impracticable for the war de-
partment to communicate with the
various holders of these scattered re-
cords, and consequently the depart
ment must rely upon each State to col
lect, by loan or otherwise, such re-
cords of its own or other Confederate
organizations as may be obtainable
within the State, and to forward the
collection when completed to this de-
partment, by which the records will
be copied and returned to the State
with the least possible delay. Of
course, the express charges incident
to shipping records to and from the
State will be betrayed by the depart
ment.
If it occurs to you that a different
plan from that indicated herein should
be adopted, or if during the progress
of the work you can make any sugges-
tion tending to facilitate or improve
it, you will confer a favor upon the
department and myself by advising
me freely and fully with regard to your
views. Very respectfully,
f. G.. Ainswortb,
Brigadier- General U. S. A., Chief
Record and Pension Office.