The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-17
FOR ROSTER OF VETERANS
 ;
 $ Secretary s ,Ot Makes 4 yeal.
 Z COMPLIES NESS IS DESIRED
Effort to Prepare List of
 WearerS of Blue and Gray.
Head of War Department Asks Gov. ernors of Southern States to Assist in the Work He
 Has Inaugurated.

Washington, March l6.-By direction of Secretary Root the War Department to- day embarked on the extensive work of compiling and publishing a complete ros- ter of the officers and enlisted men of the Union and Confederate armies. This is the Secretary's own project, 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 list the names of the Confederate sol- diers in order that the descendants may trace their family histories with accuracy. The North. through separate publication. has covered pretty we'll this ground for it's own soldiers. but the Southern rec ords and archives, never very complete, were scattered, and 1t is known that nany frauds are practiced on the benev- olent 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 the department was constantly in receipt of appeals from State officials and historical societies and patriotic or memorial as- sociations for transcripts of the military records of State troops. to answer winch would cost more than a million dollars, so that the most economical way would be to publish a complete roster. Provis- ion for the publication was accordingly made by the last Congress
 A Graceful Thing.
 It Is felt to be a graceful thing to brack- ct the names of the men who wore the blue and gray.
 In order to carry out this purpose, Sec- retary Root today sent the following let- ter to the Governors of all States which furnished men 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 participants of the great struggle in which the country was engaged from 1861 to 1865, and part of the descendants of those who have passed away. for publication that shall be ac. cessible 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 Confederacy during the great war.
 The Department is prepared to enter at once upon the work of making the compilation thus authorized and to push 1t to completion as rapidly as possible. There will be little or no difficulty in making the Union part of the roster com piete, but there will be a great difficulty with regard to the Confederate part. be- cause of the incompleteness of the col lection of Confederate records in the DOS session of this department
 Asks Loans of Record.
 ''It is of the first importance. therefore that no effort shall be spared to secure the temporary loan to the War Depart ment for the purpose of copying, of any and all authentic Confederate records that can be found anywhere, Many of these records are In the possession of the various States. and 1t is hoped they will be made readily accessible, but there are others that are widely scattered among historical and memorial associations and private citizens. The problem of how to find and procure the loan of these scat tered records is a difficult one, but 1t is one that must be solved In order that the Confederate soldiers shall receive the full CT edit that Is due them in the roster that is to be compiled.
 'I earnestly invite your cooperation with the department in an effort to make this compilation as nearly complete as 1t is possible to make 1t and shall be glad to have the benefit of any suggestion 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 Brig F. c. Ainsworth chief of the Record and Pension Office of this de- partment, and I beg leave to suggest that, if the plan herein outlined meets your approval. you designate some official of your State or communicate to him rela- tive to the details of the work and the steps to be taken in furtherance of 1t.
 Very respectfully,
 "Elihu Root,
 Secretary of War"