The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-09-17
VALUABLE
HISTORICAL DATA
IMPORTANT RECORDS IN AoJu
TANT GENERALS Office AND
THE OLD U. s. PENSION
BUREAU.

ANNAPOLIS, Nd, Sept. II. : Mr..
Frank B. Culver, Of the adiutant gen.
erals Office, has lately been engaged
in some interesting historical research
in that office, and also in the oldsWar
and Navy Department of the United
States Pension Bureau. Mr.. Culver
states that he was surprised at the
mass Of historical matter stored'away
in the record of the latter office, and
which has never been put in shape for
publication. Owing to the fact that
many Of the muster and pay rolls Of
our first and second wars with Eng.
land have been lost, the records Of the
War Department are far from COM
plete, but Mr.. Culver has found that
the records of the Old War and Navy
Departments of the Pension Bureau
supply much Of the missing data
Mr.. Culver has taken up the matter
Of securing the publication of this in
terestlng collection Of data, and has
been in correspondence with several
Of the leading photographers in the
country. Without exception, these are
Interested in the nope and promised
Mfr Culver their support. Among
those whose interest has been secured
by Mr.. Culver are Mr.. Herbert Put.
nam, librarian Of Congress; DR.. J..
franklin Jameson, formerly Of Johns
Hopkins, and at present director Of
the department Of historical research
Of the Carnegie Institute, and Mr., Yes
pasian warne0 the commissioner Of
pensions. Mr., Culver is also in corre-
spondence with the New England His
torlc Genealogical Society, Of Boston,
in connection with the subject.
The special interest connected with
this data is that 1t Is the personal tes-
tlmouy of the men themselves who
were engaged in the wars and contains
besides the services performed by
them, many minor incidents and inter-
esting details Of life in camp and field.
This information Is procurable from no
other source. Mr.. Culver's suggestion
is that this data coald be compiled
from the records Of the Pension Office,
augmented with that obtainable from
the auditor of the Treasury Depart
ment for the War Department and the
Adjutant Generals office.
Should these records be issued in
published form the continual handling
Of the records would be obviated, as
we'll as the matter being put in much
more accessible form. The frequent
examination of these papers often re-
suits in injury to them, and there is
always the chance that some Of them
will be stolen. 1t Is likely that a def
mite effort will be made to influence
the next Congress to make an appro-
priatlon to further Mr.. Cllver's sug-
gestlon.
Mr.. Culver has also discovered much
valuable historical data in the records
Of the office Of the Adjutant General
Of Maryland. The records In this Of
fee have now been put in very COM
plete form. The once dlscloses the
names of every person to whom COM
mission has been issued since that
time, The list Of the adjutant gener-
ais from the first one-Henry CARRIER
y-have been compiled by MI. cul-
yer. This information and much 9th
er OF value exists now only In the
shape Of musty manuscript records
and unless provision Is made for its
publication It Is liable to be lost or de.
stroyed.
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