Comments on: Researching your Civil War ancestor http://civilwarhistory.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/researching-your-civil-war-ancestor/ The Blog Between the States. Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:31:34 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Daniel Sauerwein http://civilwarhistory.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/researching-your-civil-war-ancestor/#comment-604 Daniel Sauerwein Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:40:33 +0000 http://civilwarhistory.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/researching-your-civil-war-ancestor/#comment-604 Aside from starting with Ancestry.com, which is kind of obvious, there are several different ways to answer your questions. With regard to his military service and possible Medal of Honor, first, check <em>The Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois</em>, which is available online via Google Books (I downloaded a copy myself a year ago). This will have information relating to his mustering into the Union army, since it was an Illinois unit. Now, I just checked the official website for the MOH and could not find him listed among the Civil War recipients, so that is likely a dead end. As far as military records go, they do not usually cover family information, except for a place of birth or residence and those are only if he listed such when he signed up. A quick glance at a couple of sources I know listed him as a private, with the Adjutant General's Report listing him as having mustered in 1864. Try to see if there is a pension file on him, as that would help you out. Use Ancestry.com or some other service to look at census records for his name, as that will provide you the framework to trace back. The census was conducted every 10 years, so be sure to check the following years especially (1840, 1850, and 1860). Go to this website and you will find a little more about him as well: http://www.ilsos.gov/genealogy/ That link is to the Illinois online veteran's database for Civil War veterans, I searched the roster of his unit until I found his name and clicked on the link, which provided me some descriptive information (that he was 20 when he joined up), which means check the 1850 and 1860 census records and you should find him. Overall, to find any information relating to parentage, etc., you will need to obtain a pension record, if one is available for him and/or start with looking at the census records. Depending on where you live, try to find a library that is in the NARA system, as you will have access to Ancestry.com free (the only costs would be copying at the library and any other fees that the library has in place). I hope this helps you out and good luck on your search. Aside from starting with Ancestry.com, which is kind of obvious, there are several different ways to answer your questions. With regard to his military service and possible Medal of Honor, first, check The Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois, which is available online via Google Books (I downloaded a copy myself a year ago). This will have information relating to his mustering into the Union army, since it was an Illinois unit. Now, I just checked the official website for the MOH and could not find him listed among the Civil War recipients, so that is likely a dead end.

As far as military records go, they do not usually cover family information, except for a place of birth or residence and those are only if he listed such when he signed up. A quick glance at a couple of sources I know listed him as a private, with the Adjutant General’s Report listing him as having mustered in 1864. Try to see if there is a pension file on him, as that would help you out. Use Ancestry.com or some other service to look at census records for his name, as that will provide you the framework to trace back. The census was conducted every 10 years, so be sure to check the following years especially (1840, 1850, and 1860). Go to this website and you will find a little more about him as well: http://www.ilsos.gov/genealogy/

That link is to the Illinois online veteran’s database for Civil War veterans, I searched the roster of his unit until I found his name and clicked on the link, which provided me some descriptive information (that he was 20 when he joined up), which means check the 1850 and 1860 census records and you should find him. Overall, to find any information relating to parentage, etc., you will need to obtain a pension record, if one is available for him and/or start with looking at the census records. Depending on where you live, try to find a library that is in the NARA system, as you will have access to Ancestry.com free (the only costs would be copying at the library and any other fees that the library has in place). I hope this helps you out and good luck on your search.

]]> By: Rebecca Goodwin http://civilwarhistory.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/researching-your-civil-war-ancestor/#comment-602 Rebecca Goodwin Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:33:50 +0000 http://civilwarhistory.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/researching-your-civil-war-ancestor/#comment-602 We know that my Great Grandfather>James A Goodwin was indeed in the 2nd Illinois Cavalry c company, but it is said that he had a medal of honor. How do we confirm that. Also, He and at least one brother supposedly stowed away as children and upon discovery were used as slaves on the ship. They came from Enland to ? They ended up in the south, I think Ky. They were then used as endentured slaves by their Uncle. When the war began James ran away to join the fight against slavery. We don't know what happened to his brother/brothers but I have heard that one may have ended up in S. or N. Carolina. I think South. We have not been able to connect the family back to England. I was wondering if by chance the military records may have family information, such as who he lived with when he came to America or who his parents were. I have seen his citizenship certificate, there is nothing of his familial past there. Could you give me some sugestions as to where I might start? We would really like to find out what happened to the brother/brothers and who they came from. We were also thinking of having one of our Male Goodwins' take the DNA testing to see if it matches any of the other lines. We wondering if he could have just made up a name when he came here? We know that my Great Grandfather>James A Goodwin was indeed in the 2nd Illinois Cavalry c company, but it is said that he had a medal of honor. How do we confirm that. Also, He and at least one brother supposedly stowed away as children and upon discovery were used as slaves on the ship. They came from Enland to ? They ended up in the south, I think Ky. They were then used as endentured slaves by their Uncle. When the war began James ran away to join the fight against slavery. We don’t know what happened to his brother/brothers but I have heard that one may have ended up in S. or N. Carolina. I think South. We have not been able to connect the family back to England. I was wondering if by chance the military records may have family information, such as who he lived with when he came to America or who his parents were. I have seen his citizenship certificate, there is nothing of his familial past there.
Could you give me some sugestions as to where I might start? We would really like to find out what happened to the brother/brothers and who they came from. We were also thinking of having one of our Male Goodwins’ take the DNA testing to see if it matches any of the other lines. We wondering if he could have just made up a name when he came here?

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