Digitized military documentation released......

Mizzou B-ball fan · 05-24-2007, 12:55 PM

Really neat stuff. http://www.ancestory.com

The U.S. government didn't want to bother digitizing old military documents, so Ancestory.com has done it for them. It's normally a subscription site, but until June 6th (D-Day), they are offering free searches of the military archives. Really neat way to dig through old stuff about friends or family that served in the military.

JediKooter · 05-24-2007, 01:26 PM

This is pretty awesome. My great grandfather served in WWI along with his brother. It would be pretty interesting if I could find their information. All I have on them from doing searches in the past is their Draft Registration cards.

sabotai · 05-24-2007, 01:49 PM

I have a great-great-great-(I forget how far back exactly)-grandfather that fought for the union in the Civil War. Do the military records on that site go back that far? (EDIT: Went to the site and apparently they do. Gonna see if I can find him)

JediKooter · 05-24-2007, 01:56 PM

I do know back in the 70s or early 80s, there was a huge fire that destroyed a lot of military records. So, there may be gaps in the records or no records at all.

Poli · 05-24-2007, 01:57 PM

Oh boy.

Dr. Sak · 05-24-2007, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediKooter

I do know back in the 70s or early 80s, there was a huge fire that destroyed a lot of military records. So, there may be gaps in the records or no records at all.

Yeah that is why I cannot find my grandfather's records. A guy called me the other day telling me to call the government about it.

Drake · 05-24-2007, 02:11 PM

I found my maternal grandfather's WWI draft registration card and an image from the 1910 Census mentioning his living arrangements.

I forwarded these images to my mom, and she was so happy to see them that she cried.

Thanks for posting this, Mizzou. You made my mom happy today.

sabotai · 05-24-2007, 02:22 PM

Found my ancestor's pension record and he's listed as a soldier in their index. If anyone cares, his name was David B. Hurley and he served for Company H of the NJ 1st Infantry and Company K of the NJ 4th Infantry (EDIT: Looks like it was just Company K of the 4th....). It doesn't say it on ancestry.com, but he was a Captain when the war ended. He entered the service on Aug. 19th, 1861 and served until the war ended (Well, not sure if he left the military after the war, but he was at Appomettox Courth House for Lee's Surrender.)

According to what my mother gave me about him, he fought at a lot of major battles. He was captured for several months and was kept at Libby Prison until he escaped in 1862. He fought at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and Appomattox Court House, among many others.

JediKooter · 05-24-2007, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsak16

Yeah that is why I cannot find my grandfather's records. A guy called me the other day telling me to call the government about it.

That sucks big time. The VA 'might' have records that were kept separately from the DODs records place (at the time of the fire) in Washington DC. I think all the DODs records are kept somewhere in Colorado now.

So, maybe give the VA a try.

JediKooter · 05-24-2007, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai

Found my ancestor's pension record and he's listed as a soldier in their index. If anyone cares, his name was David B. Hurley and he served for Company H of the NJ 1st Infantry and Company K of the NJ 4th Infantry. It doesn't say it on ancestry.com, but he was a Captain when the war ended. He entered the service on Aug. 19th, 1861 and served until the war ended (Well, not sure if he left the military after the war, but he was at Appomettox Courth House for Lee's Surrender.)

According to what my mother gave me about him, he fought at a lot of major battles. He was captured for several months and was kept at Libby Prison until he escaped in 1862. He fought at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and Appomattox Court House, among many others.

That is some awesome family history sabotai! Good find.

Mizzou B-ball fan · 05-25-2007, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drake

Thanks for posting this, Mizzou. You made my mom happy today.

Good to hear. It's some really neat stuff.

JeeberD · 05-25-2007, 07:05 AM

Ancestry.com is a VERY cool site in general. A couple of months ago my dad and I found a ton of info on my wife's great-grandfather...the first in her family to come over from Czechoslovakia. The really hard part is deciphering the old handwriting...

sabotai · 05-25-2007, 04:41 PM

One thing I found out is my great-great-great-grandfather was not at Appomettox. His enlistment ended in Aug. 1864, so he was not there for the last year of the war.

Another thing I found out is that my grandfather's uncle was a butcher for the army in WW2.

05-24-2007, 01:26 PM	#2
JediKooter Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Diego via Sausalito via San Jose via San Diego	This is pretty awesome. My great grandfather served in WWI along with his brother. It would be pretty interesting if I could find their information. All I have on them from doing searches in the past is their Draft Registration cards. __________________ I'm no longer a Chargers fan, they are dead to me Coming this summer to a movie theater near you: The Adventures of Jedikooter: Part 4

05-24-2007, 01:49 PM	#3
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	I have a great-great-great-(I forget how far back exactly)-grandfather that fought for the union in the Civil War. Do the military records on that site go back that far? (EDIT: Went to the site and apparently they do. Gonna see if I can find him) Last edited by sabotai : 05-24-2007 at 01:50 PM.

05-24-2007, 01:56 PM	#4
JediKooter Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: San Diego via Sausalito via San Jose via San Diego	I do know back in the 70s or early 80s, there was a huge fire that destroyed a lot of military records. So, there may be gaps in the records or no records at all. __________________ I'm no longer a Chargers fan, they are dead to me Coming this summer to a movie theater near you: The Adventures of Jedikooter: Part 4

05-24-2007, 01:57 PM	#5
Poli FOFC Survivor Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Wentzville, MO	Oh boy. __________________ Cheer for a walk on quarterback! Ardent leads the Vols in the dynasty forum.

05-24-2007, 02:22 PM	#8
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	Found my ancestor's pension record and he's listed as a soldier in their index. If anyone cares, his name was David B. Hurley and he served for Company H of the NJ 1st Infantry and Company K of the NJ 4th Infantry (EDIT: Looks like it was just Company K of the 4th....). It doesn't say it on ancestry.com, but he was a Captain when the war ended. He entered the service on Aug. 19th, 1861 and served until the war ended (Well, not sure if he left the military after the war, but he was at Appomettox Courth House for Lee's Surrender.) According to what my mother gave me about him, he fought at a lot of major battles. He was captured for several months and was kept at Libby Prison until he escaped in 1862. He fought at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and Appomattox Court House, among many others. Last edited by sabotai : 05-24-2007 at 02:28 PM.

05-24-2007, 02:11 PM	#7
Drake assmaster Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Bloomington, IN	I found my maternal grandfather's WWI draft registration card and an image from the 1910 Census mentioning his living arrangements. I forwarded these images to my mom, and she was so happy to see them that she cried. Thanks for posting this, Mizzou. You made my mom happy today.

05-25-2007, 07:05 AM	#12
JeeberD General Manager Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The Town of Flower Mound	Ancestry.com is a VERY cool site in general. A couple of months ago my dad and I found a ton of info on my wife's great-grandfather...the first in her family to come over from Czechoslovakia. The really hard part is deciphering the old handwriting... __________________ UTEP Miners!!! I solemnly swear to never cheer for TO

05-25-2007, 04:41 PM	#13
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	One thing I found out is my great-great-great-grandfather was not at Appomettox. His enlistment ended in Aug. 1864, so he was not there for the last year of the war. Another thing I found out is that my grandfather's uncle was a butcher for the army in WW2.

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