Of the three, the only one I have not
stepped foot in is the DAR Library. Unfortunately, I'm still looking
for a relative who was involved in the Revolution. Maybe someday
While I haven't done research in the
Library of Congress I have taken a tour of it. If you have never
visited, let me tell you that it is beautiful inside! The architects
who designed it wanted to demonstrate that Americans could build
something in the classical style that compared to the great buildings
of Europe. If you want a break from your research I recommend taking
a guided tour of the LOC.
(Sonja Hunter, copyright 2001)
I have, however, done genealogical
research in the National Archives. In fact, this is where I got my
feet wet. This was back in the days when the only indexes to census
records (1880-1920, for heads of household only) were soundex cards
on microfilm. For everything else you had to guess where your
ancestors lived and scroll through page by page and hope you got
lucky.
It is probably needless to say that
NARA has a large collection of records on microfilm in addition to
the many paper records they house. The microfilm catalog is
available online.
As I had only recently begun my
genealogical journey when I was there I never delved into any but the
most basic records. The notable exception was the Civil War pension
application files (for Union soldiers) that I was fortunate enough to
review. These records can provide a goldmine of information. Of the
thirteen or so files I have looked at, probably 2/3 of them were
thick files (over 100 pages). Yes, of course, there are many
doctors' statements describing the ailments of the soldiers, but
these records possess so much more. You will also find depositions
from individuals who knew the soldier before his service to state
that he was hale and hearty before the war. There are also
depositions from the soldier describing how his ailments are linked
to his service. Widows' pensions have even more information
including death certificates, marriage certificates and birth records
for minor children.
To view these records you will first
need to obtain a NARA research ID card (and watch a short
presentation on proper handling of records). You can register for
your card in the microfilm reading room, a process that takes about
20 minutes. Card in hand, you then need to fill out a form
containing information about the soldier whose file you wish to view
(e.g. name, unit, application number). This information is found on
pension application index cards that are now available at
FamilySearch, Ancestry.com and Fold3. You can request several files
in one pull and I would recommend this in case some files cannot be
found. Retrieving your soldier's file usually requires several
hours.
To peruse the files you will go to the
reading room. To ensure that documents from NARA stay at NARA you
are not allowed to bring in anything that could conceal original
documents. Computers, loose notes and wallets are allowed. Blank
paper and pencils are provided. Lockers to stow your other items
(coats, purses, backpacks, etc.) are located down the hall and cost a
quarter. Be sure to see the specific regulations on what you can bring into
the reading room.
Depending on how thick a file is and
the type of information contained therein it may take a couple of
hours to go through the file and make your copies. If you can
refrain from reveling in touching documents your ancestor did and
sort without getting sucked into the depositions you may be able to
get through the records faster than I did. If you are running out
of time you can return the file to the attendant and resume your
perusal the following day.
Don't make the mistake that I did and
be stingy about what you copy. When in doubt, make a copy. After
all, you already paid for this trip. While you can obtain these
records by mail it costs $75 for the complete file (up to 100 pages)
and a per page rate beyond that. To make copies, leave your rolls of
coins at home. Your researcher card doubles as a copy card.
Machines to add money to your card are located within the research
rooms. However, you may want to bring several denominations (or a
credit card) because you cannot get a refund if you don't use all the
money on your card. Copy prices are 25 cents for paper to paper and
50 cents for microfilm to paper.
Occasionally, the NARA staff is unable
to locate a particular pension file. In this case, you may want to
request the Compiled Military Service Record for that soldier. While
these records usually do not contain very much information, they
sometimes possess more than the standard fare. Don't get me wrong,
these records are valuable, but knowing that an ancestor was present
for duty in July of 1863 only tells so much, though it may help to
determine if your ancestor was in a particular battle.
If you go on this trip, I hope you
uncover all sorts of great information and if you're lucky, break
down some brick walls as well.
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