This weekend being Memorial Day, it seems fitting to blog about two Civil War veterans, one from my family and one from my husband’s. I’ve learned so much more about researching in an archive and also about the records held at the National Archives in DC! What a treat this has been to spend a day at the Archives. I am now an official archive researcher, with my own Research Card. It was a painless process, and now I can come whenever I’d like and research at ANY National Archives.
Earlier this year, I went to the National Archives in St. Louis, which holds the military records for 1917-present and was able to review my grandfather’s (Walter Elliot Tubbs) military records. The National Archives in DC holds the military records (CMSR) for those who served prior to WW1. My focus this week was on two Civil War veterans in our family.
Russel Ralph Pealer, Sgt. to 2nd Lieutenant
My husband knows a lot about his great-great-grandfather Russel Ralph Pealer (1842-1919), who was a member of the 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry. He enlisted in October 1862 in Fishing Creek, PA as a 22 year old and was promoted through several ranks. He was wounded with a bullet (Minie ball) in his thigh but they were eventually able to remove it. After returning from the Civil War he would go on to become a lawyer and a judge, settling in Three Rivers, Michigan.
Henry Clay Stoddard, Musician–drummer
The second veteran is my great-great-grandfather, Henry Clay Stoddard (1841-1909), who was a musician (drummer) in the 24th Michigan Infantry, Company I. The 24th was part of what is known as the Iron Brigade of the West. They are known to be some of the most courageous men in the civil war. After returning from the war, he married and settled in Reed City, Michigan and opened a Hardware Store with his brother, Nathan Stoddard.
National Archives in DC
The National Archives in DC is in a beautiful building, even the elevators had amazing woodwork! If you are a researcher, you need to schedule an appointment and there is a separate entrance. Here’s a great video that introduces you to the process, if you would like to do research.
The archivists are incredibly helpful and they do want you to find something! I had been prepared for the fact that the Archives does not index their items with genealogy in mind, it’s national records so they organize it by division and department. The archivists, though, are prepared to help educate you.
I wasn’t sure how much I would find and how long it would take, but I arrived by 8:45am and stayed through the “warning” call at 4:30pm. I enjoyed lunch in their basement cafe and it was a wonderful day!.
CMSR (Compiled Military Service Records)
These are a collection of cards associated with a soldier. Each card documents one date’s events. Whether it is a muster roll, payroll, or documenting a medical leave. These are requested through a form (like everything in the archives) but all you need is the soldier name and their state, regiment, and the war. I had to wait for about 45 minutes while the archivists pulled the records but they have computers with access to a variety of databases in the research room and then you can go up to the reading room on the 2nd floor to retrieve your documents.
At first glance, the CMSR might not seem like much and certainly not something that would provide additional insight. For example, we had known that Russel Ralph Pealer was injured so I wasn’t surprised to find several cards that identified that he was “absent” for muster call because he was in the medical hospital. It doesn’t usually share a whole alot and for us, we pretty much knew everything on the cards.But if you dig into them, you might be surprised. This is what happened for me with Henry Clay Stoddard. As I was looking through his muster cards (and there were about 20 of them), I learned that he was “absent” during the Sept./Oct. 1864, Nov/Dec, 1864, Jan/Feb 1865, and Mar/Apr 1865 Company Muster Rolls. The remarks stated “Nurse in Hospl City Pt. Va.”. At first, I was thinking that he had been wounded and sent to Hospital City Point, VA. I had no idea that he was wounded and I also wondered what “nurse” was referring to. Was this code for needing to be nursed back to health? So off to the search the Carded Medical Records!
Carded Medical Records for Soldiers in the Army, 1821-1912
I requested the Carded Medical Records for Soldiers in the Army, 1821-1912 for both soldiers, by a form–but a different one– in the archivists consultation room. The files are organized much like the CMSR records, there is a card for each entry on a date, but unlike the CSMR, they are not all clumped together into a folder and I had to sift through a section of the alphabet to find any cards related to HC Stoddard (and RR Pealer). I found three for HC Stoddard.
What I found for HC Stoddard clarified for me that he was NOT wounded, but instead sent to work in the Hospital. It was not clear if he served as a musician while in the hospital or as more like an attendant. These cards had been transcribed from the original records. I had been told by an archivist that I could request the original source, if I found an acquisition number, but he didn’t think that I would learn anything more from it. I decided I would try anyway.
Original Records
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In the reading room, other people had been brought a rolling cart of interesting things and I was a bit jealous. So I was excited when I learned that I would have a rolling cart, complete with 7 very old ledger style books, most of which were sealed closed with a plastic protection. I was required to ask the archivist to remove the plastic when I was ready for each volume. They were in terrible shape, but I guess given that they are over 150 years old, I won’t hold it against them.
It was fun to look through these books and to find my ancestor’s name among the list of “nurses and attendants” or the page that showed “Names of musicians sent her for duty-Aug 1, 1864”. I really liked seeing the original documents because they provide the context and some background. I might have drawn different conclusions if I had not seen that there were 32 musicians from across various regiments that were sent there to help out. I have reached out to an expert on Musicians in the Civil War to ask what he knows about this type of reassignment but in the meanwhile I’m excited to learn a little more about his story of civil war service. I am not well-versed in Civil War history, so I was not aware of City Point Hospital in VA which was a huge Depot Field Hospital that references I read said that over 29,000 soldiers were served by the hospital.
(1864) City Point, Virginia. General Hospital. United States, 1864. Sept. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2018672432/.
Pension and Widow Applications
The true gem in the archives for me were the Pension and Widow Applications. These records are bountiful with possible new information and definitely interesting information to provide perspective and greater context. There were dozens of pages for each of the civil war soldiers I was researching, I scanned them but haven’t had the time to truly sift through them. I wil include here an example of a document enclosed that provided a little more depth to the story about Russel Ralph Pealer and intrigued me because it was from California. I have included the original and a transcription:
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State of California
County of Los Angeles
In the matter of Original Pension Claim No 530583 of Russel R Pealer Lieut. Cos E and I, 16th Regt Pa. Cavalry [??].
Personally came before me, a Deputy County Clerk in and for aforesaid County and State, Lyman Stewart aged forty five years, citizen of the city of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, State of California, well known to me to be reportable and entitled to credit, and who being duly sworn, declares in relation to aforesaid case, as follows:
I was a member of Company E 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry and knew Russel R. Peeler lieutenant of said company, and I know of his being wounded at Hatcher’s Run, VA, Feb. 6th, 1865. I remember about the wound very distinctly. I was with said Russel R. Peeler at the hospital at City Point-the next day after the battle and also when the surgeons probed for the ball. The wound was in the left-thigh and was very severe. The surgeons probled down the limb fifteen inches-it was estimated at the time–without finding the ball. The ball was not found while he remained at City Point.
Lieutenant Pealer was a brave soldier, was activated by patriotic motives and was faithful in the discharge of his duties. As an officer he was capable and efficient and inspired the men of his Company with higher and nobler purposes.
I have not seen Lieutenant Pealer since my discharge from the service in June 1865.
He further declares that he has no interest in said case, and is not concerned in its prosecution.
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What brave and courageous men, so proud to be a part of their families.
Happy Memorial Day, 2023!
As I was searching (using Google Lens) for an image or information about this little souvenir, I came across this nearly identical glass piece, the only difference was the location for where the souvenir is acquired. Clearly, the company that made this mass marketed piece would just gold foil different names onto the pots for sale at various tourist attractions. I started seeing “EAPG” on all sorts of websites describing various glass pieces and learned that EAPG stood for Early American Patterned Glass and they have a society with an absolutely AMAZING website that catalogues all different companies and patterns of glass.
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