Statewide County MD Archives Military Records.....Preface Civilwar - Rosters ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/md/mdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 23, 2007, 2:03 pm Preface PREFACE THE matter of the publication of the records of Maryland troops, who fought for the preservation of the Federal Union during the great Civil War from 1861 to 1865, was inaugurated by the survivors of that war, through their representative organization, the Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Maryland. The survivors of the Civil War and their descendants in the State of Maryland had, for years, hoped that the example set by the other States of the Union, in the compilation and publication of the records of their heroic sons, would have been an incentive to the people of our State to do likewise, as the record of the gallantry of a part of our people would be the common heritage of all. Over three decades had passed in fact, a third of a century had rolled on since the close of the greatest civil war history has recorded, and the archives of the State failed to show the muster rolls of her sons, or even a brief record of their splendid achievements. The survivors and their descendants believed that if anything was to be done in the premises, it should be done at once; moreover, the times were propitious, much of the bitterness and prejudice engendered by the Civil War had passed away, and only its glories and substantial benefits remained. The Committee on Legislation of the Department of Maryland, Grand Army of the Republic, for the year 1895, had, through the courtesy of Governor Frank Brown and Adjutant-General Douglas, carefully examined such of the muster rolls as were on file in the office of the Adjutant-General of Maryland, and the members of the committee were surprised at the incompleteness and paucity thereof. Not a single regiment or battery was complete, and, in some cases, the muster rolls of entire regiments were missing. Consultations were had, whenever practicable, with the survivors of the different regiments, batteries and companies of the commands accredited to the State of Maryland, and estimates were obtained from the War Department to cover missing data. A bill was then drafted by the. committee, and petition and exhibits were prepared. The good offices of Governor Lowndes were asked for, and, upon the assembling of the new Legislature for Maryland in January, 1896, the committee of the Grand Army of the Republic appeared before committees of the Senate and House of Delegates of Maryland and urged action. The matter was deemed non-partisan and patriotic, and prompt action was urged by a number of distinguished Representatives in both Houses of the General Assembly, especially by Colonel John R. Rouzer, of the House of Delegates, from Frederick County, himself a gallant Union soldier of fine record. The bill, as drafted by the committee of the Grand Army of the Republic, passed both Houses unanimously and was approved by the Governor. The bill, viz., Chapter 134, Acts of 1896, read as follows: AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE RECORDS OF THE SOLDIERS, SAILORS AND MARINES ACCREDITED TO THE STATE OF MARYLAND, IN THE LATE ClVIL WAR, AND TO PUBLISH THE SAME, AND TO MAKE A SUITABLE APPROPRIATION THEREFOR. Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the Governor shall, within thirty days after the passage of this Act, appoint three citizens, of whom the Adjutant-General of the State shall be one, and the other two of whom shall be representative soldiers who served in actual warfare as a part of the quota of the State of Maryland in the United States Army or Navy during the late Civil War, as Commissioners of the State to carry out the provisions of this Act, as hereinafter provided, and who shall serve without pay. Section 2. And be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of the said Commissioners under this Act to classify and compile, from the documents in the Adjutant-General's office, the records of the several commands, and the individuals thereof, of Maryland soldiers, sailors and marines serving as a part of the quota of the State of Maryland in the Army and Navy of the United States during the late Civil War, and in case of any deficiency in the record of any individual or command in the Adjutant-General's office, they shall be empowered to complete the said deficient records from the records of the War and Navy Departments of the United States, for which purpose the Governor shall, at the request of the said Commissioners, make requisition for the desired information upon the Secretaries of the said Departments, in accordance with the existing laws. Section 3. And be it enacted, That the said Commissioners shall be empowered to employ such clerical aid, and purchase such stationery as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, the same to be paid for from the appropriation hereinafter provided for. They shall also be empowered to deposit with the War and Navy Departments of the United States, in accordance with the existing orders of the said Departments, such a sum of money, to be taken from the appropriation hereinafter provided for, or may be required by the Secretaries of the said War and Navy Departments, to secure the United States from liability for any expense incurred in copying and completing from their records the deficient records of Maryland soldiers, sailors and marines, as provided for in Section 2 of this Act. Section 4. And be it enacted, That the said Commissioners, upon the completion of the said records, shall be empowered to have printed and bound in two or more volumes, one thousand copies of the same, together with brief history of each command, to be distributed as follows: 300 copies to the headquarters of the Department of Maryland, Grand Army of the Republic, for distribution to the several Grand Army Posts in the State; 2 copies to each public library and school library in the State; 1 copy to the Adjutant-General of each of the United States for each State Library; 10 copies to the Congressional Library, at Washington, D. C.; the balance of the copies to be deposited with the State Librarian, at Annapolis, for distribution as may be deemed proper by the Adjutant-General of the State. Section 5. And be it enacted, That the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby appropriated, to pay for the provisions of this Act; and the Comptroller of the State, upon proper vouchers approved by the said Commissioners or a majority of them, shall, from time to time, draw his warrants upon the State Treasurer for the amounts necessary to pay for clerical aid, for stationery, and for deposit with the War and Navy Departments at Washington, a guarantee fund, as provided for in Section 2 of this Act, and also to pay for the printing, binding and distributing of the copies of the said records, as provided for in Section 4 of this Act. Section 6. And be it enacted, That the necessary expenses incurred by the said Commissioners in carrying out the provisions of this Act, not to exceed the sum of one thousand dollars, shall be paid out of the said appropriated sum of fifteen thousand dollars, and the said Comptroller is authorized to draw his warrants upon the State Treasurer therefor, upon receiving an itemized account of such expenses, verified by the affidavit of the said Commissioners, or any one of them. Section 7. And be it enacted, That this Act shall take effect from the date of its passage. Approved April 2, 1896. In pursuance of the provisions of this Act, Governor Lowndes appointed a Commission, consisting of General L. Allison Wilmer, Adjutant-General of Maryland; Dr. James H. Jarrett, late surgeon 7th Regiment Infantry, Maryland Volunteers, and Colonel Geo. W. F. Vernon, late Cole's Cavalry, Maryland Volunteers. (Colonel Vernon had been the chairman of the G. A. R. Legislative Committee.) The Commission organized in the selection of General L. Allison Wilmer as President and Colonel Geo. W. F. Vernon as Secretary. The great amount of painstaking labor necessarily involved in the careful and accurate compiling of the individual and collective records of the 62,959 names of those who served in the army and navy from the State of Maryland was increased on account of the difficulty and, in some cases, the impossibility of obtaining accurate data. The Commission carefully examined the published records of the different States of the Union, and finally adopted as a model the record of the State of Pennsylvania, with some modifications suggested by the records of the State of Minnesota, as being the briefest and yet the most complete and comprehensive record of the individual and the regiment. The Commission compiled all the data possible from such incomplete records as were found in the office of the Adjutant-General of Maryland. They invited, by circular letter and otherwise, the active co-operation of the surviving veterans of the Civil War representing the different regiments, batteries and companies, soliciting the loan of retained copies of muster rolls, rosters, historical data, etc., and the advice and counsel of these veterans. The Commission also requested inspection of the work in hand as it progressed, with a view of correcting errors, more especially in names, dates of enlistment, discharge, promotions, transfers, casualties, etc. The Commission then made requisition, through the Governor of Maryland, upon the War Department for the missing data in many cases for the enlisted men of entire regiments, under the provisions of Act of Congress approved March 2, 1895. The Commission find that, while the records will be in the main accurate and complete, nevertheless, by reason of the neglect and failure and clerical errors of certain regimental, company and mustering officers in making returns of certain names, promotions, casualties, etc., the record cannot be made perfect. The Commission have divided the work into two volumes, one volume embracing all of the troops accredited to the quota of the State of Maryland, and distinctively recognized as Maryland troops; the second volume to embrace all of the sailors, marines and colored troops from Maryland who served in the Union army or navy. The Commission, in preparing the histories of the different regiments, batteries, companies and battalions, realized that the scope of the work entrusted to them did not contemplate more than compendiums; nevertheless, they have as briefly as possible, with the official data at their command and the assistance of survivors of the war, set forth the material facts in connection with the organizations in as fair, just and impartial a manner as the facts at their disposal warranted. It has been a difficult matter, after the lapse of so many years and the death of so many of the survivors, with so many muster rolls missing and inaccuracies therein, to do complete justice to this work. To recapitulate, the Commission have derived data and information from the official records of the Adjutant-General's office, at Annapolis, Md., and the War Department, Washington, D. C.; from retained copies of rolls, data and memoranda furnished by survivors of the war; from "Regimental Losses of the American Civil War," by Fox; and from J. W. Kirkley's manuscripts of his history of Maryland troops during the Civil War. While this work may not be as complete as some would wish, while it may be thought that a more particular account of individual deeds should have been given, it must be remembered that the primary object of the publication is to preserve a faithful, true and impartial record of the names and length of service of those Marylanders who served their country in the late conflict, to be held in honor and reverence not only by the survivors and the descendants of their departed comrades in this day and generation, but by every patriotic Marylander for generations to come. L. ALLISON WILMER, ) GEO. W. F. VERNON, ) Commissioners. JAMES H. JARRETT, ) ADDENDUM. It is only fair that credit should be given Colonel George W. F. Vernon for his invaluable services as one of the Commission. While all of the members of the Commission attended meetings and exercised general supervision, the clerical work was under the immediate charge and constant supervision of Colonel Vernon, as Secretary and he compiled and prepared the historical part of this record. L. ALLISON WILMER, President of the Commission. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY AND ROSTER OF Maryland Volunteers, War of 1861-5 PREPARED UNDER AUTHORITY OF The General Assembly of Maryland, BY L. ALLISON WILMER, J. H. JARRETT, GEO. W. F. VERNON, State Commissioners. VOLUME I. 1898 PRESS OF GUGGENHEIMER, WEIL & CO. BALTIMORE, MD. Electrotyped. Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1898, by Geo. W. F. Vernon, L. Allison Wilmer, J. H. Jarrett, Commissioners for the State of Maryland, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 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