TIP OF THE WEEK –
WATCH OUT FOR INCORRECTLY FILED DOCUMENTS
It is common to see historical documents incorrectly filed. Use logical reasoning when looking through collections, especially if they were filed later. For example, some Civil War Complete Military Service Records from the National Archives have records belonging to two different soldier in the same file — men with the same or similar names mistaken for the same person. Ask yourself a few questions. Are the documents in the file mostly consistent on facts? Are different dates and locations used for where the soldier enlisted? Did he die at multiple places? Do different documents say he was present and absent on the same dates? These may be signs something was incorrectly filed.
This author has even found records for the same solider filed in two different regiments. This was not because the man was actually in two different regiments, but because the regiments’ names were very similar. In this case the solider’s disability discharge papers were incorrectly filed in the wrong regiment with a soldier who had a similar name who served for the entire war. The logic didn’t match up at several points (A man who was discharged because he lost his right arm in 1862, would not have been promoted to sergeant in 1863 ….).
Be sure to gather all names an ancestor’s regiment went by, especially if its name changed during the war. Check similar named regiments for men with the same or similar names if you suspect an error was possible. These concepts apply to other types of collections.
Collecting all facts, understanding the filing system in question, comparing timelines and mapping out locations can help work around filing errors.
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March 1, 2025
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