Table of Contents
1 Introduction 9
If You Are a Beginning Genealogist 10
If You Are an Experienced Genealogist 10
Meet the Family 10
2 The Essentials 13
The Basics 13
Notes 14
Be Specific 15
Speed vs. Accuracy 16
Standard Dating Format 16
Don't Give Up 17
The Journey 19
Research Plan 20
Privacy Laws 21
3 U.S. Census History 25
Questions, Questions, Questions 26
The Enumerators 36
4 Getting the Most Out of Censuses 40
Beware the Errors 40
Where to Look for Censuses 44
5 State Censuses 50
State & Territorial Censuses 50
6 Mortality Schedules 54
What are Mortality Schedules? 54
How to Use Mortality Schedules 54
State Mortality Schedules 56
7 Other Census Records 60
Slave Schedules 60
Military Veterans Schedules 62
Special Interim Census 64
Indian Census Rolls 65
Deaf Couples 65
Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Schedules 66
8 Tricks of the Census Trade 68
Check Neighboring Families for Familiar Surnames 68
Check Previous or Subsequent Censuses 69
Be Aware of Places of Birth 71
Be Aware of Other Names Listed With Families 71
Use All Family Members 72
Use What You Already Know 73
Use Wild Cards 74
Advanced Search 74
Use the Neighbors 75
9 Military Records - an Overview 76
American Wars 77
Where to Begin 78
The National Archives 80
Bounty Land Warrants 82
Record of Events 83
Compiled Military Service Records 83
Regular Army Enlistments 84
Regular Army Officers 84
Rendezvous Reports 85
Marine Corps Service Records 85
Ordering Naval and Marine Corps Records 85
Pension Records 86
NARA Regional Facilities 87
10 War-by-War Records 92
Pre-Revolutionary Wars 92
Revolutionary War 93
Numbered Record Books 93
Case Files Based on Pension and Bounty Land Warrants 94
War of 1812 99
Mexican-American War 102
Civil War 103
Civil War Sailors and Soldiers System (CWSS) 103
Union Army Records 105
Draft Records 105
Compiled Military Service Records 106
Pension Records 107
Confederate Pension Records 108
World War I 113
Draft Registration Cards 113
World War II 123
Old Man's Draft Registration 123
Other Resources for Military Records 128
Korean War 129
Vietnam War 129
11 Summary 131
12 Glossary of Terms 133
Appendices 137
Appendix A Year-by-Year Census Questions 137
Appendix B A Synopsis of Mortality Schedules by State 144
Index 147
Research Plan Sample Chart 21
United States Census Established 25
Sample Slave Schedule 61
Sample American Indian Schedule 65
Draft Registration Cards, World War I 116-121
Draft Registration Cards, World War II 126-127
