Civil War Service Records: follow-up

Yesterday's post detailed Aaron Crail's Civil War service file. Today, I will flesh it out and offer some research suggestions.

Service record highlights:
(1) Company descriptive book card: This is a gem.  In addition to rank, company and regiment, the card gives you the age, height, weight, hair and eye color and complexion of your ancestor. The date, place and term of enlistment is also given.

(2) Company muster, muster-in and muster-out rolls: The date and place of signing up, enlisting and mustering-out [discharge] is given.

(3) Company muster rolls: Every two months a card was added to the file with any or all of the following information: present or absent, stoppage of pay or amount due the government from the soldier, remarks [explains why soldier was absent or present], surname of person filing muster information.

(4) Hospital muster roll: Details on when, where soldier was hospitalized.

(5) Returns: Details on hospital stays.

Aaron Crail  enlisted on 9 March 1864 and was mustered in as a private in Co. I, 124th Indiana Infantry on 17 March 1864. [The same dates and unit as brother John.] Aaron was reported sick while on duty at Cleveland, TN on 5 April 1864. He was hospitalized at Atlanta on 18 August. By January 1865, Aaron had been transferred to Columbia, TN, where he was fit enough to serve on safe guard duty [possibly hospital guard or protecting local citizens]. Over the next two months, he was back in the hospital. By April, Crail had been removed to Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, OH. During May, Aaron was in Louisville, KY [on leave or seeking medical treatment?]. Crail was discharged and sent home on 6 June 1865.

The 124th saw action during the Atlanta Campaign [May - Sep 1864]. Torrential rains fell during the campaign. Aaron contracted, or exacerbated, a case of tuberculosis/consumption during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.

Aaron would survive less than three years after the war. He died on 28 March 1868 on his farm near Castleton, IN.

Further research:
(1) Soldiers and Sailors System Database: If you have a name, you can probably find your soldier.
(2) Fold3 has the pension card index for Civil War soldiers [as do other sites]. Use the pension number to order the file.
(3) NARA: Order service and pension files from the Nat'l Archives. [Hiring a genealogist to copy the files may be cheaper than NARA copy fees.
(4) Look up regimental histories on-line.
(5) Check appropriate state archives for enlistment records of soldiers and unit histories.

Civil War Research: The Military Service File

If you have a Civil War ancestor who served in the Union Army, be sure to request the service file from the National Archives [NARA]. If your soldier - or his widow - filed for a pension, request the FULL pension. It may cost a bit more, but you won't miss anything of potential interest.

The service file is the main subject today. The soldier's cover sheet will give his name, rank, company and regiment. There will also be a series of card numbers listed. These cards will give you the veterans service history. There will also be a line showing the "Number of personal papers herein."

I'm going to use my great-great-grandfather Aaron Crail's service file as an example.

Cover page: Crail, Aaron - Co. I - 124th Indiana Infantry - Private
There are 16 card numbers listed and 0 personal papers.

1st card: Company Muster Roll: period of enrollment - to Apr 29, 1864; joined - 9 Apr 1864 at Indianapolis for a period of 3 yrs.; mustered - same date & place; present at muster

2nd card: Detachment Muster-in Roll: age 24; Pvt., Co. I, 124th Ind. Inf.; Indianapolis, Mar 17, 1864; paid $60 bounty.

3rd card: Company Descriptive Book: age - 24; height - 5'10"; dark complexion; hazel eyes; dark hair; born - Marion, OH; occupation: farmer; enlisted: Mar 9, 1864, Indianapolis by T.F. Howell for 3 yr. term.

4th card: Muster for May & June, 1864 - present

5th card: Muster for July & Aug., 1864 - absent; sick in hospital since Aug 19, 1864.

6th card: Muster for Sep. & Oct., 1864 - absent; left sick in field hospital near Atlanta on Aug. 18, 1864.

7th card: Muster for Nov. & Dec., 1864 - absent; left sick in field hospital near Atlanta on Aug. 18, 1864.

8th card: Muster for Jan. & Feb., 1865 - absent; in hospital at Camp Dennison, OH.

9th card: Muster for Mar. & Apr., 1865 - absent; hospital, Camp Dennison

10th card: Muster for May & June, 1865 - Discharged June 6/65 at Camp Dennison, OH by order of War Dept.

11th card: Muster-out Roll: Greensboro, NC, Aug 31, 1865; last paid June 30, 1864.

12th card: Hospital Muster Roll: Dennison USA General Hospital, 6th Division, Camp Dennison, OH for Nov. & Dec., 1864; Attached to hospital - Nov. 26, 1864 - sick; present.

13th card: Hospital Muster Roll: Jan. & Feb., 1865 - sick, present.

14th card: Hospital Muster Roll: Mar. & Apr., 1865; Attached to hospital Dec. 18, 1864 - sick, present.

15th card: Appears on Returns as follows:
Aug/64 - sick Cleveland, TN [Apr 5/64] 
Sep/64 - field hospital, Atlanta, GA [Aug 18/64]
Oct - Dec/64 - sick in hospital
Jan/65 - on safe guard, Columbia, TN
Feb - Mar/65 - sick at hospital
Apr/65 - hospital at Camp Dennison, OH
May/65 - absent Louisville, KY
June 6/65 - Cincinnati, mustered out in accordance with telegram dated War Dept., May 2/65

16th card: Detachment Muster-out Roll: mustered out on June 6, 1865, Camp Dennison, OH; paid to June 30/65 [$78.43]; bounty paid -$60; bounty due -$240; mustered out by order by telegram A.G.B. May 3, 1865.

Here you have the military record of Aaron Crail. Aaron spent most of his time in a hospital. Other soldiers' records will show more of their field action.

I'll sum up the record in tomorrow's post.

Next step in the Crail Research: Road Trip!!

I feel that I have about exhausted all of the on-line resources for the Crail family. That leaves a trip to where records might be available. I am planning to make a trip to Pendleton and Campbell Counties in Kentucky where the family lived during the early 1800s.

I am hoping that local resources will shed some light on Thomas Crail Jr., his ancestors and descendants.

The trip won't be for a couple of weeks, so this will probably the last Crail post until I return from the Bluegrass State.

The Death of James B. Crail Jr.

I have bee speculating on James Berry Crail Jr.'s death in several posts. His demise probably came between 1854 and 1875 [his last appearance in records and his wife's appearance in the city directories.] If the Mrs. Crail in the 1860 Warren Twp., Marion, IN Census was James' widow, then he died between 1854 and the 1860 enumeration. The question then becomes where?

Aaron Crail died in Hamilton Co., IN in 1868 and was buried in the small Eller Cemetery near his home.

Sylvester died at the Indiana State Soldiers Home in Lafayette, IN  in 1898 and was buried there.

John died in Indy in 1907 and was buried at Crown Hill's National Cemetery.

George died in 1920 and was buried at Crown Hill.

Mary [Jones] Crail died in 1887 and was buried at Crown Hill.

Numerous family members were buried at Crown Hill as well.

If memory serves me correctly, Crown Hill opened in the early 1860s. Bodies interred at the old city cemetery were moved there after a flood.

If James died during the early 70's in Indy, Crown Hill would have been the likely burial site. If earlier, was he born in a farm cemetery plot? In another county's small cemetery? Was he visiting family out of state when he died? The family seems to have stuck to Marion and surrounding counties, so James likely died in the area. Perhaps it was in an unmarked grave? That mystery may never be solved!

The 1860 census mystery!

There is one extreme longshot clue on Mary A. Crail - the 1860 census.

1860 Warren Twp., Marion Co., IN [Film # M653_279 /803279, p. 239]

James Snyder    55 m farmer             b. VA
Lucy A.  "         41  f  house keeping b. NY
C.H. Smith       18  m farm laborer    b. IN [all children b. IN]
Alonzo Snyder 16  m farm laborer
Elizabeth  "      13  f
Abigail     "      11  f
Wilson S. "       9  m
Emma      "       4   f
Clara       "        2  f
        Crail       45  f                          b. OH

Who is this woman surnamed Crail born c1815 in Ohio? The first name is nearly illegible. It does begin with the letter 'M', but appears to be Mrs. Could this be Mary A. Crail? Warren Twp. is just east of Indianapolis/Center Twp.

James Snyder married Nancy A. Smith on 23 Apr 1843. Lucy Simmons had married Collins C. Smith on 10 Oct 1840 in Switzerland Co., IN. [Nancy & Lucy are the same person.] C.H. Smith was a product of that marriage. There are no apparent ties between the Smith, Snyder & Simmons families.

Could this woman be Mary A. [Jones] Crail? Perhaps. The age is close, off by only 2-3 years. The birthplace of Ohio is spot on. I suspect that the family was in central Indiana. Sylvester, John & Aaron were living in southern Hamilton Co. or in rural Marion Co. George was in Indianapolis, or close enough to enlist from there during the Civil War. In 1860, he was old enough [17] to have been a farm or day laborer & living with another family. James B. Crail may have died between 1854-59.

Mary A. Jones, a.k.a. Mrs. James B. Crail: What I know about her.

What I know about Mary A. Jones Crail:

(1) She was born in Ohio according to her death certificate, census records and the death records of at least two of her sons.

(2) Mary died in Indianapolis on 11 Aug 1887 at the age of 76, placing her birth about 1811.

(3) She was the wife of James B. Crail and the mother of Sylvester, John, Aaron & George. Mary & James probably married about 1832/3.

(4) Her father was T. Jones according to her death certificate. Mother listed as "unknown."

(5) Mary bought town lots in Marietta, Shelby, IN in 1851 & 1853. She and James sold the lots in 1854.

(6) She is listed as Mrs. Mary Crail in the 1875/6 Indy directory, residing at 353 E. Market, home of son John Crail.

(7) The 1876/7 directory has her as Mrs. Mary Crail, residing at the home of son Sylvester.

(8) Mary is not listed in the 1877/8 & 1878 directories.

(9) In 1879, 1882, 1883, 1885 & 1886, she was entered as Mary A. Crail [widow James] & resided at the home of son John. Mary did not appear in the 1880, 1881 or 1884 directories.

(10) Mary was enumerated in Indianapolis in 1880, in the household of her son, John. The record gives the birthplace of her father as Kentucky & her mother as Ohio.

(11) Following her death in 1887, Mary was interred at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indy.

Bits and Pieces on James B. Crail Jr.

What bits and pieces of facts do I know about James B. Crail Jr.?

(1) From the 1880-1900 census records and death certificate of his son John, James was born in Ohio. If James was the eldest of James and Margaret Crail and born about 1809 - his parents were in Southern Ohio at that time, perhaps married there enroute to Kentucky.

(2) He resided with his parents in Pendleton Co., KY until 1820 when James Sr. moved to Indiana [Harrison Co. 1820s. Washington Co. 1830]

(3) By about 1832, James was married, probably in Ohio, to Mary A. Jones. 

(4) His two eldest sons, Sylvester [1835] and John [1837], were born in Hamilton Co., OH. Tax records support this time frame.

(5) Aaron was born in Marion Co., OH  in 1839.

(6) Shelby Co., IN tax lists suggest that he was in that county with the rest of the family. George's birth certificate states that he was born in Miami Co. [well north of Shelby] in 1843.

(7) On 28 Nov 1849,  a James B. Crail & others deed the site for the building of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Colerain Twp., Hamilton Co., OH.

(8) From 1851-1854, James and Mary were in Marietta, Shelby Co., IN [town lot deeds].

(9) Census, marriage, military records and city directories place Sylvester, John and Aaron in Hamilton and Marion Counties, IN from 1854-1875. [Aaron had died in 1868; Sylvester married in Johnson Co.- bordering Shelby - in 1854.]

(9) From 1875-1887 [her death], Mary A. [Jones] Crail was residing in Indianapolis.

(10) James died between 1854 and 1875, probably in Central Indiana.