3 Mar is the anniversary of Civil War Conscription–President Lincoln realized that the War could not be won on volunteer efforts alone. And he initiated the registration of all males age 18 years and older, first in Illinois his home state. Indiana quickly followed.
You an I have a unique “census” record to identify young men who are born in Tennessee, move to Illinois and Indiana, and often die before the 1880 Federal census is taken.
Why do you care?
- Loss of male children from their birth order throws naming patterns awry. (Stay tuned to my blogs for a rather extensive set of discussions on the importance of naming patterns and how to use them in proving a genealogy lineage.)
- Tennessee is one of the principal places of origin for persons who live in Illinois and Indiana. Males recorded in these states will alert you where your family migrated when they all of a sudden are gone from the records.
- Military records usually include ages, places of birth or origin, even complete dates of birth.
- And state military records are among the most neglected sources of genealogy data. Researchers who routinely search the Federal pensions, may not realize the wide availability of state records.
Some years ago, I did a rather thorough inventory of state military records–thinking I could use other records in states where family members ended their lives to cover the data missing in those states where they began their lives–states that have suffered heavy record loss–
Tennessee as a case in point!
Missing census records until 1830–the first full census coverage for Tennessee is 1830!
- How to calculate ages?
- How to distinguish between the generations–which James Henderson is the oldest man?
- How to determine which families live next to each other or in the immediate neighborhood together?
Indiana counties have early birth records.
Illinois has early census records and a master index which indexes them all together in the same alphabet!
And both Illinois and Indiana have Conscription Lists. During the most difficult times in the history of the United States. Listing 18-year-olds. In the middle of two census years where much of America is again on the move! Your favorite Tennessee genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS Again, an invitation to watch my blogs–all of them during this Sesquicentennial of the Great American Civil War. You can use the significant records created during this trying time to prove and extend your American ancestry.
PPS The looming war was anticipated and on the agendas of numerous record-generating entities before 1820 and part of the fall-out and aftermath of that war continued until after the turn of the 20th century! Don’t miss a minute or record-category in our coverage!